diff --git a/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go b/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go
index f21c20496c..f6dc678b49 100644
--- a/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go
+++ b/src/cmd/godoc/godoc.go
@@ -491,14 +491,6 @@ var fmap = template.FuncMap{
 
 func readTemplate(name string) *template.Template {
 	path := "lib/godoc/" + name
-	if *templateDir != "" {
-		defaultpath := path
-		path = pathpkg.Join(*templateDir, name)
-		if _, err := fs.Stat(path); err != nil {
-			log.Print("readTemplate:", err)
-			path = defaultpath
-		}
-	}
 
 	// use underlying file system fs to read the template file
 	// (cannot use template ParseFile functions directly)
diff --git a/src/cmd/godoc/main.go b/src/cmd/godoc/main.go
index 23f712ab3e..da4fc63b5f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/godoc/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/godoc/main.go
@@ -167,6 +167,9 @@ func main() {
 	if *zipfile == "" {
 		// use file system of underlying OS
 		fs.Bind("/", OS(*goroot), "/", bindReplace)
+		if *templateDir != "" {
+			fs.Bind("/lib/godoc", OS(*templateDir), "/", bindBefore)
+		}
 	} else {
 		// use file system specified via .zip file (path separator must be '/')
 		rc, err := zip.OpenReader(*zipfile)