diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/config/PathEntryCollectionExtensions.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/config/PathEntryCollectionExtensions.cs
index 8fabb510f3..79e6c069ae 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/config/PathEntryCollectionExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/config/PathEntryCollectionExtensions.cs
@@ -180,6 +180,12 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 			return collection.AbsolutePathFor(path, null);
 		}
 
+		public static string ExternalToolsAbsolutePath(this PathEntryCollection collection)
+		{
+			var path = collection[PathEntryCollection.GLOBAL, "External Tools"].Path;
+			return collection.AbsolutePathFor(path, null);
+		}
+
 		public static string MultiDiskAbsolutePath(this PathEntryCollection collection)
 		{
 			var path = collection.ResolveToolsPath(collection[PathEntryCollection.GLOBAL, "Multi-Disk Bundles"].Path);
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ExternalToolManager.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ExternalToolManager.cs
index 8a840a8801..ac3203783d 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ExternalToolManager.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk/tools/ExternalToolManager.cs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				DirectoryMonitor.Created -= DirectoryMonitor_Created;
 				DirectoryMonitor.Dispose();
 			}
-			var path = _config.PathEntries[PathEntryCollection.GLOBAL, "External Tools"].Path;
+			var path = _config.PathEntries.ExternalToolsAbsolutePath();
 			if (Directory.Exists(path))
 			{
 				DirectoryMonitor = new FileSystemWatcher(path, "*.dll")
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.EmuHawk
 				{
 					foreach (var depFilename in toolAttribute.LoadAssemblyFiles)
 					{
-						var depFilePath = $"{_config.PathEntries[PathEntryCollection.GLOBAL, "External Tools"].Path}/{depFilename}";
+						var depFilePath = Path.Combine(_config.PathEntries.ExternalToolsAbsolutePath(), depFilename);
 						Console.WriteLine($"preloading assembly {depFilePath} requested by ext. tool {toolAttribute.Name}");
 						Assembly.LoadFrom(depFilePath);
 					}