diff --git a/openerp/modules/module.py b/openerp/modules/module.py
index 58a4547ff07..3d3bc0d9adf 100644
--- a/openerp/modules/module.py
+++ b/openerp/modules/module.py
@@ -280,25 +280,28 @@ def get_module_as_zip(modulename, b64enc=True, src=True):
 def get_module_resource(module, *args):
     """Return the full path of a resource of the given module.
 
-    @param module: the module
-    @param args: the resource path components
+    :param module: module name
+    :param list(str) args: resource path components within module
 
-    @return: absolute path to the resource
+    :rtype: str
+    :return: absolute path to the resource
 
     TODO name it get_resource_path
     TODO make it available inside on osv object (self.get_resource_path)
     """
-    a = get_module_path(module)
-    if not a: return False
-    resource_path = opj(a, *args)
-    if zipfile.is_zipfile( a +'.zip') :
-        zip = zipfile.ZipFile( a + ".zip")
+    mod_path = get_module_path(module)
+    if not mod_path: return False
+    resource_path = opj(mod_path, *args)
+    if os.path.isdir(mod_path):
+        # the module is a directory - ignore zip behavior
+        if os.path.exists(resource_path):
+            return resource_path
+    elif zipfile.is_zipfile(mod_path + '.zip'):
+        zip = zipfile.ZipFile( mod_path + ".zip")
         files = ['/'.join(f.split('/')[1:]) for f in zip.namelist()]
         resource_path = '/'.join(args)
         if resource_path in files:
-            return opj(a, resource_path)
-    elif os.path.exists(resource_path):
-        return resource_path
+            return opj(mod_path, resource_path)
     return False
 
 def get_module_icon(module):
diff --git a/openerp/tools/misc.py b/openerp/tools/misc.py
index a5c72900fc7..e0be5ffaef9 100644
--- a/openerp/tools/misc.py
+++ b/openerp/tools/misc.py
@@ -175,10 +175,22 @@ def file_open(name, mode="r", subdir='addons', pathinfo=False):
 
     name = os.path.normpath(name)
 
-    # Check for a zipfile in the path
+    # Give higher priority to module directories, which is
+    # a more common case than zipped modules.
+    if os.path.isfile(name):
+        fo = file(name, mode)
+        if pathinfo:
+            return fo, name
+        return fo
+
+    # Support for loading modules in zipped form.
+    # This will not work for zipped modules that are sitting
+    # outside of known addons paths. 
     head = name
     zipname = False
-    name2 = False
+    # FIXME: implement chrooting inside addons paths and fix
+    # for incorrect path_info behavior. Work in progress by
+    # Florent X linked to bug 928376
     while True:
         head, tail = os.path.split(head)
         if not tail:
@@ -200,14 +212,8 @@ def file_open(name, mode="r", subdir='addons', pathinfo=False):
                     return fo, name
                 return fo
             except Exception:
-                name2 = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(head + '.zip', zipname))
                 pass
-    for i in (name2, name):
-        if i and os.path.isfile(i):
-            fo = file(i, mode)
-            if pathinfo:
-                return fo, i
-            return fo
+
     if os.path.splitext(name)[1] == '.rml':
         raise IOError, 'Report %s doesn\'t exist or deleted : ' %str(name)
     raise IOError, 'File not found : %s' % name