diff --git a/jsrc/jeload.cpp b/jsrc/jeload.cpp
index 637a1873..1d5fbf0a 100644
--- a/jsrc/jeload.cpp
+++ b/jsrc/jeload.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // utilities for JFE to load JE, initiallize, and run profile sentence
 // JFEs are jconsole, jwdw, and jwdp
 // TODO: Remove all void* where applicable when other parts of the code start being refactored
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <string>
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <cstdint>
@@ -30,8 +31,8 @@ static JgaType jga;
 static JGetLocaleType jgetlocale;
 static JGetAType jgeta;
 static JSetAType jseta;
-std::string path;
-std::string pathdll;
+std::filesystem::path path;
+std::filesystem::path pathdll;
 
 auto
 jedo(char const* sentence) -> int {
@@ -99,72 +100,41 @@ jepath(char* arg, char* lib) -> void {
     uint32_t const sz = 4000;
 
     // C strings need to be used for POSIX APIs and macOS APIs
-    auto arg2      = new char[sz];
-    auto arg3      = new char[sz];
-    auto path_temp = new char[sz];
-    // Return for readlinks
-    int n;
+    auto const arg2 = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(new char[sz]);
+    auto const arg3 = std::unique_ptr<char[]>(new char[sz]);
 
 // try host dependent way to get path to executable
 // use arg if they fail (arg command in PATH won't work)
 #ifdef __MACH__
-    uint32_t len      = sz;  // Cant be const for function call _NSGetExecutablePath
     // Returns 0 if path was copied, otherwise -1 if failed.
-    if (_NSGetExecutablePath(arg2, &len) != 0) strcat(arg2, arg);
+    if (uint32_t len = sz; _NSGetExecutablePath(arg2.get(), &len) != 0) strcat(arg2.get(), arg);
 #else
-    n = readlink("/proc/self/exe", arg2, sz);
-    if (n == -1)
-        strcpy(arg2, arg);
-    else
-        arg2[n] = 0;
+    {
+        auto const n = readlink("/proc/self/exe", arg2, sz);
+        if (n == -1)
+            strcpy(arg2, arg);
+        else
+            arg2[n] = 0;
+    }
 #endif
     // arg2 is path (abs or relative) to executable or soft link
-    n = readlink(arg2, arg3, sz);
-
+    auto const n = readlink(arg2.get(), arg3.get(), sz);
     if (n == -1)
-        strcpy(arg3, arg2);
+        strcpy(arg3.get(), arg2.get());
     else
         arg3[n] = 0;
 
-    if ('/' == *arg3)
-        strcpy(path_temp, arg3);
-    else {
-        if (!getcwd(path_temp, sizeof(path_temp))) path_temp[0] = 0;
-        strcat(path_temp, "/");
-        strcat(path_temp, arg3);
-    }
-    // Now append path_temp to path, as all POSIX and macOS API calls are done, and free up arg2, arg3, path_temp.
-    path.append(path_temp);
-    delete[] path_temp;
-    delete[] arg2;
-    delete[] arg3;
+    if ('/' == arg3[0])
+        path = arg3.get();
+    else
+        path = std::filesystem::current_path() / arg3.get();
 
-    // Remove everything after the last / as that would be the current executables name
-    path.erase(std::next(path.begin(), path.rfind('/')), path.end());
+    path.remove_filename();
 
     // remove ./ and backoff ../
-    util::remove_all_occurrences(path, "../");
-    util::remove_all_occurrences(path, "./");
-
-    pathdll.append(path);
-    pathdll.append("/");
-    pathdll.append(JDLLNAME);
-
-    if (*lib) {
-        if ('/' != *lib) {
-            pathdll.append(path);
-            pathdll.append("/");
-        }
-        pathdll.append(lib);
-    }
-}
+    path = path.lexically_normal();
 
-// called by jwdp (java jnative.c) to set path
-auto
-jesetpath(char* arg) -> void {
-    pathdll.append(arg);
-    path.append(arg);
-    path.erase(std::next(path.begin(), path.rfind('/')), path.end());
+    pathdll = path / (*lib ? lib : JDLLNAME);
 }
 
 // build and run first sentence to set BINPATH, ARGV, and run profile
diff --git a/jsrc/jeload.h b/jsrc/jeload.h
index abfc7298..aa86158a 100644
--- a/jsrc/jeload.h
+++ b/jsrc/jeload.h
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
 void jepath(char*, char*);
-void jesetpath(char*);
 void* jeload(void* callbacks);  // returns J
 A jegeta(int, char*);
 I jeseta(I n, char* name, I x, char* d);