diff --git a/source/plugin/carla-lv2.cpp b/source/plugin/carla-lv2.cpp
index 5039da81b..53a77b548 100644
--- a/source/plugin/carla-lv2.cpp
+++ b/source/plugin/carla-lv2.cpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public:
 #if defined(USING_JUCE) && (defined(CARLA_OS_MAC) || defined(CARLA_OS_WIN))
           fJuceInitialiser(),
 #endif
-          fLastProjectPath(nullptr),
+          fLastProjectPath(),
           fLoadedFile(),
           fWorkerUISignal(0)
     {
@@ -107,12 +107,6 @@ public:
         fHost.ui_open_file           = host_ui_open_file;
         fHost.ui_save_file           = host_ui_save_file;
         fHost.dispatcher             = host_dispatcher;
-
-#if 0
-        // NOTE: a few hosts crash with this :(
-        if (fMakePath != nullptr && fMakePath->path != nullptr)
-            fLastProjectPath = fMakePath->path(fMakePath->handle, kPathForCarlaFiles);
-#endif
     }
 
     ~NativePlugin()
@@ -130,18 +124,6 @@ public:
             delete[] fHost.uiName;
             fHost.uiName = nullptr;
         }
-
-        if (fLastProjectPath != nullptr)
-        {
-            if (fFreePath != nullptr && fFreePath->free_path != nullptr)
-                fFreePath->free_path(fFreePath->handle, fLastProjectPath);
-#ifndef CARLA_OS_WIN
-            // this is not safe to call under windows
-            else
-                std::free(fLastProjectPath);
-#endif
-            fLastProjectPath = nullptr;
-        }
     }
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -431,43 +413,46 @@ public:
 
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+    void cleanupLastProjectPath()
+    {
+        fLastProjectPath.clear();
+    }
+
     void saveLastProjectPathIfPossible(const LV2_Feature* const* const features)
     {
-        char* const last = fLastProjectPath;
+        if (features == nullptr)
+            return cleanupLastProjectPath();
+
+        const LV2_State_Free_Path* freePath = nullptr;
+        const LV2_State_Make_Path* makePath = nullptr;
 
-        if (fMakePath != nullptr && fMakePath->path != nullptr)
+        for (int i=0; features[i] != nullptr; ++i)
         {
-            fLastProjectPath = fMakePath->path(fMakePath->handle, kPathForCarlaFiles);
+            /**/ if (freePath == nullptr && std::strcmp(features[i]->URI, LV2_STATE__freePath) == 0)
+                freePath = (const LV2_State_Free_Path*)features[i]->data;
+            else if (makePath == nullptr && std::strcmp(features[i]->URI, LV2_STATE__makePath) == 0)
+                makePath = (const LV2_State_Make_Path*)features[i]->data;
         }
-        else if (features != nullptr)
-        {
-            const LV2_State_Make_Path* makePath = nullptr;
 
-            for (int i=0; features[i] != nullptr; ++i)
-            {
-                if (std::strcmp(features[i]->URI, LV2_STATE__makePath) == 0)
-                {
-                    makePath = (const LV2_State_Make_Path*)features[i]->data;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
+        if (makePath == nullptr || makePath->path == nullptr)
+            return cleanupLastProjectPath();
 
-            if (makePath != nullptr && makePath->path != nullptr)
-                fLastProjectPath = makePath->path(makePath->handle, kPathForCarlaFiles);
-            else
-                fLastProjectPath = nullptr;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            fLastProjectPath = nullptr;
-        }
+        if (freePath == nullptr)
+            freePath = fFreePath;
+
+        char* const newpath = makePath->path(makePath->handle, kPathForCarlaFiles);
+
+        if (newpath == nullptr)
+            return cleanupLastProjectPath();
+
+        fLastProjectPath = CarlaString(water::File(newpath).getParentDirectory().getFullPathName().toRawUTF8());
 
-        if (fFreePath != nullptr && fFreePath->free_path != nullptr)
-            fFreePath->free_path(fFreePath->handle, last);
+        if (freePath != nullptr && freePath->free_path != nullptr)
+            freePath->free_path(freePath->handle, newpath);
 #ifndef CARLA_OS_WIN
         // this is not safe to call under windows
         else
-            std::free(last);
+            std::free(newpath);
 #endif
     }
 
@@ -875,8 +860,8 @@ protected:
 
         case NATIVE_HOST_OPCODE_GET_FILE_PATH:
             CARLA_SAFE_ASSERT_RETURN(ptr != nullptr, 0);
-            if (fLastProjectPath != nullptr)
-                return static_cast<intptr_t>((uintptr_t)fLastProjectPath);
+            if (std::strcmp((char*)ptr, "carla") == 0 && fLastProjectPath != nullptr)
+                return static_cast<intptr_t>((uintptr_t)fLastProjectPath.buffer());
             break;
 
         case NATIVE_HOST_OPCODE_UI_UNAVAILABLE:
@@ -939,7 +924,7 @@ private:
     juce::SharedResourcePointer<juce::ScopedJuceInitialiser_GUI> fJuceInitialiser;
 #endif
 
-    char* fLastProjectPath;
+    CarlaString fLastProjectPath;
     CarlaString fLoadedFile;
 
     int fWorkerUISignal;
diff --git a/source/utils/CarlaLv2Utils.hpp b/source/utils/CarlaLv2Utils.hpp
index c39d88a2f..0e9604461 100644
--- a/source/utils/CarlaLv2Utils.hpp
+++ b/source/utils/CarlaLv2Utils.hpp
@@ -571,7 +571,6 @@ public:
           fBufferSize(0),
           fSampleRate(sampleRate),
           fFreePath(nullptr),
-          fMakePath(nullptr),
           fUridMap(nullptr),
           fUridUnmap(nullptr),
           fWorker(nullptr),
@@ -592,7 +591,6 @@ public:
         }
 
         const LV2_State_Free_Path* freePath  = nullptr;
-        const LV2_State_Make_Path* makePath  = nullptr;
         const LV2_Options_Option*  options   = nullptr;
         const LV2_URID_Map*        uridMap   = nullptr;
         const LV2_URID_Unmap*      uridUnmap = nullptr;
@@ -602,8 +600,6 @@ public:
         {
             /**/ if (std::strcmp(features[i]->URI, LV2_STATE__freePath) == 0)
                 freePath = (const LV2_State_Free_Path*)features[i]->data;
-            else if (std::strcmp(features[i]->URI, LV2_STATE__makePath) == 0)
-                makePath = (const LV2_State_Make_Path*)features[i]->data;
             else if (std::strcmp(features[i]->URI, LV2_OPTIONS__options) == 0)
                 options = (const LV2_Options_Option*)features[i]->data;
             else if (std::strcmp(features[i]->URI, LV2_URID__map) == 0)
@@ -672,7 +668,6 @@ public:
         fURIs.map(uridMap);
 
         fFreePath = freePath;
-        fMakePath = makePath;
         fUridUnmap = uridUnmap;
         fWorker = worker;
 
@@ -1189,7 +1184,6 @@ protected:
 
     // LV2 host features
     const LV2_State_Free_Path* fFreePath;
-    const LV2_State_Make_Path* fMakePath;
     const LV2_URID_Map* fUridMap;
     const LV2_URID_Unmap* fUridUnmap;
     const LV2_Worker_Schedule* fWorker;