diff --git a/src/config.cc b/src/config.cc
index d50e375..35f7289 100644
--- a/src/config.cc
+++ b/src/config.cc
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ using namespace std; //TODO: remove
 MainConfig::MainConfig() {
   find_or_create_config_files();
   try {
-    boost::property_tree::json_parser::read_json(Singleton::config_dir() + "config.json", cfg);
+    boost::property_tree::json_parser::read_json(Singleton::config_json(), cfg);
     update_config_file();
     retrieve_config();
   }
   catch(const std::exception &e) {
-    Singleton::terminal()->print("Error reading "+Singleton::config_dir() + "config.json: "+e.what()+"\n");
+    Singleton::terminal()->print("Error reading "+ Singleton::config_json()+": "+e.what()+"\n");
     std::stringstream ss;
     ss << configjson;
     boost::property_tree::read_json(ss, cfg);
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ void MainConfig::find_or_create_config_files() {
   std::vector<std::string> files = {"config.json", "plugins.py"};
   boost::filesystem::create_directories(boost::filesystem::path(Singleton::config_dir()));
   for (auto &file : files) {
-    auto path = boost::filesystem::path(Singleton::config_dir() + file);
+    auto path = Singleton::config_dir();
+    path /= file;
     if (!boost::filesystem::is_regular_file(path)) {
       if (file == "config.json") filesystem::write(path, configjson);
       if (file == "plugins.py") filesystem::write(path, pluginspy);
@@ -35,16 +36,16 @@ void MainConfig::find_or_create_config_files() {
   }
   
   boost::filesystem::create_directories(boost::filesystem::path(Singleton::style_dir()));
-  boost::filesystem::path juci_style_path=Singleton::style_dir();
-  juci_style_path+="juci-light.xml";
+  auto juci_style_path=Singleton::style_dir();
+  juci_style_path/="juci-light.xml";
   if(!boost::filesystem::exists(juci_style_path))
     filesystem::write(juci_style_path, juci_light_style);
   juci_style_path=Singleton::style_dir();
-  juci_style_path+="juci-dark.xml";
+  juci_style_path/="juci-dark.xml";
   if(!boost::filesystem::exists(juci_style_path))
     filesystem::write(juci_style_path, juci_dark_style);
   juci_style_path=Singleton::style_dir();
-  juci_style_path+="juci-dark-blue.xml";
+  juci_style_path/="juci-dark-blue.xml";
   if(!boost::filesystem::exists(juci_style_path))
     filesystem::write(juci_style_path, juci_dark_blue_style);
 }
@@ -105,8 +106,9 @@ void MainConfig::update_config_file() {
     cfg_ok=false;
   }
   cfg_ok&=check_config_file(default_cfg);
-  if(!cfg_ok)
-    boost::property_tree::write_json(Singleton::config_dir()+"config.json", cfg);
+  if(!cfg_ok) {
+    boost::property_tree::write_json(Singleton::config_json(), cfg);
+  }
 }
 
 void MainConfig::GenerateSource() {
diff --git a/src/filesystem.cc b/src/filesystem.cc
index 43357ed..7ea66a3 100644
--- a/src/filesystem.cc
+++ b/src/filesystem.cc
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ std::string safe_get_env(const std::string &env) {
 /**
  * Returns home folder, empty on error
  */
-std::string filesystem::get_home_folder() {
+boost::filesystem::path filesystem::get_home_folder() {
   auto home=safe_get_env("HOME");
   if(home.empty())
     home=safe_get_env("AppData");
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ std::string filesystem::get_home_folder() {
 /**
  * Returns tmp folder, empty on error.
  */
-std::string filesystem::get_tmp_folder() {
+boost::filesystem::path filesystem::get_tmp_folder() {
   boost::system::error_code code;
   auto path = boost::filesystem::temp_directory_path(code);
   if (code.value()!=0) {
     return "";
   }
-  return path.string();
+  return path;
 }
 
 int filesystem::read(const std::string &path, Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::TextBuffer> text_buffer) {
diff --git a/src/filesystem.h b/src/filesystem.h
index 1a81a7d..ab2921d 100644
--- a/src/filesystem.h
+++ b/src/filesystem.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public:
   static bool write(const std::string &path, Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::TextBuffer> text_buffer);
   static bool write(const boost::filesystem::path &path, Glib::RefPtr<Gtk::TextBuffer> text_buffer) { return write(path.string(), text_buffer); }
 
-  static std::string get_home_folder();
-  static std::string get_tmp_folder();
+  static boost::filesystem::path get_home_folder();
+  static boost::filesystem::path get_tmp_folder();
 };
 #endif  // JUCI_SOURCEFILE_H_
diff --git a/src/juci.cc b/src/juci.cc
index a01c77f..6348538 100644
--- a/src/juci.cc
+++ b/src/juci.cc
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ using namespace std; //TODO: remove
 
 void app::init_logging() {
   boost::log::add_common_attributes();
-  boost::log::add_file_log(boost::log::keywords::file_name = Singleton::log_dir() + "juci.log",
+  auto log_dir = Singleton::log_dir();
+  log_dir /= "juci.log";
+  boost::log::add_file_log(boost::log::keywords::file_name = log_dir,
                boost::log::keywords::auto_flush = true);
   JINFO("Logging initalized");
 }
diff --git a/src/singletons.cc b/src/singletons.cc
index 8ace5c8..1a032f6 100644
--- a/src/singletons.cc
+++ b/src/singletons.cc
@@ -39,9 +39,8 @@ Gtk::Label *Singleton::info() {
   return info_.get();
 }
 
-std::string Singleton::create_config_path(const std::string &subfolder) {
-  boost::filesystem::path home;
-  home = filesystem::get_home_folder();
+boost::filesystem::path Singleton::create_config_path(const std::string &subfolder) {
+  auto home = filesystem::get_home_folder();
   if(home.empty()) {
     Singleton::terminal()->print("Could not find/write to home directory. Using defaults, no settings will be saved.");
     home = filesystem::get_tmp_folder();
@@ -53,11 +52,15 @@ std::string Singleton::create_config_path(const std::string &subfolder) {
     }
   }
   home /= subfolder;
-  return home.string();
+  return home;
 }
 
-std::string Singleton::config_dir() { return create_config_path(".juci/config"); }
-std::string Singleton::log_dir() { return create_config_path(".juci/log"); }
-std::string Singleton::style_dir() { return create_config_path(".juci/styles"); }
-
+boost::filesystem::path Singleton::config_dir() { return create_config_path(".juci/config"); }
+boost::filesystem::path Singleton::log_dir() { return create_config_path(".juci/log"); }
+boost::filesystem::path Singleton::style_dir() { return create_config_path(".juci/styles"); }
+std::string Singleton::config_json() {
+  auto conf_dir = Singleton::config_dir();
+  conf_dir /= "config.json"; // to ensure correct paths on windows
+  return conf_dir.string();
+}
 
diff --git a/src/singletons.h b/src/singletons.h
index f22f57b..3ac440d 100644
--- a/src/singletons.h
+++ b/src/singletons.h
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ public:
     static std::unique_ptr<Directories::Config> directories_;
     static std::unique_ptr<Terminal::Config> terminal_;
   };
-  static std::string create_config_path(const std::string &subfolder);
-  static std::string config_dir();
-  static std::string log_dir();
-  static std::string style_dir();
+  static boost::filesystem::path create_config_path(const std::string &subfolder);
+  static boost::filesystem::path config_dir();
+  static boost::filesystem::path log_dir();
+  static boost::filesystem::path style_dir();
+  static std::string config_json();
   static Terminal *terminal();
   static Directories *directories();
   static Gtk::Label *status();
diff --git a/src/source.cc b/src/source.cc
index d52806c..3e9e8a7 100644
--- a/src/source.cc
+++ b/src/source.cc
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ void Source::View::set_tab_char_and_size(char tab_char, unsigned tab_size) {
 void Source::View::configure() {
   //TODO: Move this to notebook? Might take up too much memory doing this for every tab.
   auto style_scheme_manager=Gsv::StyleSchemeManager::get_default();
-  style_scheme_manager->prepend_search_path(Singleton::style_dir());
+  style_scheme_manager->prepend_search_path(Singleton::style_dir().string());
   
   if(Singleton::Config::source()->style.size()>0) {
     auto scheme = style_scheme_manager->get_scheme(Singleton::Config::source()->style);
diff --git a/src/window.cc b/src/window.cc
index 462f5db..31974da 100644
--- a/src/window.cc
+++ b/src/window.cc
@@ -259,13 +259,13 @@ void Window::create_menu() {
     }
 });
   menu.action_group->add(Gtk::Action::create("Preferences", "Preferences..."), Gtk::AccelKey(menu.key_map["preferences"]), [this]() {
-    notebook.open(Singleton::config_dir()+"config.json");
+    notebook.open(Singleton::config_json());
   });
 
   menu.action_group->add(Gtk::Action::create("FileSave", "Save"), Gtk::AccelKey(menu.key_map["save"]), [this]() {
     if(notebook.save_current()) {
       if(notebook.get_current_page()!=-1) {
-        if(notebook.get_current_view()->file_path==Singleton::config_dir()+"config.json") {
+        if(notebook.get_current_view()->file_path==Singleton::config_json()) {
           configure();
           for(int c=0;c<notebook.size();c++) {
             notebook.get_view(c)->configure();