diff --git a/aegisub/build/libaegisub_vs2008/libaegisub_vs2008.vcproj b/aegisub/build/libaegisub_vs2008/libaegisub_vs2008.vcproj
index 157950752..56a9dd481 100644
--- a/aegisub/build/libaegisub_vs2008/libaegisub_vs2008.vcproj
+++ b/aegisub/build/libaegisub_vs2008/libaegisub_vs2008.vcproj
@@ -291,10 +291,6 @@
 				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\common\log.cpp"
 				>
 			</File>
-			<File
-				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\common\util.cpp"
-				>
-			</File>
 			<File
 				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\common\mru.cpp"
 				>
@@ -315,6 +311,10 @@
 				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\common\path.cpp"
 				>
 			</File>
+			<File
+				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\common\util.cpp"
+				>
+			</File>
 			<File
 				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\common\validator.cpp"
 				>
@@ -341,10 +341,6 @@
 				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\windows\io.cpp"
 				>
 			</File>
-			<File
-				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\windows\path.cpp"
-				>
-			</File>
 			<File
 				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\windows\lagi_pre.cpp"
 				>
@@ -401,6 +397,10 @@
 					/>
 				</FileConfiguration>
 			</File>
+			<File
+				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\windows\path_win.cpp"
+				>
+			</File>
 			<File
 				RelativePath="..\..\libaegisub\windows\util.cpp"
 				>
diff --git a/aegisub/libaegisub/common/path.cpp b/aegisub/libaegisub/common/path.cpp
index 5f65ea95a..800e8f11b 100644
--- a/aegisub/libaegisub/common/path.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/libaegisub/common/path.cpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ Path::~Path() {
 }
 
 
-const std::string Path::Get(const char *name) {
+std::string Path::Get(const char *name) {
 	std::string path;
 	try {
 		path = std::string(opt->Get(name)->GetString());
diff --git a/aegisub/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/path.h b/aegisub/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/path.h
index 362c940a2..bcc932f18 100644
--- a/aegisub/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/path.h
+++ b/aegisub/libaegisub/include/libaegisub/path.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public:
 	/// @brief Get a path, this is automatically decoded.
 	/// @param name Path to get
 	/// @return Full path name in UTF-8
-	const std::string Get(const char *name);
+	std::string Get(const char *name);
 
 	/// @brief Set a path, this will be automaticalled encoded if a cookie matches.
 	/// @param[in] name Path name to save to.
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ public:
 	///   Windows: Documents folder
 	///   OS X: ~/Documents
 	///   Unix: ~ or Documents folder if set in the environment
-	const std::string Default();
+	std::string Default();
 
 	/// @brief Decode a path
 	/// @param path Decode a path in-place.
 	void Decode(std::string &path);
 
 	/// Configuration directory
-	static const std::string Config();
+	static std::string Config();
 
 private:
 	/// Location of path config file.
@@ -102,13 +102,13 @@ private:
 	/// @brief Locale files
 	/// @return Locale location
 	/// This is directly assessibly as the Locale directory will never change on any platform.
-	const std::string Locale();
+	std::string Locale();
 
 protected:
-	const std::string Data();	///< Shared resources
-	const std::string Doc();	///< Documents
-	const std::string User();	///< User config directory
-	const std::string Temp();	///< Temporary storage
+	std::string Data();	///< Shared resources
+	std::string Doc();	///< Documents
+	std::string User();	///< User config directory
+	std::string Temp();	///< Temporary storage
 };
 
 } // namespace agi
diff --git a/aegisub/libaegisub/unix/path.cpp b/aegisub/libaegisub/unix/path.cpp
index 8b1a0b2e0..27d9113f5 100644
--- a/aegisub/libaegisub/unix/path.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/libaegisub/unix/path.cpp
@@ -35,42 +35,41 @@
 namespace agi {
 
 
-const std::string home() {
+std::string home() {
 	char *ehome;
 	ehome = getenv("HOME");
 	if (ehome == NULL) {
 		printf("The HOME environment variable must be set\n");
 		exit(1);
 	}
-	std::string home(ehome);
-	return home;
+	return ehome;
 }
 
 
-const std::string Path::Data() {
+std::string Path::Data() {
 	return P_DATA;
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Doc() {
+std::string Path::Doc() {
 	return P_DOC;
 }
 
-const std::string Path::User() {
+std::string Path::User() {
 	return home();
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Locale() {
+std::string Path::Locale() {
 	return P_LOCALE;
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Config() {
+std::string Path::Config() {
 	std::string tmp(home());
 	tmp.append("/.aegisub-");
 	tmp.append(AEGISUB_VERSION_DATA);
 	return tmp.append("/");
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Temp() {
+std::string Path::Temp() {
 	return "/tmp/";
 }
 
diff --git a/aegisub/libaegisub/windows/path.cpp b/aegisub/libaegisub/windows/path_win.cpp
similarity index 70%
rename from aegisub/libaegisub/windows/path.cpp
rename to aegisub/libaegisub/windows/path_win.cpp
index df9c81677..3a9f79163 100644
--- a/aegisub/libaegisub/windows/path.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/libaegisub/windows/path_win.cpp
@@ -18,14 +18,12 @@
 /// @brief Common paths.
 /// @ingroup libaegisub
 
-
-#include "config.h"
-
 #ifndef LAGI_PRE
 #include <string>
 #endif
 
 #include <libaegisub/path.h>
+
 #include <libaegisub/charset_conv_win.h>
 #include <libaegisub/util_win.h>
 
@@ -34,7 +32,7 @@ namespace {
 #include <Shlobj.h>
 #include <Shellapi.h>
 
-const std::string WinGetFolderPath(int folder) {
+std::string WinGetFolderPath(int folder) {
 	wchar_t path[MAX_PATH+1] = {0};
 	HRESULT res = SHGetFolderPathW(
 		0,      // hwndOwner
@@ -44,16 +42,14 @@ const std::string WinGetFolderPath(int folder) {
 		path    // pszPath
 		);
 	if (FAILED(res))
-		throw new agi::PathErrorInternal("SHGetFolderPath() failed"); //< @fixme error message?
-	else
-		return agi::charset::ConvertW(std::wstring(path));
+		throw agi::PathErrorInternal("SHGetFolderPath() failed"); //< @fixme error message?
+
+	return agi::charset::ConvertW(path);
 }
 
 std::string get_install_path() {
 	static std::string install_path;
-	static bool install_path_valid = false;
-	
-	if (install_path_valid == false) {
+	if (install_path.empty()) {
 		// Excerpt from <http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb776391.aspx>:
 		// lpCmdLine [in]
 		//     If this parameter is an empty string the function returns
@@ -69,53 +65,46 @@ std::string get_install_path() {
 		if (res > 0 && GetLastError() == 0) {
 			*fn = '\0'; // fn points to filename part of path, set an end marker there
 			install_path = agi::charset::ConvertW(std::wstring(path));
-			install_path_valid = true;
 		} else {
-			throw new agi::PathErrorInternal(agi::util::ErrorString(GetLastError()));
+			throw agi::PathErrorInternal(agi::util::ErrorString(GetLastError()));
 		}
 	}
 
 	return install_path;
 }
 
-};
+}
 
 
 namespace agi {
 
-const std::string Path::Data() {
+std::string Path::Data() {
 	return get_install_path();
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Doc() {
-	std::string path = Data();
-	path.append("docs\\");
-	return path;
+std::string Path::Doc() {
+	return Data() + "docs\\";
 }
 
-const std::string Path::User() {
+std::string Path::User() {
 	return WinGetFolderPath(CSIDL_PERSONAL);
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Locale() {
-	std::string path = Data();
-	path.append("locale\\");
-	return path;
+std::string Path::Locale() {
+	return Data() + "locale\\";
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Config() {
-	std::string path = WinGetFolderPath(CSIDL_APPDATA);
-	path.append("Aegisub3");
+std::string Path::Config() {
+	return WinGetFolderPath(CSIDL_APPDATA) + "Aegisub3";
 	/// @fixme should get version number in a more dynamic manner
-	return path;
 }
 
-const std::string Path::Temp() {
+std::string Path::Temp() {
 	wchar_t path[MAX_PATH+1] = {0};
 	if (GetTempPath(MAX_PATH, path) == 0)
-		throw new PathErrorInternal(util::ErrorString(GetLastError()));
+		throw PathErrorInternal(util::ErrorString(GetLastError()));
 	else
-		return charset::ConvertW(std::wstring(path));
+		return charset::ConvertW(path);
 }
 
 } // namespace agi