diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
index 43c310c43b0..8fe04f66531 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
@@ -575,10 +575,9 @@ def path_join(paths):
         of the different members '''
     if isinstance(paths, string_types):
         return os.path.join(paths)
-    elif is_sequence(paths):
+    if is_sequence(paths):
         return os.path.join(*paths)
-    else:
-        raise AnsibleFilterTypeError("|path_join expects string or sequence, got %s instead." % type(paths))
+    raise AnsibleFilterTypeError("|path_join expects string or sequence, got %s instead." % type(paths))
 
 
 def commonpath(paths):
diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/path_join.yml b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/path_join.yml
index d50deaa3fe7..69226a4bbe5 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/path_join.yml
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/path_join.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ DOCUMENTATION:
   positional: _input
   description:
     - Returns a path obtained by joining one or more path components.
+    - If a path component is an absolute path, then all previous components
+      are ignored and joining continues from the absolute path. See examples for details.
   options:
     _input:
       description: A path, or a list of paths.
@@ -21,9 +23,14 @@ EXAMPLES: |
   # equivalent to '/etc/subdir/{{filename}}'
   wheremyfile: "{{ ['/etc', 'subdir', filename] | path_join }}"
 
-  # trustme => '/etc/apt/trusted.d/mykey.gpgp'
+  # trustme => '/etc/apt/trusted.d/mykey.gpg'
   trustme: "{{ ['/etc', 'apt', 'trusted.d', 'mykey.gpg'] | path_join }}"
 
+  # If one of the paths is absolute, then path_join ignores all previous path components
+  # If backup_dir == '/tmp' and backup_file == '/sample/baz.txt', the result is '/sample/baz.txt'
+  # backup_path => "/sample/baz.txt"
+  backup_path: "{{ ('/etc', backup_dir, backup_file) | path_join }}"
+
 RETURN:
   _value:
     description: The concatenated path.