diff --git a/jme3-android/src/main/java/com/jme3/asset/plugins/AndroidLocator.java b/jme3-android/src/main/java/com/jme3/asset/plugins/AndroidLocator.java
index 4c0bae82f..cb102e582 100644
--- a/jme3-android/src/main/java/com/jme3/asset/plugins/AndroidLocator.java
+++ b/jme3-android/src/main/java/com/jme3/asset/plugins/AndroidLocator.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.jme3.asset.plugins;
 
 import android.content.res.AssetFileDescriptor;
+import android.content.res.Resources;
 import com.jme3.asset.*;
 import com.jme3.system.android.JmeAndroidSystem;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -12,26 +13,89 @@ public class AndroidLocator implements AssetLocator {
 
     private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(AndroidLocator.class.getName());
 
-    private android.content.res.AssetManager androidManager;
     private String rootPath = "";
 
+    public AndroidLocator() {
+    }
+
+    public void setRootPath(String rootPath) {
+        this.rootPath = rootPath;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public AssetInfo locate(AssetManager manager, AssetKey key) {
+        String assetPath = rootPath + key.getName();
+        // Fix path issues
+        if (assetPath.startsWith("/")) {
+            // Remove leading /
+            assetPath = assetPath.substring(1);
+        }
+        assetPath = assetPath.replace("//", "/");
+
+        // Not making this a property and storing for future use in case the view stored in JmeAndroidSystem
+        // is replaced due to device orientation change.  Not sure it is necessary to do this yet, but am for now.
+        android.content.res.Resources androidResources = JmeAndroidSystem.getView().getContext().getResources();
+        String androidPackageName = JmeAndroidSystem.getView().getContext().getPackageName();
+
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "Asset Key: {0}", key);
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "Asset Name: {0}", key.getName());
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "Asset Path: {0}", assetPath);
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "Asset Extension: {0}", key.getExtension());
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "Asset Key Class: {0}", key.getClass().getName());
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "androidPackageName: {0}", androidPackageName);
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "Resource Name: {0}", getResourceName(assetPath));
+
+        // check the assets directory for the asset using assetPath
+        try {
+            InputStream in = androidResources.getAssets().open(assetPath);
+            if (in != null){
+                return new AndroidAssetInfo(manager, key, assetPath, in, 0);
+            }
+        } catch (IOException ex) {
+            // allow to fall through to the other checks in the resources directories.
+//            logger.log(Level.INFO, "Resource[{0}] not found in assets directory.", assetPath);
+        }
+
+        // if not found in the assets directory, check the drawable and mipmap directories (only valid for images)
+        String resourceName = getResourceName(assetPath);
+        int resourceId = androidResources.getIdentifier(resourceName, "drawable", androidPackageName);
+//        logger.log(Level.INFO, "drawable resourceId: {0}", resourceId);
+        if (resourceId == 0) { // drawable resource not found, check mipmap resource type
+            resourceId = androidResources.getIdentifier(resourceName, "mipmap", androidPackageName);
+//            logger.log(Level.INFO, "mipmap resourceId: {0}", resourceId);
+        }
+        if (resourceId == 0) {  // not found in resource directories, return null;
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        // try to open a stream with the resourceId returned by Android
+        try {
+            InputStream in = androidResources.openRawResource(resourceId);
+            if (in != null){
+//                logger.log(Level.INFO, "Creating new AndroidResourceInfo.");
+                return new AndroidAssetInfo(manager, key, assetPath, in, resourceId);
+            }
+        } catch (Resources.NotFoundException ex) {
+            // input stream failed to open, return null
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
+
+
     public class AndroidAssetInfo extends AssetInfo {
 
         private InputStream in;
         private final String assetPath;
+        private int resourceId;
 
-        public AndroidAssetInfo(com.jme3.asset.AssetManager assetManager, AssetKey<?> key, String assetPath, InputStream in) {
+        AndroidAssetInfo(AssetManager assetManager, AssetKey<?> key, String assetPath, InputStream in, int resourceId) {
             super(assetManager, key);
             this.assetPath = assetPath;
             this.in = in;
-        }
-
-        public AssetFileDescriptor openFileDescriptor() {
-            try {
-                return androidManager.openFd(assetPath);
-            } catch (IOException ex) {
-                throw new AssetLoadException("Failed to open asset " + assetPath, ex);
-            }
+            this.resourceId = resourceId;
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -43,55 +107,47 @@ public class AndroidLocator implements AssetLocator {
                 return in2;
             }else{
                 // Create a new stream for subsequent invocations.
+                android.content.res.Resources androidResources = JmeAndroidSystem.getView().getContext().getResources();
+                if (resourceId == 0) {
+                    try {
+                        return androidResources.getAssets().open(assetPath);
+                    } catch (IOException ex) {
+                        throw new AssetLoadException("Failed to open asset " + assetPath, ex);
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    try {
+                        return androidResources.openRawResource(resourceId);
+                    } catch (Resources.NotFoundException ex) {
+                        throw new AssetLoadException("Failed to open asset " + assetPath, ex);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        public AssetFileDescriptor openFileDescriptor() {
+            android.content.res.Resources androidResources = JmeAndroidSystem.getView().getContext().getResources();
+            if (resourceId == 0) {
                 try {
-                    return androidManager.open(assetPath);
+                    return androidResources.getAssets().openFd(assetPath);
                 } catch (IOException ex) {
                     throw new AssetLoadException("Failed to open asset " + assetPath, ex);
                 }
+            } else {
+                try {
+                    return androidResources.openRawResourceFd(resourceId);
+                } catch (Resources.NotFoundException ex) {
+                    throw new AssetLoadException("Failed to open asset " + assetPath, ex);
+                }
             }
         }
     }
 
-    private AndroidAssetInfo create(AssetManager assetManager, AssetKey key, String assetPath) throws IOException {
-        try {
-            InputStream in = androidManager.open(assetPath);
-            if (in == null){
-                return null;
-            }else{
-                return new AndroidAssetInfo(assetManager, key, assetPath, in);
-            }
-        } catch (IOException ex) {
-            // XXX: Prefer to show warning here?
-            // Should only surpress exceptions for "file missing" type errors.
-            return null;
-        }
-    }
-
-    public AndroidLocator() {
-        androidManager = JmeAndroidSystem.getView().getContext().getAssets();
-    }
-
-    public void setRootPath(String rootPath) {
-        this.rootPath = rootPath;
-    }
-
-    @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
-    @Override
-    public AssetInfo locate(com.jme3.asset.AssetManager manager, AssetKey key) {
-        String assetPath = rootPath + key.getName();
-        // Fix path issues
-        if (assetPath.startsWith("/")) {
-            // Remove leading /
-            assetPath = assetPath.substring(1);
-        }
-        assetPath = assetPath.replace("//", "/");
-        try {
-            return create(manager, key, assetPath);
-        } catch (IOException ex) {
-            // This is different handling than URL locator
-            // since classpath locating would return null at the getResource()
-            // call, otherwise there's a more critical error...
-            throw new AssetLoadException("Failed to open asset " + assetPath, ex);
+    private String getResourceName(String name) {
+        int idx = name.lastIndexOf('.');
+        if (idx <= 0 || idx == name.length() - 1) {
+            return name;
+        } else {
+            return name.substring(0, idx).toLowerCase();
         }
     }
 }