diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwclass/classmodel.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwclass/classmodel.hpp
index f063ae7292..0f633f37bf 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwclass/classmodel.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwclass/classmodel.hpp
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 #include "../mwworld/livecellref.hpp"
 #include "../mwworld/ptr.hpp"
 
-#include <string>
 #include <string_view>
 
 namespace MWClass
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
index cc4a124ec2..22c953d27d 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.cpp
@@ -441,15 +441,15 @@ namespace MWClass
         return model.substr(prefix.size());
     }
 
-    std::string Npc::getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const
+    VFS::Path::Normalized Npc::getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const
     {
         const MWWorld::LiveCellRef<ESM::NPC>* ref = ptr.get<ESM::NPC>();
 
         const ESM::Race* race = MWBase::Environment::get().getESMStore()->get<ESM::Race>().find(ref->mBase->mRace);
         if (race->mData.mFlags & ESM::Race::Beast)
-            return Settings::models().mBaseanimkna.get().value();
+            return Settings::models().mBaseanimkna.get();
 
-        return Settings::models().mBaseanim.get().value();
+        return Settings::models().mBaseanim.get();
     }
 
     void Npc::getModelsToPreload(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr, std::vector<std::string_view>& models) const
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp
index 1d70c5e1ba..29ab459242 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwclass/npc.hpp
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ namespace MWClass
 
         std::string_view getModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const override;
 
-        std::string getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const override;
+        VFS::Path::Normalized getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const override;
 
         float getSkill(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr, ESM::RefId id) const override;
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp
index 5d5f6be529..72faf0afa9 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwscript/miscextensions.cpp
@@ -1437,8 +1437,8 @@ namespace MWScript
                     osg::Vec3f pos(ptr.getRefData().getPosition().asVec3());
                     msg << "Coordinates: " << pos.x() << " " << pos.y() << " " << pos.z() << std::endl;
                     auto vfs = MWBase::Environment::get().getResourceSystem()->getVFS();
-                    const VFS::Path::Normalized model = ::Misc::ResourceHelpers::correctActorModelPath(
-                        VFS::Path::toNormalized(ptr.getClass().getCorrectedModel(ptr)), vfs);
+                    const VFS::Path::Normalized model
+                        = ::Misc::ResourceHelpers::correctActorModelPath(ptr.getClass().getCorrectedModel(ptr), vfs);
                     msg << "Model: " << model.value() << std::endl;
                     if (!model.empty())
                     {
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
index 26100551e8..105fbca80a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.cpp
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
         return {};
     }
 
-    std::string Class::getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const
+    VFS::Path::Normalized Class::getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const
     {
         std::string_view model = getModel(ptr);
         if (!model.empty())
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
index 0c6d55692f..d3d75aa935 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/class.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 #include <components/esm/refid.hpp>
 #include <components/esm3/loadskil.hpp>
+#include <components/vfs/pathutil.hpp>
 
 namespace ESM
 {
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
 
         virtual std::string_view getModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const;
 
-        virtual std::string getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const;
+        virtual VFS::Path::Normalized getCorrectedModel(const MWWorld::ConstPtr& ptr) const;
 
         virtual bool useAnim() const;
         ///< Whether or not to use animated variant of model (default false)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
index 275e152b29..c30c2b5af0 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/scene.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ namespace
             rendering.rotateObject(ptr, rotation);
     }
 
-    std::string getModel(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr)
+    VFS::Path::Normalized getModel(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr)
     {
         if (Misc::ResourceHelpers::isHiddenMarker(ptr.getCellRef().getRefId()))
             return {};
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ namespace
             return;
         }
 
-        std::string model = getModel(ptr);
+        const VFS::Path::Normalized model = getModel(ptr);
         const auto rotation = makeDirectNodeRotation(ptr);
 
         ESM::RefNum refnum = ptr.getCellRef().getRefNum();
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
                     ptr.mRef->mData.mPhysicsPostponed = false;
                     if (ptr.mRef->mData.isEnabled() && ptr.mRef->mRef.getCount() > 0)
                     {
-                        std::string model = getModel(ptr);
+                        const VFS::Path::Normalized model = getModel(ptr);
                         if (!model.empty())
                         {
                             const auto rotation = makeNodeRotation(ptr, RotationOrder::direct);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
index cfbf8311ee..c541c6003a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwworld/worldimp.cpp
@@ -2325,8 +2325,7 @@ namespace MWWorld
         MWBase::Environment::get().getWindowManager()->watchActor(getPlayerPtr());
 
         mPhysics->remove(getPlayerPtr());
-        mPhysics->addActor(
-            getPlayerPtr(), VFS::Path::toNormalized(getPlayerPtr().getClass().getCorrectedModel(getPlayerPtr())));
+        mPhysics->addActor(getPlayerPtr(), getPlayerPtr().getClass().getCorrectedModel(getPlayerPtr()));
 
         applyLoopingParticles(player);