diff --git a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host/ViewStartUtility.cs b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host/ViewStartUtility.cs
index fd71c096d1..347e8aa428 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host/ViewStartUtility.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host/ViewStartUtility.cs
@@ -47,6 +47,16 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor
                 path = path.Substring(1);
             }
 
+            if (string.Equals(ViewStartFileName, Path.GetFileName(path), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                // If the specified path is a ViewStart file, then the first view start that applies to it is the
+                // parent view start.
+                if (!fileSystem.TryGetParentPath(path, out path))
+                {
+                    return Enumerable.Empty<string>();
+                }
+            }
+
             var viewStartLocations = new List<string>();
 
             while (fileSystem.TryGetParentPath(path, out path))
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Areas/MyArea/Sub/Views/Admin/ViewStart.cshtml b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Areas/MyArea/Sub/Views/Admin/ViewStart.cshtml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f282702bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Areas/MyArea/Sub/Views/Admin/ViewStart.cshtml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Areas/MyArea/Sub/Views/Admin/_viewstart.cshtml b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Areas/MyArea/Sub/Views/Admin/_viewstart.cshtml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f282702bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Areas/MyArea/Sub/Views/Admin/_viewstart.cshtml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Views/Home/_viewstart.cshtml b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Views/Home/_viewstart.cshtml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f282702bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/Views/Home/_viewstart.cshtml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/_viewstart.cshtml b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/_viewstart.cshtml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5f282702bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/TestFiles/ViewStartUtilityFiles/_viewstart.cshtml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/ViewStartUtilityTest.cs b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/ViewStartUtilityTest.cs
index f8231c847b..aa730b50cd 100644
--- a/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/ViewStartUtilityTest.cs
+++ b/test/Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor.Host.Test/ViewStartUtilityTest.cs
@@ -45,8 +45,31 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor
             Assert.Equal(expected, result);
         }
 
-        [Fact]
-        public void GetViewStartLocations_ReturnsPotentialViewStartLocations_IfPathIsAbsolute()
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("/views/Home/_ViewStart.cshtml")]
+        [InlineData("~/views/Home/_viewstart.cshtml")]
+        [InlineData("views/Home/_Viewstart.cshtml")]
+        public void GetViewStartLocations_SkipsCurrentPath_IfCurrentIsViewStart(string inputPath)
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var expected = new[]
+            {
+                @"views\_viewstart.cshtml",
+                @"_viewstart.cshtml"
+            };
+            var fileSystem = new PhysicalFileSystem(GetTestFileSystemBase());
+
+            // Act
+            var result = ViewStartUtility.GetViewStartLocations(fileSystem, inputPath);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Equal(expected, result);
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("Test.cshtml")]
+        [InlineData("ViewStart.cshtml")]
+        public void GetViewStartLocations_ReturnsPotentialViewStartLocations_IfPathIsAbsolute(string fileName)
         {
             // Arrange
             var expected = new[]
@@ -59,7 +82,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor
                 @"_viewstart.cshtml",
             };
             var appBase = GetTestFileSystemBase();
-            var viewPath = Path.Combine(appBase, "Areas", "MyArea", "Sub", "Views", "Admin", "Test.cshtml");
+            var viewPath = Path.Combine(appBase, "Areas", "MyArea", "Sub", "Views", "Admin", fileName);
             var fileSystem = new PhysicalFileSystem(appBase);
 
             // Act
@@ -69,6 +92,46 @@ namespace Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.Razor
             Assert.Equal(expected, result);
         }
 
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("_ViewStart.cshtml")]
+        [InlineData("_viewstart.cshtml")]
+        public void GetViewStartLocations_SkipsCurrentPath_IfAbsolutePathIsAViewStartFile(string fileName)
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var expected = new[]
+            {
+                @"Areas\MyArea\Sub\Views\_viewstart.cshtml",
+                @"Areas\MyArea\Sub\_viewstart.cshtml",
+                @"Areas\MyArea\_viewstart.cshtml",
+                @"Areas\_viewstart.cshtml",
+                @"_viewstart.cshtml",
+            };
+            var appBase = GetTestFileSystemBase();
+            var viewPath = Path.Combine(appBase, "Areas", "MyArea", "Sub", "Views", "Admin", fileName);
+            var fileSystem = new PhysicalFileSystem(appBase);
+
+            // Act
+            var result = ViewStartUtility.GetViewStartLocations(fileSystem, viewPath);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Equal(expected, result);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void GetViewStartLocations_ReturnsEmptySequence_IfViewStartIsAtRoot()
+        {
+            // Arrange
+            var appBase = GetTestFileSystemBase();
+            var viewPath = "_viewstart.cshtml";
+            var fileSystem = new PhysicalFileSystem(appBase);
+
+            // Act
+            var result = ViewStartUtility.GetViewStartLocations(fileSystem, viewPath);
+
+            // Assert
+            Assert.Empty(result);
+        }
+
         private static string GetTestFileSystemBase()
         {
             var serviceProvider = CallContextServiceLocator.Locator.ServiceProvider;