diff --git a/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative/BaseThymeleafNarrativeGenerator.java b/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative/BaseThymeleafNarrativeGenerator.java
index dd0c486ae2a..89a4da8c6e8 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative/BaseThymeleafNarrativeGenerator.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative/BaseThymeleafNarrativeGenerator.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public abstract class BaseThymeleafNarrativeGenerator extends ThymeleafNarrative
 
 		List<String> propFileName = getPropertyFile();
 		try {
-			NarrativeTemplateManifest manifest = NarrativeTemplateManifest.forManifestFileContents(propFileName);
+			NarrativeTemplateManifest manifest = NarrativeTemplateManifest.forManifestFileLocation(propFileName);
 			setManifest(manifest);
 		} catch (IOException e) {
 			throw new InternalErrorException(e);
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/NarrativeTemplateManifest.java b/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/NarrativeTemplateManifest.java
index 84496ac7c13..8a6798e0f04 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/NarrativeTemplateManifest.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/NarrativeTemplateManifest.java
@@ -92,6 +92,22 @@ public class NarrativeTemplateManifest implements INarrativeTemplateManifest {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public static NarrativeTemplateManifest forManifestFileLocation(String... thePropertyFilePaths) throws IOException {
+		return forManifestFileLocation(Arrays.asList(thePropertyFilePaths));
+	}
+
+	public static NarrativeTemplateManifest forManifestFileLocation(Collection<String> thePropertyFilePaths) throws IOException {
+		ourLog.debug("Loading narrative properties file(s): {}", thePropertyFilePaths);
+
+		List<String> manifestFileContents = new ArrayList<>(thePropertyFilePaths.size());
+		for (String next : thePropertyFilePaths) {
+			String resource = loadResource(next);
+			manifestFileContents.add(resource);
+		}
+
+		return forManifestFileContents(manifestFileContents);
+	}
+
 	public static NarrativeTemplateManifest forManifestFileContents(String... theResources) throws IOException {
 		return forManifestFileContents(Arrays.asList(theResources));
 	}
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-structures-dstu3/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/ThymeleafNarrativeGeneratorTest.java b/hapi-fhir-structures-dstu3/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/ThymeleafNarrativeGeneratorTest.java
index 1135b62fffa..38da5339b7d 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-structures-dstu3/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/ThymeleafNarrativeGeneratorTest.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-structures-dstu3/src/test/java/ca/uhn/fhir/narrative2/ThymeleafNarrativeGeneratorTest.java
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class ThymeleafNarrativeGeneratorTest {
 		ref.setReference("DiagnosticReport/1").setResource(dr1);
 		sect.getEntry().add(ref);
 
-		NarrativeTemplateManifest manifest = NarrativeTemplateManifest.forManifestFileContents("classpath:narrative2/narratives.properties");
+		NarrativeTemplateManifest manifest = NarrativeTemplateManifest.forManifestFileLocation("classpath:narrative2/narratives.properties");
 		ThymeleafNarrativeGenerator gen = new ThymeleafNarrativeGenerator();
 		gen.setManifest(manifest);
 
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class ThymeleafNarrativeGeneratorTest {
 
 	@Test
 	public void testTemplateCount() throws IOException {
-		NarrativeTemplateManifest manifest = NarrativeTemplateManifest.forManifestFileContents("classpath:narrative2/narratives.properties");
+		NarrativeTemplateManifest manifest = NarrativeTemplateManifest.forManifestFileLocation("classpath:narrative2/narratives.properties");
 		assertEquals(4, manifest.getNamedTemplateCount());
 	}