diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java
index a4384dea9b..be203770a6 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResource.java
@@ -105,7 +105,10 @@ public class ClassPathResource extends AbstractFileResolvingResource {
 	 * @param path relative or absolute path within the classpath
 	 * @param classLoader the class loader to load the resource with, if any
 	 * @param clazz the class to load resources with, if any
+	 * @deprecated as of 4.3.13, in favor of selective use of
+	 * {@link #ClassPathResource(String, ClassLoader)} vs {@link #ClassPathResource(String, Class)}
 	 */
+	@Deprecated
 	protected ClassPathResource(String path, @Nullable ClassLoader classLoader, @Nullable Class<?> clazz) {
 		this.path = StringUtils.cleanPath(path);
 		this.classLoader = classLoader;
@@ -202,7 +205,8 @@ public class ClassPathResource extends AbstractFileResolvingResource {
 	@Override
 	public Resource createRelative(String relativePath) {
 		String pathToUse = StringUtils.applyRelativePath(this.path, relativePath);
-		return new ClassPathResource(pathToUse, this.classLoader, this.clazz);
+		return (this.clazz != null ? new ClassPathResource(pathToUse, this.clazz) :
+				new ClassPathResource(pathToUse, this.classLoader));
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResourceTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResourceTests.java
index 67e1c49d9d..6319742edb 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResourceTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/core/io/ClassPathResourceTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2012 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2017 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -47,6 +47,69 @@ public class ClassPathResourceTests {
 	private static final Pattern DESCRIPTION_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("^class path resource \\[(.+?)\\]$");
 
 
+	@Test
+	public void stringConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
+		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void classLiteralConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
+		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(NONEXISTENT_RESOURCE_NAME, getClass()));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void classLoaderConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
+		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH, getClass().getClassLoader()));
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getDescriptionWithStringConstructor() {
+		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getDescriptionWithStringConstructorAndLeadingSlash() {
+		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH_WITH_LEADING_SLASH),
+				FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getDescriptionWithClassLiteralConstructor() {
+		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(new ClassPathResource(NONEXISTENT_RESOURCE_NAME, getClass()),
+				FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getDescriptionWithClassLiteralConstructorAndLeadingSlash() {
+		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(
+				new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH_WITH_LEADING_SLASH, getClass()), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getDescriptionWithClassLoaderConstructor() {
+		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(
+				new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH, getClass().getClassLoader()), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void getDescriptionWithClassLoaderConstructorAndLeadingSlash() {
+		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(
+				new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH_WITH_LEADING_SLASH, getClass().getClassLoader()), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void dropLeadingSlashForClassLoaderAccess() {
+		assertEquals("test.html", new ClassPathResource("/test.html").getPath());
+		assertEquals("test.html", ((ClassPathResource) new ClassPathResource("").createRelative("/test.html")).getPath());
+	}
+
+	@Test
+	public void preserveLeadingSlashForClassRelativeAccess() {
+		assertEquals("/test.html", new ClassPathResource("/test.html", getClass()).getPath());
+		assertEquals("/test.html", ((ClassPathResource) new ClassPathResource("", getClass()).createRelative("/test.html")).getPath());
+	}
+
+
 	private void assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(ClassPathResource resource, String expectedPath) {
 		Matcher matcher = DESCRIPTION_PATTERN.matcher(resource.getDescription());
 		assertTrue(matcher.matches());
@@ -67,55 +130,4 @@ public class ClassPathResourceTests {
 		}
 	}
 
-	@Test
-	public void stringConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
-		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH));
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void classLiteralConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
-		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(NONEXISTENT_RESOURCE_NAME, this.getClass()));
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void classLoaderConstructorRaisesExceptionWithFullyQualifiedPath() {
-		assertExceptionContainsFullyQualifiedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH,
-			this.getClass().getClassLoader()));
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void getDescriptionWithStringConstructor() {
-		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void getDescriptionWithStringConstructorAndLeadingSlash() {
-		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH_WITH_LEADING_SLASH),
-			FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void getDescriptionWithClassLiteralConstructor() {
-		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(new ClassPathResource(NONEXISTENT_RESOURCE_NAME, this.getClass()),
-			FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void getDescriptionWithClassLiteralConstructorAndLeadingSlash() {
-		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(
-			new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH_WITH_LEADING_SLASH, this.getClass()), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void getDescriptionWithClassLoaderConstructor() {
-		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(
-			new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH, this.getClass().getClassLoader()), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
-	}
-
-	@Test
-	public void getDescriptionWithClassLoaderConstructorAndLeadingSlash() {
-		assertDescriptionContainsExpectedPath(new ClassPathResource(FQ_RESOURCE_PATH_WITH_LEADING_SLASH,
-			this.getClass().getClassLoader()), FQ_RESOURCE_PATH);
-	}
-
 }