diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
index 5eb34baab2..5362d05883 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Kernel.php
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ abstract class Kernel implements KernelInterface, TerminableInterface
     protected $bundleMap;
     protected $container;
     protected $rootDir;
-    protected $realRootDir;
     protected $environment;
     protected $debug;
     protected $booted;
@@ -732,17 +731,24 @@ abstract class Kernel implements KernelInterface, TerminableInterface
             return $content;
         }
 
-        $rootDir = $this->getRealRootDir();
-        if (!$rootDir) {
-            return $content;
+        // find the "real" root dir (by finding the composer.json file)
+        $rootDir = $this->getRootDir();
+        $previous = $rootDir;
+        while (!file_exists($rootDir.'/composer.json')) {
+            if ($previous === $rootDir = realpath($rootDir.'/..')) {
+                // unable to detect the project root, give up
+                return $content;
+            }
+
+            $previous = $rootDir;
         }
 
         $rootDir = rtrim($rootDir, '/');
         $cacheDir = $this->getCacheDir();
         $filesystem = new Filesystem();
 
-        return preg_replace_callback("{'([^']*?)(".preg_quote($rootDir)."[^']*)'}", function ($match) use ($filesystem, $cacheDir) {
-            $prefix = !empty($match[1]) ? "'$match[1]'.__DIR__" : "__DIR__";
+        return preg_replace_callback("{'([^']*)(".preg_quote($rootDir)."[^']*)'}", function ($match) use ($filesystem, $cacheDir) {
+            $prefix = isset($match[1]) && $match[1] ? "'$match[1]'.__DIR__" : "__DIR__";
 
             if ('.' === $relativePath = rtrim($filesystem->makePathRelative($match[2], $cacheDir), '/')) {
                 return $prefix;
@@ -752,33 +758,6 @@ abstract class Kernel implements KernelInterface, TerminableInterface
         }, $content);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Find the "real" root dir (by finding the composer.json file)
-     *
-     * @return null|string
-     */
-    private function getRealRootDir()
-    {
-        if (null !== $this->realRootDir) {
-            return $this->realRootDir;
-        }
-
-        $rootDir = $this->getRootDir();
-        $previous = $rootDir;
-        while (!file_exists($rootDir.'/composer.json')) {
-            if ($previous === $rootDir = realpath($rootDir.'/..')) {
-                // unable to detect the project root, give up
-                return $this->realRootDir = false;
-            }
-
-            $previous = $rootDir;
-        }
-
-        $this->realRootDir = $rootDir;
-
-        return $this->realRootDir;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Returns a loader for the container.
      *
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelForTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelForTest.php
index b012eb1bc3..3eb765d2b5 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelForTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/Fixtures/KernelForTest.php
@@ -56,9 +56,4 @@ class KernelForTest extends Kernel
     {
         $this->booted = (bool) $value;
     }
-
-    public function setRealRootDir($dir)
-    {
-        $this->realRootDir = $dir;
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
index d2a22c6ae4..95e8942d08 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/KernelTest.php
@@ -852,27 +852,6 @@ EOF;
         $this->assertEquals($newContent, $content);
     }
 
-    public function testRemoveAbsolutePathsFromContainerWithSpecialCase()
-    {
-        $kernel = new KernelForTest('dev', true);
-        $kernel->setRootDir('/app/app');
-        $kernel->setRealRootDir('/app');
-        $symfonyRootDir = __DIR__.'/Fixtures/DumpedContainers/app';
-
-        $content = file_get_contents($symfonyRootDir.'/cache/dev/withAbsolutePaths.php');
-        $content = str_replace('ROOT_DIR', '/app', $content);
-
-        $m = new \ReflectionMethod($kernel, 'removeAbsolutePathsFromContainer');
-        $m->setAccessible(true);
-        $content = $m->invoke($kernel, $content);
-        $this->assertEquals(file_get_contents($symfonyRootDir.'/cache/dev/withoutAbsolutePaths.php'), $content);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Returns a mock for the BundleInterface
-     *
-     * @return BundleInterface
-     */
     protected function getBundle($dir = null, $parent = null, $className = null, $bundleName = null)
     {
         $bundle = $this