diff --git a/modules/juce_audio_processors/scanning/juce_PluginListComponent.cpp b/modules/juce_audio_processors/scanning/juce_PluginListComponent.cpp
index 6af4db7640..008c74753b 100644
--- a/modules/juce_audio_processors/scanning/juce_PluginListComponent.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_audio_processors/scanning/juce_PluginListComponent.cpp
@@ -472,9 +472,9 @@ private:
     {
         for (int i = 0; i < pathList.getPath().getNumPaths(); ++i)
         {
-            auto f = pathList.getPath()[i];
+            auto f = pathList.getPath().getRawString (i);
 
-            if (isStupidPath (f))
+            if (File::isAbsolutePath (f) && isStupidPath (File (f)))
             {
                 AlertWindow::showOkCancelBox (MessageBoxIconType::WarningIcon,
                                               TRANS("Plugin Scanning"),
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ private:
                                                     "attempting to load unsuitable files.")
                                                 + newLine
                                                 + TRANS ("Are you sure you want to scan the folder \"XYZ\"?")
-                                                   .replace ("XYZ", f.getFullPathName()),
+                                                   .replace ("XYZ", f),
                                               TRANS ("Scan"),
                                               String(),
                                               nullptr,
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.cpp b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.cpp
index 6b4ad3981b..9b786ac05e 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,12 @@ int FileSearchPath::getNumPaths() const
 
 File FileSearchPath::operator[] (int index) const
 {
-    return File (directories[index]);
+    return File (getRawString (index));
+}
+
+String FileSearchPath::getRawString (int index) const
+{
+    return directories[index];
 }
 
 String FileSearchPath::toString() const
@@ -110,21 +115,30 @@ void FileSearchPath::addPath (const FileSearchPath& other)
 
 void FileSearchPath::removeRedundantPaths()
 {
-    for (int i = directories.size(); --i >= 0;)
+    std::vector<String> reduced;
+
+    for (const auto& directory : directories)
     {
-        const File d1 (directories[i]);
-
-        for (int j = directories.size(); --j >= 0;)
+        const auto checkedIsChildOf = [&] (const auto& a, const auto& b)
         {
-            const File d2 (directories[j]);
+            return File::isAbsolutePath (a) && File::isAbsolutePath (b) && File (a).isAChildOf (b);
+        };
 
-            if (i != j && (d1.isAChildOf (d2) || d1 == d2))
-            {
-                directories.remove (i);
-                break;
-            }
-        }
+        const auto fContainsDirectory = [&] (const auto& f)
+        {
+            return f == directory || checkedIsChildOf (directory, f);
+        };
+
+        if (std::find_if (reduced.begin(), reduced.end(), fContainsDirectory) != reduced.end())
+            continue;
+
+        const auto directoryContainsF = [&] (const auto& f) { return checkedIsChildOf (f, directory); };
+
+        reduced.erase (std::remove_if (reduced.begin(), reduced.end(), directoryContainsF), reduced.end());
+        reduced.push_back (directory);
     }
+
+    directories = StringArray (reduced.data(), (int) reduced.size());
 }
 
 void FileSearchPath::removeNonExistentPaths()
@@ -172,4 +186,54 @@ bool FileSearchPath::isFileInPath (const File& fileToCheck,
     return false;
 }
 
+//==============================================================================
+//==============================================================================
+#if JUCE_UNIT_TESTS
+
+class FileSearchPathTests : public UnitTest
+{
+public:
+    FileSearchPathTests() : UnitTest ("FileSearchPath", UnitTestCategories::files) {}
+
+    void runTest() override
+    {
+        beginTest ("removeRedundantPaths");
+        {
+           #if JUCE_WINDOWS
+            const String prefix = "C:";
+           #else
+            const String prefix = "";
+           #endif
+
+            {
+                FileSearchPath fsp { prefix + "/a/b/c/d;" + prefix + "/a/b/c/e;" + prefix + "/a/b/c" };
+                fsp.removeRedundantPaths();
+                expectEquals (fsp.toString(), prefix + "/a/b/c");
+            }
+
+            {
+                FileSearchPath fsp { prefix + "/a/b/c;" + prefix + "/a/b/c/d;" + prefix + "/a/b/c/e" };
+                fsp.removeRedundantPaths();
+                expectEquals (fsp.toString(), prefix + "/a/b/c");
+            }
+
+            {
+                FileSearchPath fsp { prefix + "/a/b/c/d;" + prefix + "/a/b/c;" + prefix + "/a/b/c/e" };
+                fsp.removeRedundantPaths();
+                expectEquals (fsp.toString(), prefix + "/a/b/c");
+            }
+
+            {
+                FileSearchPath fsp { "%FOO%;" + prefix + "/a/b/c;%FOO%;" + prefix + "/a/b/c/d" };
+                fsp.removeRedundantPaths();
+                expectEquals (fsp.toString(), "%FOO%;" + prefix + "/a/b/c");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+static FileSearchPathTests fileSearchPathTests;
+
+#endif
+
 } // namespace juce
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.h b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.h
index 8b48162ba5..d789cf4133 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/files/juce_FileSearchPath.h
@@ -71,10 +71,21 @@ public:
 
     /** Returns one of the folders in this search path.
         The file returned isn't guaranteed to actually be a valid directory.
-        @see getNumPaths
+        @see getNumPaths, getRawString
     */
     File operator[] (int index) const;
 
+    /** Returns the unaltered text of the folder at the specified index.
+
+        Unlike operator[], this function returns the exact text that was entered. It does not
+        attempt to convert the path into an absolute path.
+
+        This may be useful if the directory string is expected to understand environment variables
+        or other placeholders that the File constructor doesn't necessarily understand.
+        @see operator[]
+    */
+    String getRawString (int index) const;
+
     /** Returns the search path as a semicolon-separated list of directories. */
     String toString() const;
 
diff --git a/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileSearchPathListComponent.cpp b/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileSearchPathListComponent.cpp
index 65ceb66a39..1799e7382b 100644
--- a/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileSearchPathListComponent.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_gui_basics/filebrowser/juce_FileSearchPathListComponent.cpp
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ void FileSearchPathListComponent::paintListBoxItem (int rowNumber, Graphics& g,
     f.setHorizontalScale (0.9f);
     g.setFont (f);
 
-    g.drawText (path[rowNumber].getFullPathName(),
+    g.drawText (path.getRawString (rowNumber),
                 4, 0, width - 6, height,
                 Justification::centredLeft, true);
 }
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ void FileSearchPathListComponent::deleteKeyPressed (int row)
 
 void FileSearchPathListComponent::returnKeyPressed (int row)
 {
-    chooser = std::make_unique<FileChooser> (TRANS("Change folder..."), path[row], "*");
+    chooser = std::make_unique<FileChooser> (TRANS("Change folder..."), path.getRawString (row), "*");
     auto chooserFlags = FileBrowserComponent::openMode | FileBrowserComponent::canSelectDirectories;
 
     chooser->launchAsync (chooserFlags, [this, row] (const FileChooser& fc)
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ void FileSearchPathListComponent::moveSelection (int delta)
 
         if (currentRow != newRow)
         {
-            auto f = path[currentRow];
+            const auto f = File::createFileWithoutCheckingPath (path.getRawString (currentRow));
             path.remove (currentRow);
             path.add (f, newRow);
             listBox.selectRow (newRow);