diff --git a/demux/cache.c b/demux/cache.c
index 11e8e7ef5a..6882132fa8 100644
--- a/demux/cache.c
+++ b/demux/cache.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ struct demux_cache *demux_cache_create(struct mpv_global *global,
 
     char *cache_dir = cache->opts->cache_dir;
     if (cache_dir && cache_dir[0]) {
-        cache_dir = mp_get_user_path(NULL, global, cache_dir);
+        cache_dir = talloc_strdup(NULL, cache_dir);
     } else {
         cache_dir = mp_find_user_file(NULL, global, "cache", "");
     }
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ struct demux_cache *demux_cache_create(struct mpv_global *global,
     mp_mkdirp(cache_dir);
     cache->filename = mp_path_join(cache, cache_dir, "mpv-cache-XXXXXX.dat");
     cache->fd = mp_mkostemps(cache->filename, 4, O_CLOEXEC);
+    talloc_free(cache_dir);
     if (cache->fd < 0) {
         MP_ERR(cache, "Failed to create cache temporary file.\n");
         goto fail;
diff --git a/input/input.c b/input/input.c
index 412c6db319..89ddf5f407 100644
--- a/input/input.c
+++ b/input/input.c
@@ -1649,8 +1649,6 @@ static bool parse_config_file(struct input_ctx *ictx, char *file)
     bool r = false;
     void *tmp = talloc_new(NULL);
 
-    file = mp_get_user_path(tmp, ictx->global, file);
-
     bstr data = stream_read_file2(file, tmp, STREAM_ORIGIN_DIRECT | STREAM_READ,
                                   ictx->global, 1000000);
     if (data.start) {
diff --git a/input/ipc-unix.c b/input/ipc-unix.c
index 3eab683506..6e89c77c68 100644
--- a/input/ipc-unix.c
+++ b/input/ipc-unix.c
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ struct mp_ipc_ctx *mp_init_ipc(struct mp_client_api *client_api,
     *arg = (struct mp_ipc_ctx){
         .log        = mp_log_new(arg, global->log, "ipc"),
         .client_api = client_api,
-        .path       = mp_get_user_path(arg, global, opts->ipc_path),
+        .path       = talloc_strdup(arg, opts->ipc_path),
         .death_pipe = {-1, -1},
     };
 
diff --git a/player/command.c b/player/command.c
index 999e74d4d7..f03bc3f47a 100644
--- a/player/command.c
+++ b/player/command.c
@@ -6950,8 +6950,9 @@ static void cmd_load_input_conf(void *p)
     struct mp_cmd_ctx *cmd = p;
     struct MPContext *mpctx = cmd->mpctx;
 
-    char *config_file = cmd->args[0].v.s;
+    char *config_file = mp_get_user_path(NULL, mpctx->global, cmd->args[0].v.s);
     cmd->success = mp_input_load_config_file(mpctx->input, config_file);
+    talloc_free(config_file);
 }
 
 static void cmd_load_script(void *p)
diff --git a/player/configfiles.c b/player/configfiles.c
index 4c44feab8a..01a3432424 100644
--- a/player/configfiles.c
+++ b/player/configfiles.c
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ char *mp_get_playback_resume_dir(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 {
     char *wl_dir = mpctx->opts->watch_later_dir;
     if (wl_dir && wl_dir[0]) {
-        wl_dir = mp_get_user_path(mpctx, mpctx->global, wl_dir);
+        wl_dir = talloc_strdup(mpctx, wl_dir);
     } else {
         wl_dir = mp_find_user_file(mpctx, mpctx->global, "state", MP_WATCH_LATER_CONF);
     }
diff --git a/player/loadfile.c b/player/loadfile.c
index 748b3f5731..188527a49c 100644
--- a/player/loadfile.c
+++ b/player/loadfile.c
@@ -1545,8 +1545,7 @@ static void append_to_watch_history(struct MPContext *mpctx)
         return;
 
     void *ctx = talloc_new(NULL);
-    char *history_path = mp_get_user_path(ctx, mpctx->global,
-                                          mpctx->opts->watch_history_path);
+    char *history_path = mpctx->opts->watch_history_path;
     char *history_path_dir = bstrto0(ctx, mp_dirname(history_path));
     mp_mkdirp(history_path_dir);
 
diff --git a/player/screenshot.c b/player/screenshot.c
index cc47d6a9e2..38660268eb 100644
--- a/player/screenshot.c
+++ b/player/screenshot.c
@@ -297,7 +297,6 @@ static char *gen_fname(struct mp_cmd_ctx *cmd, const char *file_ext)
         char *dir = ctx->mpctx->opts->screenshot_dir;
         if (dir && dir[0]) {
             void *t = fname;
-            dir = mp_get_user_path(t, ctx->mpctx->global, dir);
             fname = mp_path_join(NULL, dir, fname);
 
             mp_mkdirp(dir);
diff --git a/player/scripting.c b/player/scripting.c
index 231ed8f10a..3c68547e78 100644
--- a/player/scripting.c
+++ b/player/scripting.c
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ bool mp_load_scripts(struct MPContext *mpctx)
     char **files = mpctx->opts->script_files;
     for (int n = 0; files && files[n]; n++) {
         if (files[n][0])
-            ok &= mp_load_user_script(mpctx, files[n]) >= 0;
+            ok &= mp_load_script(mpctx, files[n]) >= 0;
     }
     if (!mpctx->opts->auto_load_scripts)
         return ok;
diff --git a/sub/ass_mp.c b/sub/ass_mp.c
index 4cbebc872a..2991bf0a20 100644
--- a/sub/ass_mp.c
+++ b/sub/ass_mp.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ ASS_Library *mp_ass_init(struct mpv_global *global,
                          struct osd_style_opts *opts, struct mp_log *log)
 {
     char *path = opts->fonts_dir && opts->fonts_dir[0] ?
-                 mp_get_user_path(NULL, global, opts->fonts_dir) :
+                 talloc_strdup(NULL, opts->fonts_dir) :
                  mp_find_config_file(NULL, global, "fonts");
     mp_dbg(log, "ASS library version: 0x%x (runtime 0x%x)\n",
            (unsigned)LIBASS_VERSION, ass_library_version());
diff --git a/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c b/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c
index d2ab916220..5ad6ff9cea 100644
--- a/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c
+++ b/video/filter/vf_vapoursynth.c
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ static struct mp_filter *vf_vapoursynth_create(struct mp_filter *parent,
         MP_FATAL(p, "'file' parameter must be set.\n");
         goto error;
     }
-    p->script_path = mp_get_user_path(p, f->global, p->opts->file);
+    p->script_path = talloc_strdup(p, p->opts->file);
 
     p->max_requests = p->opts->maxrequests;
     if (p->max_requests < 0)
diff --git a/video/out/gpu/lcms.c b/video/out/gpu/lcms.c
index c197acf48e..05a08921de 100644
--- a/video/out/gpu/lcms.c
+++ b/video/out/gpu/lcms.c
@@ -73,11 +73,10 @@ static void load_profile(struct gl_lcms *p)
     if (!p->opts->profile || !p->opts->profile[0])
         return;
 
-    char *fname = mp_get_user_path(NULL, p->global, p->opts->profile);
+    char *fname = p->opts->profile;
     MP_VERBOSE(p, "Opening ICC profile '%s'\n", fname);
     struct bstr iccdata = stream_read_file(fname, p, p->global,
                                            100000000); // 100 MB
-    talloc_free(fname);
     if (!iccdata.len)
         return;
 
@@ -365,7 +364,7 @@ bool gl_lcms_get_lut3d(struct gl_lcms *p, struct lut3d **result_lut3d,
 
         char *cache_dir = p->opts->cache_dir;
         if (cache_dir && cache_dir[0]) {
-            cache_dir = mp_get_user_path(tmp, p->global, cache_dir);
+            cache_dir = talloc_strdup(tmp, cache_dir);
         } else {
             cache_dir = mp_find_user_file(tmp, p->global, "cache", "");
         }
diff --git a/video/out/gpu/shader_cache.c b/video/out/gpu/shader_cache.c
index 889e5e85d3..1a9ad6cc85 100644
--- a/video/out/gpu/shader_cache.c
+++ b/video/out/gpu/shader_cache.c
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ void gl_sc_set_cache_dir(struct gl_shader_cache *sc, char *dir)
 {
     talloc_free(sc->cache_dir);
     if (dir && dir[0]) {
-        dir = mp_get_user_path(NULL, sc->global, dir);
+        dir = talloc_strdup(NULL, dir);
     } else {
         dir = mp_find_user_file(NULL, sc->global, "cache", "");
     }
diff --git a/video/out/gpu/video.c b/video/out/gpu/video.c
index b994d186cb..8ef180a335 100644
--- a/video/out/gpu/video.c
+++ b/video/out/gpu/video.c
@@ -583,9 +583,7 @@ static struct bstr load_cached_file(struct gl_video *p, const char *path)
             return p->files[n].body;
     }
     // not found -> load it
-    char *fname = mp_get_user_path(NULL, p->global, path);
-    struct bstr s = stream_read_file(fname, p, p->global, 1000000000); // 1GB
-    talloc_free(fname);
+    struct bstr s = stream_read_file(path, p, p->global, 1000000000); // 1GB
     if (s.len) {
         struct cached_file new = {
             .path = talloc_strdup(p, path),
diff --git a/video/out/vo_gpu_next.c b/video/out/vo_gpu_next.c
index f8d1189b62..be67e1ca05 100644
--- a/video/out/vo_gpu_next.c
+++ b/video/out/vo_gpu_next.c
@@ -1809,7 +1809,7 @@ static void cache_init(struct vo *vo, struct cache *cache, size_t max_size,
 
     char *dir;
     if (dir_opt && dir_opt[0]) {
-        dir = mp_get_user_path(vo, p->global, dir_opt);
+        dir = talloc_strdup(vo, dir_opt);
     } else {
         dir = mp_find_user_file(vo, p->global, "cache", "");
     }
@@ -2111,9 +2111,7 @@ static const struct pl_hook *load_hook(struct priv *p, const char *path)
             return p->user_hooks[i].hook;
     }
 
-    char *fname = mp_get_user_path(NULL, p->global, path);
-    bstr shader = stream_read_file(fname, p, p->global, 1000000000); // 1GB
-    talloc_free(fname);
+    bstr shader = stream_read_file(path, p, p->global, 1000000000); // 1GB
 
     const struct pl_hook *hook = NULL;
     if (shader.len)
@@ -2156,10 +2154,9 @@ static void update_icc_opts(struct priv *p, const struct mp_icc_opts *opts)
     if (p->icc_path && strcmp(opts->profile, p->icc_path) == 0)
         return; // ICC profile hasn't changed
 
-    char *fname = mp_get_user_path(NULL, p->global, opts->profile);
+    char *fname = opts->profile;
     MP_VERBOSE(p, "Opening ICC profile '%s'\n", fname);
     struct bstr icc = stream_read_file(fname, p, p->global, 100000000); // 100 MB
-    talloc_free(fname);
     update_icc(p, icc);
 
     // Update cached path
@@ -2182,7 +2179,7 @@ static void update_lut(struct priv *p, struct user_lut *lut)
     talloc_replace(p, lut->path, lut->opt);
 
     // Load LUT file
-    char *fname = mp_get_user_path(NULL, p->global, lut->path);
+    char *fname = lut->path;
     MP_VERBOSE(p, "Loading custom LUT '%s'\n", fname);
     const int lut_max_size = 1536 << 20; // 1.5 GiB, matches lut cache limit
     struct bstr lutdata = stream_read_file(fname, NULL, p->global, lut_max_size);
@@ -2192,7 +2189,6 @@ static void update_lut(struct priv *p, struct user_lut *lut)
     } else {
         lut->lut = pl_lut_parse_cube(p->pllog, lutdata.start, lutdata.len);
     }
-    talloc_free(fname);
     talloc_free(lutdata.start);
 }