diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 63c9626a..a3864d0c 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -7,9 +7,6 @@ g_logger.setLogFile(g_resources.getWorkDir() .. g_app.getCompactName() .. ".log"
 -- print first terminal message
 g_logger.info(g_app.getName() .. ' ' .. g_app.getVersion() .. ' rev ' .. g_app.getBuildRevision() .. ' (' .. g_app.getBuildCommit() .. ') built on ' .. g_app.getBuildDate() .. ' for arch ' .. g_app.getBuildArch())
 
---add base folder to search path
-g_resources.addSearchPath(g_resources.getWorkDir())
-
 -- add modules directory to the search path
 if not g_resources.addSearchPath(g_resources.getWorkDir() .. "modules", true) then
   g_logger.fatal("Unable to add modules directory to the search path.")
diff --git a/src/framework/core/logger.cpp b/src/framework/core/logger.cpp
index 77f30422..8ba729e4 100644
--- a/src/framework/core/logger.cpp
+++ b/src/framework/core/logger.cpp
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void Logger::fireOldMessages()
 
 void Logger::setLogFile(const std::string& file)
 {
-    m_outFile.open(file.c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::app);
+    m_outFile.open(stdext::utf8_to_latin1(file.c_str()).c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::app);
     if(!m_outFile.is_open() || !m_outFile.good()) {
         g_logger.error(stdext::format("Unable to save log to '%s'", file));
         return;
diff --git a/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.cpp b/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.cpp
index 4754ce2e..02f68e45 100644
--- a/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.cpp
+++ b/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ ResourceManager g_resources;
 void ResourceManager::init(const char *argv0)
 {
     PHYSFS_init(argv0);
+    PHYSFS_permitSymbolicLinks(1);
 }
 
 void ResourceManager::terminate()
@@ -44,21 +45,23 @@ void ResourceManager::terminate()
 void ResourceManager::discoverWorkDir(const std::string& appName, const std::string& existentFile)
 {
     // search for modules directory
-    std::string sep = PHYSFS_getDirSeparator();
-    std::string possiblePaths[] = { boost::filesystem::current_path().generic_string() + sep,
-                                    g_resources.getBaseDir() + ".." + sep,
-                                    g_resources.getBaseDir() + ".." + sep + "share" + sep + appName + sep,
-                                    g_resources.getBaseDir() + appName + sep };
+    std::string possiblePaths[] = { g_resources.getCurrentDir(),
+                                    g_resources.getBaseDir() + "../",
+                                    g_resources.getBaseDir() + "../share/" + appName + "/",
+                                    g_resources.getBaseDir() + appName + "/" };
+
     bool found = false;
     for(const std::string& dir : possiblePaths) {
-        // try to directory to modules path to see if it exists
-        std::ifstream fin(dir + existentFile);
-        if(fin) {
+        if(!PHYSFS_addToSearchPath(dir.c_str(), 0))
+            continue;
+
+        if(PHYSFS_exists(existentFile.c_str())) {
             g_logger.debug(stdext::format("Found work dir at '%s'", dir.c_str()));
             m_workDir = dir;
             found = true;
             break;
         }
+        PHYSFS_removeFromSearchPath(dir.c_str());
     }
 
     if(!found)
@@ -75,13 +78,18 @@ bool ResourceManager::setupUserWriteDir(const std::string& appWriteDirName)
     dirName = appWriteDirName;
 #endif
     std::string writeDir = userDir + dirName;
+    
+    if(!PHYSFS_setWriteDir(writeDir.c_str())) {
+        if(!PHYSFS_setWriteDir(userDir.c_str()) || !PHYSFS_mkdir(dirName.c_str())) {
+            g_logger.error(stdext::format("Unable to create write directory '%s': %s", writeDir, PHYSFS_getLastError()));
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
     return setWriteDir(writeDir);
 }
 
 bool ResourceManager::setWriteDir(const std::string& writeDir, bool create)
 {
-    boost::filesystem::create_directory(writeDir);
-
     if(!PHYSFS_setWriteDir(writeDir.c_str())) {
         g_logger.error(stdext::format("Unable to set write directory '%s': %s", writeDir, PHYSFS_getLastError()));
         return false;
@@ -113,7 +121,7 @@ bool ResourceManager::addSearchPath(const std::string& path, bool pushFront)
         }
 
         if(!found) {
-            g_logger.error(stdext::format("Could not add '%s' to directory search path. Reason %s", path, PHYSFS_getLastError()));
+            //g_logger.error(stdext::format("Could not add '%s' to directory search path. Reason %s", path, PHYSFS_getLastError()));
             return false;
         }
     }
@@ -121,7 +129,6 @@ bool ResourceManager::addSearchPath(const std::string& path, bool pushFront)
         m_searchPaths.push_front(savePath);
     else
         m_searchPaths.push_back(savePath);
-    m_hasSearchPath = true;
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -161,31 +168,21 @@ bool ResourceManager::directoryExists(const std::string& directoryName)
 void ResourceManager::loadFile(const std::string& fileName, std::iostream& out)
 {
     out.clear(std::ios::goodbit);
-    if(m_hasSearchPath) {
-        std::string fullPath = resolvePath(fileName);
-        PHYSFS_file* file = PHYSFS_openRead(fullPath.c_str());
-        if(!file) {
-            out.clear(std::ios::failbit);
-            stdext::throw_exception(stdext::format("unable to load file '%s': %s", fullPath.c_str(), PHYSFS_getLastError()));
-        } else {
-            int fileSize = PHYSFS_fileLength(file);
-            if(fileSize > 0) {
-                std::vector<char> buffer(fileSize);
-                PHYSFS_read(file, (void*)&buffer[0], 1, fileSize);
-                out.write(&buffer[0], fileSize);
-            } else
-                out.clear(std::ios::eofbit);
-            PHYSFS_close(file);
-            out.seekg(0, std::ios::beg);
-        }
+    std::string fullPath = resolvePath(fileName);
+    PHYSFS_file* file = PHYSFS_openRead(fullPath.c_str());
+    if(!file) {
+        out.clear(std::ios::failbit);
+        stdext::throw_exception(stdext::format("unable to load file '%s': %s", fullPath.c_str(), PHYSFS_getLastError()));
     } else {
-        std::ifstream fin(fileName);
-        if(!fin) {
-            out.clear(std::ios::failbit);
-            stdext::throw_exception(stdext::format("unable to load file '%s': %s", fileName.c_str(), PHYSFS_getLastError()));
-        } else {
-            out << fin.rdbuf();
-        }
+        int fileSize = PHYSFS_fileLength(file);
+        if(fileSize > 0) {
+            std::vector<char> buffer(fileSize);
+            PHYSFS_read(file, (void*)&buffer[0], 1, fileSize);
+            out.write(&buffer[0], fileSize);
+        } else
+            out.clear(std::ios::eofbit);
+        PHYSFS_close(file);
+        out.seekg(0, std::ios::beg);
     }
 }
 
@@ -300,8 +297,17 @@ std::string ResourceManager::getRealDir(const std::string& path)
     return dir;
 }
 
-std::string ResourceManager::getBaseDir()
+std::string ResourceManager::getCurrentDir()
 {
-    return PHYSFS_getBaseDir();
+    char buffer[2048];
+    PHYSFS_utf8FromLatin1((boost::filesystem::current_path().generic_string() + "/").c_str(), buffer, 2048);
+    return buffer;
+}
+
+std::string ResourceManager::getBaseDir()
+{
+    char buffer[2048];
+    PHYSFS_utf8FromLatin1(PHYSFS_getBaseDir(), buffer, 2048);
+    return buffer;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.h b/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.h
index 89a39f05..bfa6a931 100644
--- a/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.h
+++ b/src/framework/core/resourcemanager.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public:
 
     std::string resolvePath(const std::string& path);
     std::string getRealDir(const std::string& path);
+    std::string getCurrentDir();
     std::string getBaseDir();
     std::string getWriteDir() { return m_writeDir; }
     std::string getWorkDir() { return m_workDir; }
@@ -72,7 +73,6 @@ public:
 private:
     std::string m_workDir;
     std::string m_writeDir;
-    stdext::boolean<false> m_hasSearchPath;
     std::deque<std::string> m_searchPaths;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/framework/platform/win32window.cpp b/src/framework/platform/win32window.cpp
index 6b21c2ce..01e530a5 100644
--- a/src/framework/platform/win32window.cpp
+++ b/src/framework/platform/win32window.cpp
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@ std::string WIN32Window::getClipboardText()
     if(hglb) {
         LPTSTR lptstr = (LPTSTR)GlobalLock(hglb);
         if(lptstr) {
-            text = stdext::utf8_to_latin1((uchar*)lptstr);
+            text = stdext::utf8_to_latin1(lptstr);
             GlobalUnlock(hglb);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/framework/platform/x11window.cpp b/src/framework/platform/x11window.cpp
index 6fc6882b..1c9794dc 100644
--- a/src/framework/platform/x11window.cpp
+++ b/src/framework/platform/x11window.cpp
@@ -1056,7 +1056,7 @@ std::string X11Window::getClipboardText()
                             &bytesLeft,
                             &data);
         if(len > 0) {
-            clipboardText = stdext::utf8_to_latin1(data);
+            clipboardText = stdext::utf8_to_latin1((char*)data);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/framework/stdext/string.cpp b/src/framework/stdext/string.cpp
index 232f9ef5..c5373819 100644
--- a/src/framework/stdext/string.cpp
+++ b/src/framework/stdext/string.cpp
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ uint64_t hex_to_dec(const std::string& str)
     return num;
 }
 
-std::string utf8_to_latin1(uchar *utf8)
+std::string utf8_to_latin1(const std::string& src)
 {
-    auto utf8CharToLatin1 = [](uchar *utf8, int *read) -> char {
+    auto utf8CharToLatin1 = [](const uchar *utf8, int *read) -> char {
         char c = '?';
         uchar opt1 = utf8[0];
         *read = 1;
@@ -89,10 +89,10 @@ std::string utf8_to_latin1(uchar *utf8)
     };
 
     std::string out;
-    int len = strlen((char*)utf8);
+    int len = src.length();
     for(int i=0; i<len;) {
         int read = 0;
-        uchar *utf8char = &utf8[i];
+        uchar *utf8char = (uchar*)&src[i];
         out += utf8CharToLatin1(utf8char, &read);
         i += read;
     }
diff --git a/src/framework/stdext/string.h b/src/framework/stdext/string.h
index 3e6fa5fb..a082104f 100644
--- a/src/framework/stdext/string.h
+++ b/src/framework/stdext/string.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ std::string date_time_string();
 
 std::string dec_to_hex(uint64_t num);
 uint64_t hex_to_dec(const std::string& str);
-std::string utf8_to_latin1(uchar *utf8);
+std::string utf8_to_latin1(const std::string& src);
 void tolower(std::string& str);
 void toupper(std::string& str);
 void trim(std::string& str);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index dd9d0846..b5b5bd7c 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[])
 
     // find script init.lua and run it
     g_resources.discoverWorkDir(g_app.getCompactName(), "init.lua");
-    if(!g_lua.safeRunScript(g_resources.getWorkDir() + "init.lua"))
+    if(!g_lua.safeRunScript("init.lua"))
         g_logger.fatal("Unable to run script init.lua!");
 
     // the run application main loop