diff --git a/src/d_main.cpp b/src/d_main.cpp
index 0b367f1d2..98acff85e 100644
--- a/src/d_main.cpp
+++ b/src/d_main.cpp
@@ -1395,19 +1395,25 @@ static void IdentifyVersion(void)
 	srb2waddir = I_LocateWad();
 #endif
 
+	char tempsrb2path[256] = ".";
+	getcwd(tempsrb2path, 256);
+
 	// get the current directory (possible problem on NT with "." as current dir)
-	if (srb2waddir)
+	if (!srb2waddir)
 	{
-		strlcpy(srb2path,srb2waddir,sizeof (srb2path));
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		if (getcwd(srb2path, 256) != NULL)
-			srb2waddir = srb2path;
+		if (tempsrb2path[0])
+			srb2waddir = tempsrb2path;
 		else
 			srb2waddir = ".";
 	}
 
+#if (1) // reduce the amount of findfile by only using full cwd in this func
+	if (strcmp(tempsrb2path, srb2waddir))
+#endif
+	{
+		strlcpy(srb2path, srb2waddir, sizeof (srb2path));
+	}
+
 	// Load the IWAD
 	if (! AddIWAD())
 	{
diff --git a/src/d_netfil.c b/src/d_netfil.c
index 061f587a0..a95767d5b 100644
--- a/src/d_netfil.c
+++ b/src/d_netfil.c
@@ -1764,23 +1764,29 @@ filestatus_t findfile(char *filename, const char *priorityfolder, const UINT8 *w
 	filestatus_t homecheck; // store result of last file search
 	boolean badmd5 = false; // store whether md5 was bad from either of the first two searches (if nothing was found in the third)
 
-	// first, check SRB2's "home" directory
-	homecheck = filesearch(filename, srb2home, priorityfolder, wantedmd5sum, completepath, 10);
+	// first, check SRB2's "home" directory (if non-'.')
+	if (strcmp(srb2home, "."))
+	{
+		homecheck = filesearch(filename, srb2home, priorityfolder, wantedmd5sum, completepath, 10);
 
-	if (homecheck == FS_FOUND) // we found the file, so return that we have :)
-		return FS_FOUND;
-	else if (homecheck == FS_MD5SUMBAD) // file has a bad md5; move on and look for a file with the right md5
-		badmd5 = true;
-	// if not found at all, just move on without doing anything
+		if (homecheck == FS_FOUND) // we found the file, so return that we have :)
+			return FS_FOUND;
+		else if (homecheck == FS_MD5SUMBAD) // file has a bad md5; move on and look for a file with the right md5
+			badmd5 = true;
+		// if not found at all, just move on without doing anything
+	}
 
-	// next, check SRB2's "path" directory
-	homecheck = filesearch(filename, srb2path, priorityfolder, wantedmd5sum, completepath, 10);
+	// next, check SRB2's "path" directory (also if non-'.')
+	if (strcmp(srb2path, "."))
+	{
+		homecheck = filesearch(filename, srb2path, priorityfolder, wantedmd5sum, completepath, 10);
 
-	if (homecheck == FS_FOUND) // we found the file, so return that we have :)
-		return FS_FOUND;
-	else if (homecheck == FS_MD5SUMBAD) // file has a bad md5; move on and look for a file with the right md5
-		badmd5 = true;
-	// if not found at all, just move on without doing anything
+		if (homecheck == FS_FOUND) // we found the file, so return that we have :)
+			return FS_FOUND;
+		else if (homecheck == FS_MD5SUMBAD) // file has a bad md5; move on and look for a file with the right md5
+			badmd5 = true;
+		// if not found at all, just move on without doing anything
+	}
 
 	// finally check "." directory
 	homecheck = filesearch(filename, ".", priorityfolder, wantedmd5sum, completepath, 10);