diff --git a/data/core/common.lua b/data/core/common.lua
index ed0d9e92..ac337b00 100644
--- a/data/core/common.lua
+++ b/data/core/common.lua
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ end
 ---@param path string
 ---@return boolean
 function common.is_absolute_path(path)
-  return path:sub(1, 1) == PATHSEP or path:match("^(%a):\\") or path:match('^(%w*):')
+  return path:sub(1, 1) == PATHSEP or path:match("^(%a):\\") or path:match('^([%w%s]*):')
 end
 
 
diff --git a/data/core/dirwatch.lua b/data/core/dirwatch.lua
index aa627006..2c5cf930 100644
--- a/data/core/dirwatch.lua
+++ b/data/core/dirwatch.lua
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ function dirwatch:check(change_callback, scan_time, wait_time)
     if self.monitor:mode() == "single" then
       local path = common.dirname(id)
       if not string.match(id, "^/") and not string.match(id, "^%a:[/\\]") then
-        path = common.dirname(common.basepath(self.single_watch_top) .. id)
+        path = common.dirname(self.single_watch_top .. PATHSEP .. id)
       end
       change_callback(path)
     elseif self.reverse_watched[id] then
diff --git a/data/core/start.lua b/data/core/start.lua
index a509f678..08470204 100644
--- a/data/core/start.lua
+++ b/data/core/start.lua
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ MOD_VERSION = "3"
 SCALE = tonumber(os.getenv("LITE_SCALE") or os.getenv("GDK_SCALE") or os.getenv("QT_SCALE_FACTOR")) or 1
 PATHSEP = package.config:sub(1, 1)
 
-EXEDIR = EXEFILE:match("^(.+)[:/\\][^/\\]+$")
+EXEDIR = EXEFILE:match("^(.+)[/\\][^/\\]+$")
 if MACOS_RESOURCES then
   DATADIR = MACOS_RESOURCES
 else
-  local prefix = os.getenv('LITE_PREFIX') or EXEDIR:match("^(.+)[:/\\]bin$")
+  local prefix = os.getenv('LITE_PREFIX') or EXEDIR:match("^(.+)[/\\]bin$")
   DATADIR = prefix and (prefix .. PATHSEP .. 'share' .. PATHSEP .. 'lite-xl') or (EXEDIR .. PATHSEP .. 'data')
 end