diff --git a/apps/opencs/editor.cpp b/apps/opencs/editor.cpp
index 0c3d006c4..0dce198f8 100644
--- a/apps/opencs/editor.cpp
+++ b/apps/opencs/editor.cpp
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ std::pair<Files::PathContainer, std::vector<std::string> > CS::Editor::readConfi
 
     desc.add_options()
     ("data", boost::program_options::value<Files::EscapePathContainer>()->default_value(Files::EscapePathContainer(), "data")->multitoken()->composing())
-    ("data-local", boost::program_options::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""))
+    ("data-local", boost::program_options::value<Files::EscapePath>()->default_value(Files::EscapePath(), ""))
     ("fs-strict", boost::program_options::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)->default_value(false))
     ("encoding", boost::program_options::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value("win1252"))
-    ("resources", boost::program_options::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value("resources"))
+    ("resources", boost::program_options::value<Files::EscapePath>()->default_value(Files::EscapePath(), "resources"))
     ("fallback-archive", boost::program_options::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->
         default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "fallback-archive")->multitoken())
     ("fallback", boost::program_options::value<FallbackMap>()->default_value(FallbackMap(), "")
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ std::pair<Files::PathContainer, std::vector<std::string> > CS::Editor::readConfi
     mDocumentManager.setEncoding(ToUTF8::calculateEncoding(mEncodingName));
     mFileDialog.setEncoding (QString::fromUtf8(mEncodingName.c_str()));
 
-    mDocumentManager.setResourceDir (mResources = variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
+    mDocumentManager.setResourceDir (mResources = variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapePath>().mPath);
 
     if (variables["script-blacklist-use"].as<bool>())
         mDocumentManager.setBlacklistedScripts (
@@ -125,14 +125,9 @@ std::pair<Files::PathContainer, std::vector<std::string> > CS::Editor::readConfi
         dataDirs = Files::PathContainer(Files::EscapePath::toPathContainer(variables["data"].as<Files::EscapePathContainer>()));
     }
 
-    std::string local = variables["data-local"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString();
+    Files::PathContainer::value_type local(variables["data-local"].as<Files::EscapePath>().mPath);
     if (!local.empty())
-    {
-        if (local.front() == '\"')
-            local = local.substr(1, local.length() - 2);
-
-        dataLocal.push_back(Files::PathContainer::value_type(local));
-    }
+        dataLocal.push_back(local);
 
     mCfgMgr.processPaths (dataDirs);
     mCfgMgr.processPaths (dataLocal, true);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/main.cpp b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
index a860438ce..adf4bf18c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
@@ -63,13 +63,13 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("data", bpo::value<Files::EscapePathContainer>()->default_value(Files::EscapePathContainer(), "data")
             ->multitoken()->composing(), "set data directories (later directories have higher priority)")
 
-        ("data-local", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
+        ("data-local", bpo::value<Files::EscapePath>()->default_value(Files::EscapePath(), ""),
             "set local data directory (highest priority)")
 
         ("fallback-archive", bpo::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "fallback-archive")
             ->multitoken()->composing(), "set fallback BSA archives (later archives have higher priority)")
 
-        ("resources", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value("resources"),
+        ("resources", bpo::value<Files::EscapePath>()->default_value(Files::EscapePath(), "resources"),
             "set resources directory")
 
         ("start", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("script-blacklist-use", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
             ->default_value(true), "enable script blacklisting")
 
-        ("load-savegame", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
+        ("load-savegame", bpo::value<Files::EscapePath>()->default_value(Files::EscapePath(), ""),
             "load a save game file on game startup (specify an absolute filename or a filename relative to the current working directory)")
 
         ("skip-menu", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     {
         cfgMgr.readConfiguration(variables, desc, true);
 
-        Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
+        Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapePath>().mPath.string());
         std::cout << v.describe() << std::endl;
         return false;
     }
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     cfgMgr.readConfiguration(variables, desc);
     cfgMgr.mergeComposingVariables(variables, composingVariables, desc);
 
-    Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
+    Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapePath>().mPath.string());
     std::cout << v.describe() << std::endl;
 
     engine.setGrabMouse(!variables["no-grab"].as<bool>());
@@ -183,18 +183,13 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
 
     Files::PathContainer dataDirs(Files::EscapePath::toPathContainer(variables["data"].as<Files::EscapePathContainer>()));
 
-    std::string local(variables["data-local"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
+    Files::PathContainer::value_type local(variables["data-local"].as<Files::EscapePath>().mPath);
     if (!local.empty())
-    {
-        if (local.front() == '\"')
-            local = local.substr(1, local.length() - 2);
-
-        dataDirs.push_back(Files::PathContainer::value_type(local));
-    }
+        dataDirs.push_back(local);
 
     cfgMgr.processPaths(dataDirs);
 
-    engine.setResourceDir(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
+    engine.setResourceDir(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapePath>().mPath);
     engine.setDataDirs(dataDirs);
 
     // fallback archives
@@ -232,7 +227,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     engine.setWarningsMode (variables["script-warn"].as<int>());
     engine.setScriptBlacklist (variables["script-blacklist"].as<Files::EscapeStringVector>().toStdStringVector());
     engine.setScriptBlacklistUse (variables["script-blacklist-use"].as<bool>());
-    engine.setSaveGameFile (variables["load-savegame"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
+    engine.setSaveGameFile (variables["load-savegame"].as<Files::EscapePath>().mPath.string());
 
     // other settings
     Fallback::Map::init(variables["fallback"].as<FallbackMap>().mMap);
diff --git a/components/config/gamesettings.cpp b/components/config/gamesettings.cpp
index b771b7fc8..223045ab5 100644
--- a/components/config/gamesettings.cpp
+++ b/components/config/gamesettings.cpp
@@ -118,12 +118,19 @@ bool Config::GameSettings::readFile(QTextStream &stream, QMultiMap<QString, QStr
             QString key = keyRe.cap(1).trimmed();
             QString value = keyRe.cap(2).trimmed();
 
-            // Don't remove existing data entries
-            if (key != QLatin1String("data"))
+            // Don't remove composing entries
+            if (key != QLatin1String("data")
+                && key != QLatin1String("fallback-archive")
+                && key != QLatin1String("content")
+                && key != QLatin1String("script-blacklist"))
                 settings.remove(key);
-            else
+
+            if (key == QLatin1String("data")
+                || key == QLatin1String("data-local")
+                || key == QLatin1String("resources")
+                || key == QLatin1String("load-savegame"))
             {
-                // 'data=...' line, so needs processing to deal with ampersands and quotes
+                // Path line (e.g. 'data=...'), so needs processing to deal with ampersands and quotes
                 // The following is based on boost::io::detail::quoted_manip.hpp, but calling those functions did not work as there are too may QStrings involved
                 QChar delim = '\"';
                 QChar escape = '&';
@@ -175,8 +182,11 @@ bool Config::GameSettings::writeFile(QTextStream &stream)
     while (i.hasPrevious()) {
         i.previous();
 
-        // 'data=...' lines need quotes and ampersands escaping to match how boost::filesystem::path uses boost::io::quoted
-        if (i.key() == QLatin1String("data"))
+        // path lines (e.g. 'data=...') need quotes and ampersands escaping to match how boost::filesystem::path uses boost::io::quoted
+        if (i.key() == QLatin1String("data")
+            || i.key() == QLatin1String("data-local")
+            || i.key() == QLatin1String("resources")
+            || i.key() == QLatin1String("load-savegame"))
         {
             stream << i.key() << "=";
 
@@ -198,20 +208,6 @@ bool Config::GameSettings::writeFile(QTextStream &stream)
             continue;
         }
 
-        // Quote paths with spaces
-        if (i.key() == QLatin1String("data-local")
-            || i.key() == QLatin1String("resources"))
-        {
-            if (i.value().contains(QChar(' ')))
-            {
-                QString stripped = i.value();
-                stripped.remove(QChar('\"')); // Remove quotes
-
-                stream << i.key() << "=\"" << stripped << "\"\n";
-                continue;
-            }
-        }
-
         stream << i.key() << "=" << i.value() << "\n";
 
     }
@@ -406,7 +402,10 @@ bool Config::GameSettings::writeFileWithComments(QFile &file)
     {
         it.previous();
 
-        if (it.key() == QLatin1String("data"))
+        if (it.key() == QLatin1String("data")
+            || it.key() == QLatin1String("data-local")
+            || it.key() == QLatin1String("resources")
+            || it.key() == QLatin1String("load-savegame"))
         {
             settingLine = it.key() + "=";
 
@@ -424,15 +423,6 @@ bool Config::GameSettings::writeFileWithComments(QFile &file)
             }
             settingLine += delim;
         }
-        // Quote paths with spaces
-        else if ((it.key() == QLatin1String("data-local")
-             || it.key() == QLatin1String("resources")) && it.value().contains(QChar(' ')))
-        {
-            QString stripped = it.value();
-            stripped.remove(QChar('\"')); // Remove quotes
-
-            settingLine = it.key() + "=\"" + stripped + "\"";
-        }
         else
             settingLine = it.key() + "=" + it.value();