diff --git a/packages/puter-js/src/modules/UI.js b/packages/puter-js/src/modules/UI.js
index 08b0839f..c9b99033 100644
--- a/packages/puter-js/src/modules/UI.js
+++ b/packages/puter-js/src/modules/UI.js
@@ -466,7 +466,10 @@ class UI extends EventListener {
             let URLParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
             if(URLParams.has('puter.item.name') && URLParams.has('puter.item.uid') && URLParams.has('puter.item.read_url')){
                 let fpath = URLParams.get('puter.item.path');
-                fpath = `~/` + fpath.split('/').slice(2).join('/');
+
+                if(!fpath.startsWith('~/') && !fpath.startsWith('/'))
+                    fpath = '~/' + fpath
+
                 callback([new FSItem({
                     name: URLParams.get('puter.item.name'),
                     path: fpath,
@@ -495,7 +498,10 @@ class UI extends EventListener {
             let URLParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
             if(URLParams.has('puter.item.name') && URLParams.has('puter.item.uid') && URLParams.has('puter.item.read_url')){
                 let fpath = URLParams.get('puter.item.path');
-                fpath = `~/` + fpath.split('/').slice(2).join('/');
+
+                if(!fpath.startsWith('~/') && !fpath.startsWith('/'))
+                    fpath = '~/' + fpath;
+
                 callback([new FSItem({
                     name: URLParams.get('puter.item.name'),
                     path: fpath,
diff --git a/src/IPC.js b/src/IPC.js
index aab0e7d8..1f1f3e81 100644
--- a/src/IPC.js
+++ b/src/IPC.js
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ window.addEventListener('message', async (event) => {
                 signature = signature.items;
                 signature.signatures = signature.signatures ?? [signature];
                 if(signature.signatures.length > 0 && signature.signatures[0].path){
-                    signature.signatures[0].path = `~/` + signature.signatures[0].path.split('/').slice(2).join('/')
+                    signature.signatures[0].path = privacy_aware_path(signature.signatures[0].path)
                     // send confirmation to requester window
                     target_iframe.contentWindow.postMessage({
                         msg: "readAppDataFileSucceeded",
@@ -1064,7 +1064,7 @@ window.addEventListener('message', async (event) => {
                                     metadataURL: file_signature.metadata_url,
                                     type: file_signature.type,
                                     uid: file_signature.uid,
-                                    path: `~/` + res.path.split('/').slice(2).join('/'),
+                                    path: privacy_aware_path(res.path)
                                 },
                             }, '*');
 
@@ -1247,7 +1247,7 @@ window.addEventListener('message', async (event) => {
                             writeURL: file_signature.write_url,
                             metadataURL: file_signature.metadata_url,
                             uid: file_signature.uid,
-                            path: `~/` + res.path.split('/').slice(2).join('/'),
+                            path: privacy_aware_path(res.path),
                         },
                     }, '*');
                     $(target_iframe).get(0).focus({preventScroll:true});
diff --git a/src/UI/UIWindow.js b/src/UI/UIWindow.js
index 1ad4839f..66f35ac4 100644
--- a/src/UI/UIWindow.js
+++ b/src/UI/UIWindow.js
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ async function UIWindow(options) {
 
                 // change path of each item to preserve privacy
                 for(let i=0; i<selected_files.length; i++)
-                    selected_files[i].path = `~/` + selected_files[i].path.split('/').slice(2).join('/');
+                    selected_files[i].path = privacy_aware_path(selected_files[i].path)
             }
 
             const ifram_msg_uid = $(el_window).attr('data-iframe_msg_uid');
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ async function UIWindow(options) {
 
                 // change path of each item to preserve privacy
                 for(let i=0; i<selected_dirs.length; i++)
-                    selected_dirs[i].path = `~/` + selected_dirs[i].path.split('/').slice(2).join('/');
+                    selected_dirs[i].path = privacy_aware_path(selected_dirs[i].path)
             }
 
             const ifram_msg_uid = $(el_window).attr('data-iframe_msg_uid');
@@ -1191,7 +1191,7 @@ async function UIWindow(options) {
                         writeURL: item.write_url,
                         metadataURL: item.metadata_url,
                         isDirectory: item.fsentry_is_dir,
-                        path: `~/` + item.path.split('/').slice(2).join('/'),
+                        path: privacy_aware_path(item.path),
                         uid: item.uid,
                     })
                 }
diff --git a/src/helpers.js b/src/helpers.js
index 67640e9c..4e4b9cea 100644
--- a/src/helpers.js
+++ b/src/helpers.js
@@ -1715,7 +1715,7 @@ window.launch_app = async (options)=>{
 
         if(file_signature){
             iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.uid', file_signature.uid);
-            iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.path', options.file_path ? `~/` + options.file_path.split('/').slice(1).join('/') : file_signature.path);
+            iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.path', privacy_aware_path(options.file_path) || file_signature.path);
             iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.name', file_signature.fsentry_name);
             iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.read_url', file_signature.read_url);
             iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.write_url', file_signature.write_url);
@@ -1728,7 +1728,7 @@ window.launch_app = async (options)=>{
         }
         else if(options.readURL){
             iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.name', options.filename);
-            iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.path', options.file_path ? `~/` + options.file_path.split('/').slice(1).join('/') : undefined);
+            iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.path', privacy_aware_path(options.file_path));
             iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.item.read_url', options.readURL);
             iframe_url.searchParams.append('puter.domain', window.app_domain);
         }
@@ -1911,7 +1911,7 @@ window.open_item = async function(options){
             let res = await puter.fs.sign(window.host_app_uid ?? parent_window_app_uid, {uid: uid, action: 'write'});
             res = res.items;
             // todo split is buggy because there might be a slash in the filename
-            res.path = `~/` + item_path.split('/').slice(2).join('/');
+            res.path = privacy_aware_path(item_path);
             const parent_uuid = $el_parent_window.attr('data-parent_uuid');
             const return_to_parent_window = $el_parent_window.attr('data-return_to_parent_window') === 'true';
             if(return_to_parent_window){
diff --git a/src/initgui.js b/src/initgui.js
index b697e186..20bffd78 100644
--- a/src/initgui.js
+++ b/src/initgui.js
@@ -659,7 +659,7 @@ window.initgui = async function(options){
                                                 metadataURL: file_signature.metadata_url,
                                                 type: file_signature.type,
                                                 uid: file_signature.uid,
-                                                path: `~/` + res.path.split('/').slice(2).join('/'),
+                                                path: privacy_aware_path(res.path),
                                             },
                                         }, '*');
 
@@ -1015,7 +1015,7 @@ window.initgui = async function(options){
                                             metadataURL: file_signature.metadata_url,
                                             type: file_signature.type,
                                             uid: file_signature.uid,
-                                            path: `~/` + res.path.split('/').slice(2).join('/'),
+                                            path: privacy_aware_path(res.path),
                                         },
                                     }, '*');
 
@@ -1391,4 +1391,34 @@ $(document).on('contextmenu', '.disable-context-menu', function(e){
         e.preventDefault();
         return false;
     }
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+})
+
+
+/**
+ * Converts a file system path to a privacy-aware path.
+ * - Paths starting with `~/` are returned unchanged.
+ * - Paths starting with the user's home path are replaced with `~`.
+ * - Absolute paths not starting with the user's home path are returned unchanged.
+ * - Relative paths are prefixed with `~/`.
+ * - Other paths are returned unchanged.
+ *
+ * @param {string} fspath - The file system path to be converted.
+ * @returns {string} The privacy-aware path.
+ */
+window.privacy_aware_path = function(fspath){
+    // e.g. /my_username/test.txt -> ~/test.txt
+    if(fspath.startsWith('~/'))
+        return fspath;
+    // e.g. /my_username/test.txt -> ~/test.txt
+    else if(fspath.startsWith(window.home_path))
+        return fspath.replace(window.home_path, '~');
+    // e.g. /other_username/test.txt -> /other_username/test.txt
+    else if(fspath.startsWith('/') && !fspath.startsWith(window.home_path))
+        return fspath;
+    // e.g. test.txt -> ~/test.txt
+    else if(!fspath.startsWith('/'))
+        return '~/' + fspath;
+    // e.g. /username/path/to/item -> /username/path/to/item
+    else
+        return fspath;
+}
\ No newline at end of file