diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eeca7bf..63a1ed2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ Configuration of `sprite` is done via `config/sprite.yml`. It allows you to set
   - `style:` defines how the style rules are outputted. built in options are `css`, `sass`, and `sass_mixin`. (defaults to `css`)
   - `style_output_path:` defines the file path where your style settings get written (defaults to `stylesheets/sprites`). the file extension not needed as it will be set based on the `style:` setting 
   - `image_output_path:` defines the folder path where the combined sprite images files are written (defaults to `images/sprites/`)
+  - `image_stylesheet_path:` defines the path the stylesheet will use when setting the url to the background images (defaults to the image_output_path)
   - `image_source_path:` defines the folder where source image files are read from (defaults to `images/`)
   - `public_path:` defines the root folder where static assets live (defaults to `public/`)
   - `sprites_class:` defines the class name that gets added to all sprite stylesheet rules (defaults to `sprites`)
diff --git a/lib/sprite/builder.rb b/lib/sprite/builder.rb
index 303f73a..1c7ee08 100644
--- a/lib/sprite/builder.rb
+++ b/lib/sprite/builder.rb
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ def set_config_defaults
       @config["sprites_class"]      ||= 'sprites'
       @config["default_spacing"]    ||= 0
       
+      @config['image_stylesheet_path'] ||= @config['image_output_path']
       unless @config.has_key?("add_datestamps")
         @config["add_datestamps"] = true
       end
diff --git a/lib/sprite/styles/css_generator.rb b/lib/sprite/styles/css_generator.rb
index d52292b..e44bc24 100644
--- a/lib/sprite/styles/css_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/sprite/styles/css_generator.rb
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def write(path, sprite_files)
           sprite_files.each do |sprite_file, sprites|
             sprites.each do |sprite|
               f.puts "#{sprites_class}.#{sprite[:group]}#{@builder.config['class_separator']}#{sprite[:name]} {"
-              f.puts "  background: url('http://github.com/#{@builder.config['image_output_path']}#{sprite_file}') no-repeat #{sprite[:x]}px #{sprite[:y]}px;"
+              f.puts "  background: url('http://github.com/#{@builder.config['image_stylesheet_path']}#{sprite_file}') no-repeat #{sprite[:x]}px #{sprite[:y]}px;"
               f.puts "  width: #{sprite[:width]}px;"
               f.puts "  height: #{sprite[:height]}px;"
               f.puts "}"
diff --git a/lib/sprite/styles/sass_generator.rb b/lib/sprite/styles/sass_generator.rb
index e7b771a..b7939f9 100644
--- a/lib/sprite/styles/sass_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/sprite/styles/sass_generator.rb
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ def write(path, sprite_files)
             sprites.each do |sprite|
               f.puts sass_line("&.#{sprite[:group]}#{@builder.config['class_separator']}#{sprite[:name]}")
               @level += 1
-              f.puts sass_line("background: url('http://github.com/#{@builder.config['image_output_path']}#{sprite_file}') no-repeat #{sprite[:x]}px #{sprite[:y]}px")
+              f.puts sass_line("background: url('http://github.com/#{@builder.config['image_stylesheet_path']}#{sprite_file}') no-repeat #{sprite[:x]}px #{sprite[:y]}px")
               f.puts sass_line("width: #{sprite[:width]}px")
               f.puts sass_line("height: #{sprite[:height]}px")
               f.puts sass_line("")
diff --git a/lib/sprite/styles/sass_mixin_generator.rb b/lib/sprite/styles/sass_mixin_generator.rb
index 5720a1f..c55c143 100644
--- a/lib/sprite/styles/sass_mixin_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/sprite/styles/sass_mixin_generator.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ def write(path, sprite_files)
               end
               
               f.puts %{if !group_name == "#{sprite[:group]}" and !image_name == "#{sprite[:name]}"}
-              f.puts "    background: url('http://github.com/#{@builder.config['image_output_path']}#{sprite_file}') no-repeat #{background_offset}"
+              f.puts "    background: url('http://github.com/#{@builder.config['image_stylesheet_path']}#{sprite_file}') no-repeat #{background_offset}"
               f.puts "    width: #{sprite[:width]}px"
               f.puts "    height: #{sprite[:height]}px"
             end
diff --git a/spec/sprite/config_spec.rb b/spec/sprite/config_spec.rb
index f3e2e9c..ea0abfb 100644
--- a/spec/sprite/config_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/sprite/config_spec.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@
       @sprite.config['image_output_path'].should == "images/sprites/"
     end
 
+    it "'image_stylesheet_path:' setting should default to `image_output_path`" do
+      @sprite.config['image_stylesheet_path'].should == @sprite.config['image_output_path']
+    end
+
     it "'image_source_path:' setting should default to 'images/'" do
       @sprite.config['image_source_path'].should == "images/"
     end