diff --git a/hugolib/pagecollections.go b/hugolib/pagecollections.go
index 474b0a0b18a..0f73ebb0eae 100644
--- a/hugolib/pagecollections.go
+++ b/hugolib/pagecollections.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func (c *pageFinder) getContentNode(context page.Page, isReflink bool, ref strin
 	}
 
 	if paths.HasExt(ref) {
-		return c.getContentNodeForRef(context, isReflink, inRef, ref)
+		return c.getContentNodeForRef(context, isReflink, true, inRef, ref)
 	}
 
 	var refs []string
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (c *pageFinder) getContentNode(context page.Page, isReflink bool, ref strin
 	}
 
 	for _, ref := range refs {
-		n, err := c.getContentNodeForRef(context, isReflink, inRef, ref)
+		n, err := c.getContentNodeForRef(context, isReflink, false, inRef, ref)
 		if n != nil || err != nil {
 			return n, err
 		}
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func (c *pageFinder) getContentNode(context page.Page, isReflink bool, ref strin
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
-func (c *pageFinder) getContentNodeForRef(context page.Page, isReflink bool, inRef, ref string) (contentNodeI, error) {
+func (c *pageFinder) getContentNodeForRef(context page.Page, isReflink, hadExtension bool, inRef, ref string) (contentNodeI, error) {
 	contentParser := c.pageMap.s.Conf.PathParser()
 
 	if context != nil && !strings.HasPrefix(ref, "/") {
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func (c *pageFinder) getContentNodeForRef(context page.Page, isReflink bool, inR
 		// Given the above, for regular pages we use the containing folder.
 		var baseDir string
 		if pi := context.PathInfo(); pi != nil {
-			if pi.IsBranchBundle() {
+			if hadExtension || pi.IsBranchBundle() {
 				baseDir = pi.Dir()
 			} else {
 				baseDir = pi.ContainerDir()