diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/common.py b/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/common.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from .. import (
     encoding,
     pycompat,
+    templater,
     util,
 )
 
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@
     return True
 
 
-def staticfile(directory, fname, res):
+def staticfile(templatepath, directory, fname, res):
     """return a file inside directory with guessed Content-Type header
 
     fname always uses '/' as directory separator and isn't allowed to
@@ -190,6 +191,11 @@
     if not ispathsafe(fname):
         return
 
+    if not directory:
+        tp = templatepath or templater.templatedir()
+        if tp is not None:
+            directory = os.path.join(tp, b'static')
+
     fpath = os.path.join(*fname.split(b'/'))
     path = os.path.join(directory, fpath)
     try:
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py b/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/hgwebdir_mod.py
@@ -413,12 +413,7 @@
                 else:
                     fname = req.qsparams[b'static']
                 static = self.ui.config(b"web", b"static", untrusted=False)
-                if not static:
-                    tp = self.templatepath or templater.templatedir()
-                    if tp is not None:
-                        static = os.path.join(tp, b'static')
-
-                staticfile(static, fname, res)
+                staticfile(self.templatepath, static, fname, res)
                 return res.sendresponse()
 
             # top-level index
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webcommands.py
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
     revsetlang,
     scmutil,
     smartset,
-    templater,
     templateutil,
 )
 
@@ -1318,12 +1317,7 @@
     # a repo owner may set web.static in .hg/hgrc to get any file
     # readable by the user running the CGI script
     static = web.config(b"web", b"static", untrusted=False)
-    if not static:
-        tp = web.templatepath or templater.templatedir()
-        if tp is not None:
-            static = os.path.join(tp, b'static')
-
-    staticfile(static, fname, web.res)
+    staticfile(web.templatepath, static, fname, web.res)
     return web.res.sendresponse()