diff --git a/src/Dialogs.c b/src/Dialogs.c
index 3a74b5685..262403eac 100644
--- a/src/Dialogs.c
+++ b/src/Dialogs.c
@@ -5276,7 +5276,6 @@ void SetWindowTitle(HWND hwnd, const HPATHL pthFilePath, const TITLEPROPS_T prop
         s_pthCachedFilePath = Path_Allocate(L"");
     }
 
-
     if (!forceRedraw) {
         if (s_properties.iFormat != properties.iFormat) {
             forceRedraw = true;
@@ -5302,20 +5301,19 @@ void SetWindowTitle(HWND hwnd, const HPATHL pthFilePath, const TITLEPROPS_T prop
         else if (s_properties.bReadOnly != properties.bReadOnly) {
             forceRedraw = true;
         }
-        else {
-            for (int i = 0; i < COUNTOF(s_compTitleExcerpt); ++i) {
-                if (s_compTitleExcerpt[i] != lpszExcerpt[i]) {
-                    forceRedraw = true;
-                    bExcerptChanged = true;
-                    break;
-                }
-            }
-            if (Path_StrgComparePath(s_pthCachedFilePath, pthFilePath, Paths.WorkingDirectory) != 0) {
-                forceRedraw = true;
-                bFilePathChanged = true;
-            }
+    }
+    for (int i = 0; i < COUNTOF(s_compTitleExcerpt); ++i) {
+        if (s_compTitleExcerpt[i] != lpszExcerpt[i]) {
+            forceRedraw = true;
+            bExcerptChanged = true;
+            break;
         }
     }
+    // assuming path is normalized (for speed)
+    if (Path_StrgComparePath(s_pthCachedFilePath, pthFilePath, Paths.WorkingDirectory, false) != 0) {
+        forceRedraw = true;
+        bFilePathChanged = true;
+    }
 
     if (!forceRedraw) {
         return;
diff --git a/src/Notepad3.c b/src/Notepad3.c
index a2cd56a86..d75ce8951 100644
--- a/src/Notepad3.c
+++ b/src/Notepad3.c
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ static BOOL CALLBACK _EnumWndProc2(HWND hwnd, LPARAM lParam)
             GetDlgItemText(hwnd, IDC_FILENAME, wchFileName, COUNTOF(wchFileName));
 
             HPATHL hpthFileName = Path_Allocate(wchFileName);
-            if (Path_StrgComparePath(hpthFileName, s_pthCheckFilePath, Paths.WorkingDirectory) == 0) {
+            if (Path_StrgComparePath(hpthFileName, s_pthCheckFilePath, Paths.WorkingDirectory, true) == 0) {
                 *(HWND*)lParam = hwnd;
                 bContinue = FALSE;
             }
@@ -3699,7 +3699,7 @@ static LRESULT _OnDropOneFile(HWND hwnd, HPATHL hFilePath, WININFO* wi)
     }
     else if (Path_IsExistingFile(hFilePath)) {
         //~ ignore Flags.bReuseWindow
-        bool const sameFile = (Path_StrgComparePath(hFilePath, Paths.CurrentFile, Paths.ModuleDirectory) == 0);
+        bool const sameFile = (Path_StrgComparePath(hFilePath, Paths.CurrentFile, Paths.ModuleDirectory, true) == 0);
         if (IsKeyDown(VK_CONTROL) || wi) {
             DialogNewWindow(hwnd, sameFile, hFilePath, wi);
         } else {
@@ -11576,7 +11576,7 @@ bool FileLoad(const HPATHL hfile_pth, const FileLoadFlags fLoadFlags, const DocP
 
     Path_NormalizeEx(hopen_file, Paths.WorkingDirectory, true, Flags.bSearchPathIfRelative);
 
-    if (!bReloadFile && Path_StrgComparePath(hopen_file, Paths.CurrentFile, Paths.WorkingDirectory) == 0) {
+    if (!bReloadFile && Path_StrgComparePath(hopen_file, Paths.CurrentFile, Paths.WorkingDirectory, false) == 0) {
         Path_Release(hopen_file);
         return false;
     }
@@ -11714,7 +11714,7 @@ bool FileLoad(const HPATHL hfile_pth, const FileLoadFlags fLoadFlags, const DocP
         }
 
         // consistent settings file handling (if loaded in editor)
-        Flags.bSettingsFileSoftLocked = (Path_StrgComparePath(Paths.CurrentFile, Paths.IniFile, Paths.WorkingDirectory) == 0);
+        Flags.bSettingsFileSoftLocked = (Path_StrgComparePath(Paths.CurrentFile, Paths.IniFile, Paths.WorkingDirectory, true) == 0);
 
         // the .LOG feature ...
         if (IsFileVarLogFile()) {
diff --git a/src/PathLib.c b/src/PathLib.c
index 06b81371a..070cca2fa 100644
--- a/src/PathLib.c
+++ b/src/PathLib.c
@@ -976,10 +976,18 @@ static int _StrgComparePathNormalized(const HPATHL hpth1, const HPATHL hpth2)
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-int PTHAPI Path_StrgComparePath(const HPATHL hpth1, const HPATHL hpth2, const HPATHL hpth_wrkdir)
+int PTHAPI Path_StrgComparePath(const HPATHL hpth1, const HPATHL hpth2, const HPATHL hpth_wrkdir, const bool bNormalize)
 {
-    if (Path_IsEmpty(hpth1)) { return -1; }
-    if (Path_IsEmpty(hpth2)) { return +1; }
+    if (!bNormalize) {
+        return _StrgComparePathNormalized(hpth1, hpth2);
+    }
+
+    if (Path_IsEmpty(hpth1)) {
+        return -1;
+    }
+    if (Path_IsEmpty(hpth2)) {
+        return +1;
+    }
 
     HPATHL hpth1_tmp = Path_Copy(hpth1);
     HPATHL hpth2_tmp = Path_Copy(hpth2);
diff --git a/src/PathLib.h b/src/PathLib.h
index d187379fe..ead66721a 100644
--- a/src/PathLib.h
+++ b/src/PathLib.h
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ bool PTHAPI            Path_IsRoot(const HPATHL hpth);
 bool PTHAPI            Path_IsValidUNC(const HPATHL hpth);
 bool PTHAPI            Path_IsExistingDirectory(const HPATHL hpth);
 
-int PTHAPI             Path_StrgComparePath(const HPATHL hpth1, const HPATHL hpth2, const HPATHL hpth_wrkdir);
+int PTHAPI             Path_StrgComparePath(const HPATHL hpth1, const HPATHL hpth2, const HPATHL hpth_wrkdir, const bool bNormalize);
 bool PTHAPI            Path_RemoveFileSpec(HPATHL hpth_in_out);
 bool PTHAPI            Path_RenameExtension(HPATHL hpth, LPCWSTR ext);
 void PTHAPI            Path_ExpandEnvStrings(HPATHL hpth_in_out);
diff --git a/src/Styles.c b/src/Styles.c
index ac18c4d62..354293bbc 100644
--- a/src/Styles.c
+++ b/src/Styles.c
@@ -927,7 +927,7 @@ static void _ReadFromIniCache() {
 bool Style_ImportFromFile(const HPATHL hpath)
 {
     bool const bHaveFileResource = Path_IsNotEmpty(hpath);
-    bool const bIsStdIniFile = bHaveFileResource ? (Path_StrgComparePath(hpath, Paths.IniFile, Paths.ModuleDirectory) == 0) : false;
+    bool const bIsStdIniFile = bHaveFileResource ? (Path_StrgComparePath(hpath, Paths.IniFile, Paths.ModuleDirectory, true) == 0) : false;
 
     bool result = bIsStdIniFile ? OpenSettingsFile(__func__) : (bHaveFileResource ? LoadIniFileCache(hpath) : true);
     if (result) {
@@ -1155,7 +1155,7 @@ bool Style_ExportToFile(const HPATHL hpath, bool bForceAll)
         return false;
     }
 
-    bool const bIsStdIniFile = (Path_StrgComparePath(hpath, Paths.IniFile, Paths.ModuleDirectory) == 0);
+    bool const bIsStdIniFile = (Path_StrgComparePath(hpath, Paths.IniFile, Paths.ModuleDirectory, true) == 0);
 
     // special handling of standard .ini-file
     bool ok = false;