diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp
index 2d65e4e508..7f454925fd 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/loadingscreen.cpp
@@ -66,13 +66,10 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void LoadingScreen::findSplashScreens()
     {
-        std::string pattern = "Splash/";
-        mResourceSystem->getVFS()->normalizeFilename(pattern);
-
         /* priority given to the left */
         const std::array<std::string, 7> supported_extensions {{".tga", ".dds", ".ktx", ".png", ".bmp", ".jpeg", ".jpg"}};
 
-        for (const auto& name : mResourceSystem->getVFS()->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator(pattern))
+        for (const auto& name : mResourceSystem->getVFS()->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator("Splash/"))
         {
             size_t pos = name.find_last_of('.');
             if (pos != std::string::npos)
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
index 4eafd05f5f..3df902e469 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwrender/animation.cpp
@@ -598,8 +598,6 @@ namespace MWRender
         }
         animationPath.replace(animationPath.size()-3, 3, "/");
 
-        mResourceSystem->getVFS()->normalizeFilename(animationPath);
-
         for (const auto& name : mResourceSystem->getVFS()->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator(animationPath))
         {
             size_t pos = name.find_last_of('.');
@@ -1292,8 +1290,6 @@ namespace MWRender
         }
         animationPath.replace(animationPath.size()-4, 4, "/");
 
-        resourceSystem->getVFS()->normalizeFilename(animationPath);
-
         for (const auto& name : resourceSystem->getVFS()->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator(animationPath))
         {
             size_t pos = name.find_last_of('.');
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_buffer.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_buffer.cpp
index cb71cb56d2..e64e89d775 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_buffer.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/sound_buffer.cpp
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ namespace MWSound
         max = std::max(min, max);
 
         Sound_Buffer& sfx = mSoundBuffers.emplace_back("Sound/" + sound.mSound, volume, min, max);
-        mVfs->normalizeFilename(sfx.mResourceName);
+        sfx.mResourceName = mVfs->normalizeFilename(sfx.mResourceName);
 
         mBufferNameMap.emplace(soundId, &sfx);
         return &sfx;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp
index f5c3231c99..d2422870d7 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwsound/soundmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -295,10 +295,7 @@ namespace MWSound
         {
             std::vector<std::string> filelist;
 
-            std::string pattern = "Music/" + playlist;
-            mVFS->normalizeFilename(pattern);
-
-            for (const auto& name : mVFS->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator(pattern))
+            for (const auto& name : mVFS->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator("Music/" + playlist))
                 filelist.push_back(name);
 
             mMusicFiles[playlist] = filelist;
@@ -345,10 +342,7 @@ namespace MWSound
         if(!mOutput->isInitialized())
             return;
 
-        std::string voicefile = "Sound/"+filename;
-
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(voicefile);
-        DecoderPtr decoder = loadVoice(voicefile);
+        DecoderPtr decoder = loadVoice(mVFS->normalizeFilename("Sound/" + filename));
         if (!decoder)
             return;
 
@@ -379,10 +373,7 @@ namespace MWSound
         if(!mOutput->isInitialized())
             return;
 
-        std::string voicefile = "Sound/"+filename;
-
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(voicefile);
-        DecoderPtr decoder = loadVoice(voicefile);
+        DecoderPtr decoder = loadVoice(mVFS->normalizeFilename("Sound/" + filename));
         if (!decoder)
             return;
 
diff --git a/components/fontloader/fontloader.cpp b/components/fontloader/fontloader.cpp
index 998e9c0c64..9ba62f7694 100644
--- a/components/fontloader/fontloader.cpp
+++ b/components/fontloader/fontloader.cpp
@@ -191,10 +191,7 @@ namespace Gui
 
     void FontLoader::loadBitmapFonts(bool exportToFile)
     {
-        std::string pattern = "Fonts/";
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(pattern);
-
-        for (const auto& name : mVFS->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator(pattern))
+        for (const auto& name : mVFS->getRecursiveDirectoryIterator("Fonts/"))
         {
             size_t pos = name.find_last_of('.');
             if (pos != std::string::npos && name.compare(pos, name.size() - pos, ".fnt") == 0)
diff --git a/components/resource/bulletshapemanager.cpp b/components/resource/bulletshapemanager.cpp
index b1b0f74176..98878df152 100644
--- a/components/resource/bulletshapemanager.cpp
+++ b/components/resource/bulletshapemanager.cpp
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@ BulletShapeManager::~BulletShapeManager()
 
 osg::ref_ptr<const BulletShape> BulletShapeManager::getShape(const std::string &name)
 {
-    std::string normalized = name;
-    mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+    const std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(name);
 
     osg::ref_ptr<BulletShape> shape;
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> obj = mCache->getRefFromObjectCache(normalized);
@@ -180,8 +179,7 @@ osg::ref_ptr<const BulletShape> BulletShapeManager::getShape(const std::string &
 
 osg::ref_ptr<BulletShapeInstance> BulletShapeManager::cacheInstance(const std::string &name)
 {
-    std::string normalized = name;
-    mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+    const std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(name);
 
     osg::ref_ptr<BulletShapeInstance> instance = createInstance(normalized);
     if (instance)
@@ -191,8 +189,7 @@ osg::ref_ptr<BulletShapeInstance> BulletShapeManager::cacheInstance(const std::s
 
 osg::ref_ptr<BulletShapeInstance> BulletShapeManager::getInstance(const std::string &name)
 {
-    std::string normalized = name;
-    mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+    const std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(name);
 
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> obj = mInstanceCache->takeFromObjectCache(normalized);
     if (obj.get())
diff --git a/components/resource/imagemanager.cpp b/components/resource/imagemanager.cpp
index 37e76359ff..ba46b5cce9 100644
--- a/components/resource/imagemanager.cpp
+++ b/components/resource/imagemanager.cpp
@@ -83,8 +83,7 @@ namespace Resource
 
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Image> ImageManager::getImage(const std::string &filename)
     {
-        std::string normalized = filename;
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+        const std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(filename);
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> obj = mCache->getRefFromObjectCache(normalized);
         if (obj)
diff --git a/components/resource/keyframemanager.cpp b/components/resource/keyframemanager.cpp
index 444d2bd7aa..6d431fb3a5 100644
--- a/components/resource/keyframemanager.cpp
+++ b/components/resource/keyframemanager.cpp
@@ -133,8 +133,7 @@ namespace Resource
 
     osg::ref_ptr<const SceneUtil::KeyframeHolder> KeyframeManager::get(const std::string &name)
     {
-        std::string normalized = name;
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+        const std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(name);
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> obj = mCache->getRefFromObjectCache(normalized);
         if (obj)
diff --git a/components/resource/scenemanager.cpp b/components/resource/scenemanager.cpp
index 33a9ab99a1..ec6bea02d7 100644
--- a/components/resource/scenemanager.cpp
+++ b/components/resource/scenemanager.cpp
@@ -358,10 +358,7 @@ namespace Resource
 
     bool SceneManager::checkLoaded(const std::string &name, double timeStamp)
     {
-        std::string normalized = name;
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
-
-        return mCache->checkInObjectCache(normalized, timeStamp);
+        return mCache->checkInObjectCache(mVFS->normalizeFilename(name), timeStamp);
     }
 
     /// @brief Callback to read image files from the VFS.
@@ -533,8 +530,7 @@ namespace Resource
 
     osg::ref_ptr<const osg::Node> SceneManager::getTemplate(const std::string &name, bool compile)
     {
-        std::string normalized = name;
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+        std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(name);
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> obj = mCache->getRefFromObjectCache(normalized);
         if (obj)
@@ -603,8 +599,7 @@ namespace Resource
 
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> SceneManager::cacheInstance(const std::string &name)
     {
-        std::string normalized = name;
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+        const std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(name);
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> node = createInstance(normalized);
 
@@ -642,8 +637,7 @@ namespace Resource
 
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> SceneManager::getInstance(const std::string &name)
     {
-        std::string normalized = name;
-        mVFS->normalizeFilename(normalized);
+        const std::string normalized = mVFS->normalizeFilename(name);
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> obj = mInstanceCache->takeFromObjectCache(normalized);
         if (obj.get())
diff --git a/components/vfs/manager.cpp b/components/vfs/manager.cpp
index f799719e31..1cb8745497 100644
--- a/components/vfs/manager.cpp
+++ b/components/vfs/manager.cpp
@@ -86,9 +86,11 @@ namespace VFS
         return mIndex.find(normalized) != mIndex.end();
     }
 
-    void Manager::normalizeFilename(std::string &name) const
+    std::string Manager::normalizeFilename(const std::string& name) const
     {
-        normalize_path(name, mStrict);
+        std::string result = name;
+        normalize_path(result, mStrict);
+        return result;
     }
 
     std::string Manager::getArchive(const std::string& name) const
@@ -105,6 +107,6 @@ namespace VFS
 
     RecursiveDirectoryIterator Manager::getRecursiveDirectoryIterator(const std::string& path) const
     {
-        return RecursiveDirectoryIterator(mIndex, path);
+        return RecursiveDirectoryIterator(mIndex, normalizeFilename(path));
     }
 }
diff --git a/components/vfs/manager.hpp b/components/vfs/manager.hpp
index 8656f3bf10..b98d8021d4 100644
--- a/components/vfs/manager.hpp
+++ b/components/vfs/manager.hpp
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ namespace VFS
 
         /// Normalize the given filename, making slashes/backslashes consistent, and lower-casing if mStrict is false.
         /// @note May be called from any thread once the index has been built.
-        void normalizeFilename(std::string& name) const;
+        [[nodiscard]] std::string normalizeFilename(const std::string& name) const;
 
         /// Retrieve a file by name.
         /// @note Throws an exception if the file can not be found.