diff --git a/stepmania/src/Background.cpp b/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
index f49450530a..ae8d376fec 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Background.cpp
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@ BGAnimation *Background::CreateSongBGA(const Song *pSong, CString sBGName) const
 	if( !asFiles.empty() )
 	{
 		pTempBGA = new BGAnimation;
-		CString sThrowAway, sExt;
-		splitrelpath( asFiles[0], sThrowAway, sThrowAway, sExt );
+		const CString sExt = GetExtension( asFiles[0]) ;
 		if( sExt.CompareNoCase("avi")==0 ||
 			sExt.CompareNoCase("mpg")==0 ||
 			sExt.CompareNoCase("mpeg")==0 )
diff --git a/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp b/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp
index 092801f46a..7c44313295 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/ProfileManager.cpp
@@ -121,11 +121,8 @@ bool Profile::LoadFromIni( CString sIniPath )
 {
 	Init();
 
-	CString sDir, sFName, sExt;
-	splitrelpath( sIniPath, sDir, sFName, sExt );
-	
 	CStringArray asBits;
-	split( sDir, SLASH, asBits, true );
+	split( Dirname(sIniPath), SLASH, asBits, true );
 	CString sLastDir = asBits.back();	// this is a number name, e.g. "0000001"
 
 	// Fill in a default value in case ini doesn't have it.
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
index a154f1add4..64bb8301da 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageUtil.cpp
@@ -508,23 +508,14 @@ void StripCrnl(CString &s)
 /* path is a .redir pathname.  Read it and return the real one. */
 CString DerefRedir(const CString &path)
 {
-	CString sDir, sFName, sExt;
-	splitrelpath( path, sDir, sFName, sExt );
-
-	if(sExt != "redir") 
+	if( GetExtension(path) != "redir" )
 	{
 		CString path2 = path;
 		ResolvePath( path2 );
 		return path2;
 	}
 
-	CString sNewFileName;
-	{
-		ifstream file(path);
-		getline(file, sNewFileName);
-	}
-
-	StripCrnl(sNewFileName);
+	CString sNewFileName = GetRedirContents( path );
 
 	/* Empty is invalid. */
 	if(sNewFileName == "")
@@ -532,7 +523,7 @@ CString DerefRedir(const CString &path)
 
 	FixSlashesInPlace( sNewFileName );
 
-	CString path2 = sDir+sNewFileName;
+	CString path2 = Dirname(path) + sNewFileName;
 
 	CollapsePath( path2 );
 
@@ -546,11 +537,6 @@ CString DerefRedir(const CString &path)
 
 CString GetRedirContents(const CString &path)
 {
-	CString sDir, sFName, sExt;
-	splitrelpath( path, sDir, sFName, sExt );
-
-	ASSERT( sExt == "redir");	// don't ever call this on a non-redirect
-
 	CString sNewFileName;
 	{
 		ifstream file(path);
diff --git a/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp b/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
index 9b14bf1883..0c30125975 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/Sprite.cpp
@@ -84,12 +84,6 @@ bool Sprite::LoadFromSpriteFile( RageTextureID ID )
 
 	m_sSpritePath = ID.filename;
 
-
-	// Split for the directory.  We'll need it below
-	CString sFontDir, sFontFileName, sFontExtension;
-	splitrelpath( m_sSpritePath, sFontDir, sFontFileName, sFontExtension );
-
-
 	// read sprite file
 	IniFile ini;
 	ini.SetPath( m_sSpritePath );
@@ -101,7 +95,8 @@ bool Sprite::LoadFromSpriteFile( RageTextureID ID )
 	if( sTextureFile == ""  )
 		RageException::Throw( "Error reading value 'Texture' from %s.", m_sSpritePath.c_str() );
 
-	ID.filename = sFontDir + sTextureFile;	// save the path of the real texture
+	// save the path of the real texture
+	ID.filename = Dirname(m_sSpritePath) + sTextureFile;
 	{
 		vector<CString> asElementPaths;
 		GetDirListing( ID.filename + "*", asElementPaths, false, true );