diff --git a/core/project_settings.cpp b/core/project_settings.cpp
index ba181f1caaa..c8746356d47 100644
--- a/core/project_settings.cpp
+++ b/core/project_settings.cpp
@@ -64,15 +64,15 @@ String ProjectSettings::get_resource_path() const {
 };
 
 String ProjectSettings::localize_path(const String &p_path) const {
-	if (resource_path.empty() || p_path.begins_with("res://") || p_path.begins_with("user://") ||
-			(p_path.is_abs_path() && !p_path.begins_with(resource_path))) {
-		return p_path.simplify_path();
+	String path = p_path.simplify_path();
+
+	if (resource_path.empty() || path.begins_with("res://") || path.begins_with("user://") ||
+			(path.is_abs_path() && !path.begins_with(resource_path))) {
+		return path.simplify_path();
 	}
 
 	DirAccess *dir = DirAccess::create(DirAccess::ACCESS_FILESYSTEM);
 
-	String path = p_path.replace("\\", "/").simplify_path();
-
 	if (dir->change_dir(path) == OK) {
 		String cwd = dir->get_current_dir();
 		cwd = cwd.replace("\\", "/");
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ String ProjectSettings::localize_path(const String &p_path) const {
 		cwd = cwd.plus_file("");
 
 		if (!cwd.begins_with(res_path)) {
-			return p_path;
+			return path;
 		};
 
 		return cwd.replace_first(res_path, "res://");