diff --git a/stepmania/src/ActorSound.cpp b/stepmania/src/ActorSound.cpp
index c9dc61f792..2f18ea2d4d 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ActorSound.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ActorSound.cpp
@@ -23,14 +23,10 @@ void ActorSound::LoadFromNode( const RString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 	Actor::LoadFromNode( sDir, pNode );
 
 	RString sFile;
-	if( pNode->GetAttrValue("File", sFile) || pNode->GetAttrValue("Path", sFile) ) /* Path deprecated */
+	if( ActorUtil::GetAttrPath(pNode, "File", sFile) || ActorUtil::GetAttrPath(pNode, "Path", sFile) ) /* Path deprecated */
 	{
-		FixSlashesInPlace( sFile );
-
-		RString sNewPath = sFile.Left(1) == "/"? sFile : sDir+sFile;
-		ActorUtil::ResolvePath( sNewPath, sDir );
-
-		Load( sNewPath );
+		ActorUtil::ResolvePath( sFile, sDir );
+		Load( sFile );
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/DifficultyIcon.cpp b/stepmania/src/DifficultyIcon.cpp
index 803d83da45..36b4592a05 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/DifficultyIcon.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/DifficultyIcon.cpp
@@ -44,14 +44,10 @@ bool DifficultyIcon::Load( RString sPath )
 void DifficultyIcon::LoadFromNode( const RString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 {
 	RString sFile;
-	if( !pNode->GetAttrValue( "File", sFile ) )
+	if( !ActorUtil::GetAttrPath(pNode, "File", sFile) )
 		RageException::Throw( "MeterDisplay in \"%s\" missing \"File\" attribute.", sDir.c_str() );
 
-	if( !sFile.empty() && sFile[0] != '/' )
-	{
-		sFile = sDir + sFile;
-		ActorUtil::ResolvePath( sFile, sDir );
-	}
+	ActorUtil::ResolvePath( sFile, sDir );
 
 	Load( sFile );
 
diff --git a/stepmania/src/HoldJudgment.cpp b/stepmania/src/HoldJudgment.cpp
index 3df4b51519..9835311e10 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/HoldJudgment.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/HoldJudgment.cpp
@@ -28,12 +28,9 @@ void HoldJudgment::Load( const RString &sPath )
 void HoldJudgment::LoadFromNode( const RString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 {
 	RString sFile;
-	if( !pNode->GetAttrValue("File", sFile) )
+	if( ActorUtil::GetAttrPath(pNode, "File", sFile) )
 		RageException::Throw( "HoldJudgment node in \"%s\" is missing the attribute \"File\"", sDir.c_str() );
 
-	if( sFile.Left(1) != "/" )
-		sFile = sDir+sFile;
-
 	CollapsePath( sFile );
 
 	Load( sFile );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Judgment.cpp b/stepmania/src/Judgment.cpp
index 1c2c6ee7cb..31d19705fe 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Judgment.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Judgment.cpp
@@ -19,11 +19,8 @@ Judgment::Judgment()
 void Judgment::LoadFromNode( const RString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 {
 	RString sFile;
-	if( pNode->GetAttrValue("File", sFile) )
+	if( ActorUtil::GetAttrPath(pNode, "File", sFile) )
 	{
-		if( sFile.Left(1) != "/" )
-			sFile = sDir+sFile;
-
 		CollapsePath( sFile );
 		LoadNormal( sFile );
 	}
diff --git a/stepmania/src/MeterDisplay.cpp b/stepmania/src/MeterDisplay.cpp
index e66e3ed999..ecc79b3cdf 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/MeterDisplay.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/MeterDisplay.cpp
@@ -40,14 +40,10 @@ void MeterDisplay::LoadFromNode( const RString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 
 	{
 		RString sStreamPath;
-		if( !pNode->GetAttrValue( "StreamPath", sStreamPath ) )
+		if( !ActorUtil::GetAttrPath(pNode, "StreamPath", sStreamPath) )
 			RageException::Throw( "MeterDisplay in \"%s\" is missing the \"StreamPath\" attribute.", sDir.c_str() );
 
-		if( !sStreamPath.empty() && sStreamPath[0] != '/' )
-		{
-			sStreamPath = sDir + sStreamPath;
-			ActorUtil::ResolvePath( sStreamPath, sDir );
-		}
+		ActorUtil::ResolvePath( sStreamPath, sDir );
 
 		m_sprStream.Load( sStreamPath );
 		m_sprStream->SetZoomX( m_fStreamWidth / m_sprStream->GetUnzoomedWidth() );
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Model.cpp b/stepmania/src/Model.cpp
index 8ef6324c56..4d03cb6c70 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Model.cpp
@@ -111,20 +111,12 @@ void Model::LoadFromNode( const RString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 	Actor::LoadFromNode( sDir, pNode );
 
 	RString s1, s2, s3;
-	pNode->GetAttrValue( "Meshes", s1 );
-	pNode->GetAttrValue( "Materials", s2 );
-	pNode->GetAttrValue( "Bones", s3 );
+	ActorUtil::GetAttrPath( pNode, "Meshes", s1 );
+	ActorUtil::GetAttrPath( pNode, "Materials", s2 );
+	ActorUtil::GetAttrPath( pNode, "Bones", s3 );
 	if( !s1.empty() || !s2.empty() || !s3.empty() )
 	{
 		ASSERT( !s1.empty() && !s2.empty() && !s3.empty() );
-
-		if( s1.Left(1) != "/" )
-			s1 = sDir+s1;
-		if( s2.Left(1) != "/" )
-			s2 = sDir+s2;
-		if( s3.Left(1) != "/" )
-			s3 = sDir+s3;
-
 		LoadPieces( s1, s2, s3 );
 	}
 }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp b/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
index 2511cfe1d9..68d72a8d3c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
@@ -109,11 +109,7 @@ void Sprite::Load( RageTextureID ID )
 void Sprite::LoadFromNode( const RString& sDir, const XNode* pNode )
 {
 	RString sPath;
-	if( pNode->GetAttrValue( "Texture", sPath ) )
-	{
-		bool bIsAbsolutePath = sPath.Left(1) == "/";
-		sPath = bIsAbsolutePath ? sPath : sDir+sPath;
-	}
+	ActorUtil::GetAttrPath( pNode, "Texture", sPath );
 
 	if( !sPath.empty() )
 	{