diff --git a/osdep/win32/smtc.cpp b/osdep/win32/smtc.cpp
index 904d60539f..4e5365e46b 100644
--- a/osdep/win32/smtc.cpp
+++ b/osdep/win32/smtc.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@ struct mpv_deleter {
     }
 };
 using mp_string = std::unique_ptr<char, mpv_deleter>;
-using talloc_ctx = std::unique_ptr<void, mpv_deleter>;
 
 struct mp_node : mpv_node {
     mp_node() = default;
@@ -208,8 +207,7 @@ static void update_thumbnail(SystemMediaTransportControls &smtc, smtc_ctx &ctx)
 
     try {
         if (thumbnail) {
-            talloc_ctx ta_ctx{ talloc_new(nullptr) };
-            mp_string normalized_path{ mp_normalize_path(ta_ctx.get(), thumbnail) };
+            mp_string normalized_path{ mp_normalize_path(nullptr, thumbnail) };
             MP_TRACE(&ctx, "Using thumbnail: %s\n", normalized_path.get());
             auto hstr = winrt::to_hstring(normalized_path.get());
             RandomAccessStreamReference stream_ref{ nullptr };
@@ -225,8 +223,7 @@ static void update_thumbnail(SystemMediaTransportControls &smtc, smtc_ctx &ctx)
             updater.Thumbnail(stream_ref);
         } else {
             if (filepath && !mp_is_url(bstr0(filepath.get()))) {
-                talloc_ctx ta_ctx{ talloc_new(nullptr) };
-                mp_string path{ mp_normalize_path(ta_ctx.get(), filepath.get()) };
+                mp_string path{ mp_normalize_path(nullptr, filepath.get()) };
                 MP_TRACE(&ctx, "Generating thumbnail for: %s\n", path.get());
                 auto storage_file = StorageFile::GetFileFromPathAsync(winrt::to_hstring(path.get()));
 
diff --git a/player/command.c b/player/command.c
index 318e382deb..e3ba26f5fd 100644
--- a/player/command.c
+++ b/player/command.c
@@ -5924,15 +5924,14 @@ static void cmd_normalize_path(void *p)
 {
     struct mp_cmd_ctx *cmd = p;
     struct MPContext *mpctx = cmd->mpctx;
-    void *ctx = talloc_new(NULL);
 
-    char *path = mp_get_user_path(ctx, mpctx->global, cmd->args[0].v.s);
+    char *path = mp_get_user_path(NULL, mpctx->global, cmd->args[0].v.s);
     cmd->result = (mpv_node){
         .format = MPV_FORMAT_STRING,
-        .u.string = talloc_steal(NULL, mp_normalize_path(ctx, path)),
+        .u.string = mp_normalize_path(NULL, path),
     };
 
-    talloc_free(ctx);
+    talloc_free(path);
 }
 
 static void cmd_escape_ass(void *p)
diff --git a/player/configfiles.c b/player/configfiles.c
index ceb405c0cd..418937b11d 100644
--- a/player/configfiles.c
+++ b/player/configfiles.c
@@ -396,8 +396,7 @@ exit:
 
 void mp_delete_watch_later_conf(struct MPContext *mpctx, const char *file)
 {
-    void *ctx = talloc_new(NULL);
-    char *path = mp_normalize_path(ctx, file ? file : mpctx->filename);
+    char *path = mp_normalize_path(NULL, file ? file : mpctx->filename);
     if (!path)
         goto exit;
 
@@ -424,7 +423,7 @@ void mp_delete_watch_later_conf(struct MPContext *mpctx, const char *file)
     }
 
 exit:
-    talloc_free(ctx);
+    talloc_free(path);
 }
 
 bool mp_load_playback_resume(struct MPContext *mpctx, const char *file)
diff --git a/test/paths.c b/test/paths.c
index d0f020a0f6..1d0d06badd 100644
--- a/test/paths.c
+++ b/test/paths.c
@@ -14,10 +14,9 @@ static void test_join(char *file, int line, char *a, char *b, char *c)
 
 static void test_normalize(char *file, int line, char *expected, char *path)
 {
-    void *ctx = talloc_new(NULL);
-    char *normalized = mp_normalize_path(ctx, path);
+    char *normalized = mp_normalize_path(NULL, path);
     assert_string_equal_impl(file, line, normalized, expected);
-    talloc_free(ctx);
+    talloc_free(normalized);
 }
 
 static void test_dirname(char *file, int line, char *path, char *expected)