diff --git a/salt/modules/tomcat.py b/salt/modules/tomcat.py
index 1780eccf3e..3bb608eb2f 100644
--- a/salt/modules/tomcat.py
+++ b/salt/modules/tomcat.py
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ def deploy_war(war,
     url : http://localhost:8080/manager
         the URL of the server manager webapp
     env : base
-        the environment for WAR file in used by salt.modules.cp.get_file
+        the environment for WAR file in used by salt.modules.cp.get_url
         function
     timeout : 180
         timeout for HTTP request
@@ -477,10 +477,12 @@ def deploy_war(war,
 
     # Copy file name if needed
     tfile = war
-    if war[0] != '/':
+    cache = False
+    if not os.path.isfile(war):
+        cache = True
         tfile = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), 'salt.' +
                 os.path.basename(war))
-        cached = __salt__['cp.get_file'](war, tfile, env)
+        cached = __salt__['cp.get_url'](war, tfile, env)
         if not cached:
             return 'FAIL - could not cache the WAR file'
         try:
@@ -502,7 +504,7 @@ def deploy_war(war,
     res = '\n'.join(deployed['msg'])
 
     # Cleanup
-    if war[0] != '/':
+    if cache:
         __salt__['file.remove'](tfile)
 
     return res
diff --git a/salt/states/tomcat.py b/salt/states/tomcat.py
index 7e7d2d8b0b..c928f232e7 100644
--- a/salt/states/tomcat.py
+++ b/salt/states/tomcat.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def war_deployed(name, war, url='http://localhost:8080/manager',
         the context path to deploy
     war
         absolute path to WAR file (should be accessible by the user running
-        tomcat) or a path supported by the salt.modules.cp.get_file function
+        tomcat) or a path supported by the salt.modules.cp.get_url function
     url : http://localhost:8080/manager
         the URL of the server manager webapp
     timeout : 180