diff --git a/builder/internals.go b/builder/internals.go
index 09aca09f2b..adeadd87c8 100644
--- a/builder/internals.go
+++ b/builder/internals.go
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/parsers"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/progressreader"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/stringid"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/symlink"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/system"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/tarsum"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/urlutil"
@@ -653,14 +652,12 @@ func (b *Builder) addContext(container *daemon.Container, orig, dest string, dec
 		err        error
 		destExists = true
 		origPath   = path.Join(b.contextPath, orig)
-		destPath   = path.Join(container.RootfsPath(), dest)
+		destPath   string
 	)
 
-	if destPath != container.RootfsPath() {
-		destPath, err = symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope(destPath, container.RootfsPath())
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	destPath, err = container.GetResourcePath(dest)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
 	// Preserve the trailing '/'
diff --git a/daemon/container.go b/daemon/container.go
index 10d6b4cd80..9bd8cc1eb9 100644
--- a/daemon/container.go
+++ b/daemon/container.go
@@ -210,12 +210,37 @@ func (container *Container) LogEvent(action string) {
 	)
 }
 
-func (container *Container) getResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
+// Evaluates `path` in the scope of the container's basefs, with proper path
+// sanitisation. Symlinks are all scoped to the basefs of the container, as
+// though the container's basefs was `/`.
+//
+// The basefs of a container is the host-facing path which is bind-mounted as
+// `/` inside the container. This method is essentially used to access a
+// particular path inside the container as though you were a process in that
+// container.
+//
+// NOTE: The returned path is *only* safely scoped inside the container's basefs
+//       if no component of the returned path changes (such as a component
+//       symlinking to a different path) between using this method and using the
+//       path. See symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope for more details.
+func (container *Container) GetResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
 	cleanPath := filepath.Join("/", path)
 	return symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope(filepath.Join(container.basefs, cleanPath), container.basefs)
 }
 
-func (container *Container) getRootResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
+// Evaluates `path` in the scope of the container's root, with proper path
+// sanitisation. Symlinks are all scoped to the root of the container, as
+// though the container's root was `/`.
+//
+// The root of a container is the host-facing configuration metadata directory.
+// Only use this method to safely access the container's `container.json` or
+// other metadata files. If in doubt, use container.GetResourcePath.
+//
+// NOTE: The returned path is *only* safely scoped inside the container's root
+//       if no component of the returned path changes (such as a component
+//       symlinking to a different path) between using this method and using the
+//       path. See symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope for more details.
+func (container *Container) GetRootResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
 	cleanPath := filepath.Join("/", path)
 	return symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope(filepath.Join(container.root, cleanPath), container.root)
 }
@@ -514,7 +539,7 @@ func (streamConfig *StreamConfig) StderrLogPipe() io.ReadCloser {
 }
 
 func (container *Container) buildHostnameFile() error {
-	hostnamePath, err := container.getRootResourcePath("hostname")
+	hostnamePath, err := container.GetRootResourcePath("hostname")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -528,7 +553,7 @@ func (container *Container) buildHostnameFile() error {
 
 func (container *Container) buildHostsFiles(IP string) error {
 
-	hostsPath, err := container.getRootResourcePath("hosts")
+	hostsPath, err := container.GetRootResourcePath("hosts")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -894,7 +919,7 @@ func (container *Container) Unmount() error {
 }
 
 func (container *Container) logPath(name string) (string, error) {
-	return container.getRootResourcePath(fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s.log", container.ID, name))
+	return container.GetRootResourcePath(fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s.log", container.ID, name))
 }
 
 func (container *Container) ReadLog(name string) (io.Reader, error) {
@@ -906,11 +931,11 @@ func (container *Container) ReadLog(name string) (io.Reader, error) {
 }
 
 func (container *Container) hostConfigPath() (string, error) {
-	return container.getRootResourcePath("hostconfig.json")
+	return container.GetRootResourcePath("hostconfig.json")
 }
 
 func (container *Container) jsonPath() (string, error) {
-	return container.getRootResourcePath("config.json")
+	return container.GetRootResourcePath("config.json")
 }
 
 // This method must be exported to be used from the lxc template
@@ -980,7 +1005,7 @@ func (container *Container) Copy(resource string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 		}
 	}()
 
-	basePath, err := container.getResourcePath(resource)
+	basePath, err := container.GetResourcePath(resource)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -1082,7 +1107,7 @@ func (container *Container) setupContainerDns() error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	container.ResolvConfPath, err = container.getRootResourcePath("resolv.conf")
+	container.ResolvConfPath, err = container.GetRootResourcePath("resolv.conf")
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1243,7 +1268,7 @@ func (container *Container) initializeNetworking() error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		hostsPath, err := container.getRootResourcePath("hosts")
+		hostsPath, err := container.GetRootResourcePath("hosts")
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -1374,7 +1399,7 @@ func (container *Container) setupWorkingDirectory() error {
 	if container.Config.WorkingDir != "" {
 		container.Config.WorkingDir = path.Clean(container.Config.WorkingDir)
 
-		pth, err := container.getResourcePath(container.Config.WorkingDir)
+		pth, err := container.GetResourcePath(container.Config.WorkingDir)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/daemon/volumes.go b/daemon/volumes.go
index ede1eef73c..ea117a1e3f 100644
--- a/daemon/volumes.go
+++ b/daemon/volumes.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ func (container *Container) createVolumes() error {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		realPath, err := container.getResourcePath(path)
+		realPath, err := container.GetResourcePath(path)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ func (container *Container) mountVolumes() error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("could not find volume for %s:%s, impossible to mount", source, dest)
 		}
 
-		destPath, err := container.getResourcePath(dest)
+		destPath, err := container.GetResourcePath(dest)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ func (container *Container) mountVolumes() error {
 	}
 
 	for _, mnt := range container.specialMounts() {
-		destPath, err := container.getResourcePath(mnt.Destination)
+		destPath, err := container.GetResourcePath(mnt.Destination)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ func (container *Container) mountVolumes() error {
 
 func (container *Container) unmountVolumes() {
 	for dest := range container.Volumes {
-		destPath, err := container.getResourcePath(dest)
+		destPath, err := container.GetResourcePath(dest)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Errorf("error while unmounting volumes %s: %v", destPath, err)
 			continue
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ func (container *Container) unmountVolumes() {
 	}
 
 	for _, mnt := range container.specialMounts() {
-		destPath, err := container.getResourcePath(mnt.Destination)
+		destPath, err := container.GetResourcePath(mnt.Destination)
 		if err != nil {
 			logrus.Errorf("error while unmounting volumes %s: %v", destPath, err)
 			continue
diff --git a/volumes/volume.go b/volumes/volume.go
index 1644692655..5b3b646018 100644
--- a/volumes/volume.go
+++ b/volumes/volume.go
@@ -115,14 +115,38 @@ func (v *Volume) FromDisk() error {
 }
 
 func (v *Volume) jsonPath() (string, error) {
-	return v.getRootResourcePath("config.json")
-}
-func (v *Volume) getRootResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
-	cleanPath := filepath.Join("/", path)
-	return symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope(filepath.Join(v.configPath, cleanPath), v.configPath)
+	return v.GetRootResourcePath("config.json")
 }
 
-func (v *Volume) getResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
+// Evalutes `path` in the scope of the volume's root path, with proper path
+// sanitisation. Symlinks are all scoped to the root of the volume, as
+// though the volume's root was `/`.
+//
+// The volume's root path is the host-facing path of the root of the volume's
+// mountpoint inside a container.
+//
+// NOTE: The returned path is *only* safely scoped inside the volume's root
+//       if no component of the returned path changes (such as a component
+//       symlinking to a different path) between using this method and using the
+//       path. See symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope for more details.
+func (v *Volume) GetResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
 	cleanPath := filepath.Join("/", path)
 	return symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope(filepath.Join(v.Path, cleanPath), v.Path)
 }
+
+// Evalutes `path` in the scope of the volume's config path, with proper path
+// sanitisation. Symlinks are all scoped to the root of the config path, as
+// though the config path was `/`.
+//
+// The config path of a volume is not exposed to the container and is just used
+// to store volume configuration options and other internal information. If in
+// doubt, you probably want to just use v.GetResourcePath.
+//
+// NOTE: The returned path is *only* safely scoped inside the volume's config
+//       path if no component of the returned path changes (such as a component
+//       symlinking to a different path) between using this method and using the
+//       path. See symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope for more details.
+func (v *Volume) GetRootResourcePath(path string) (string, error) {
+	cleanPath := filepath.Join("/", path)
+	return symlink.FollowSymlinkInScope(filepath.Join(v.configPath, cleanPath), v.configPath)
+}