diff --git a/cleo_sdk/CLEO_Utils.h b/cleo_sdk/CLEO_Utils.h
index 9e20b316..bf88ce52 100644
--- a/cleo_sdk/CLEO_Utils.h
+++ b/cleo_sdk/CLEO_Utils.h
@@ -245,6 +245,30 @@ namespace CLEO
         return (void*)original;
     }
 
+    template <typename T>
+    static StringList CreateStringList(const T& container)
+    {
+        StringList result;
+        result.count = 0;
+        result.strings = nullptr;
+
+        if (container.size() > 0)
+        {
+            result.strings = (char**)malloc(container.size() * sizeof(DWORD)); // array of pointers
+            for (const std::string& s : container)
+            {
+                auto size = s.length() + 1; // and terminator character
+                auto str = (char*)malloc(size);
+                memcpy(str, s.c_str(), size);
+
+                result.strings[result.count] = str;
+                result.count++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
     #define TRACE(format,...) {CLEO::Trace(CLEO::eLogLevel::Default, format, __VA_ARGS__);}
     #define LOG_WARNING(script, format, ...) {CLEO::Trace(script, CLEO::eLogLevel::Error, format, __VA_ARGS__);}
     #define SHOW_ERROR(a,...) {CLEO::ShowError(a, __VA_ARGS__);}
diff --git a/source/CPluginSystem.cpp b/source/CPluginSystem.cpp
index fb69e735..97b1af09 100644
--- a/source/CPluginSystem.cpp
+++ b/source/CPluginSystem.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ void CPluginSystem::LoadPlugins()
     if (pluginsLoaded) return; // already done
 
     std::set<std::string> names;
-    std::vector<std::string> filenames;
+    std::vector<std::string> paths;
+    std::set<std::string> skippedPaths;
 
     // load plugins from main CLEO directory
     auto ScanPluginsDir = [&](std::string path, const std::string prefix, const std::string extension)
@@ -25,9 +26,12 @@ void CPluginSystem::LoadPlugins()
 
         for (DWORD i = 0; i < files.count; i++)
         {
-            if (std::find(filenames.begin(), filenames.end(), files.strings[i]) != filenames.end())
+            if (std::find(paths.begin(), paths.end(), files.strings[i]) != paths.end())
                 continue; // file already listed
 
+            if (skippedPaths.find(files.strings[i]) != skippedPaths.end())
+                continue; // file already skipped
+
             auto name = FS::path(files.strings[i]).filename().string();
             name = name.substr(prefix.length()); // cut off prefix
             name.resize(name.length() - extension.length()); // cut off extension
@@ -40,11 +44,12 @@ void CPluginSystem::LoadPlugins()
             if (found == names.end())
             {
                 names.insert(name);
-                filenames.emplace_back(files.strings[i]);
+                paths.emplace_back(files.strings[i]);
                 TRACE(" - '%s'", files.strings[i]);
             }
             else
             {
+                skippedPaths.emplace(files.strings[i]);
                 LOG_WARNING(0, " - '%s' skipped, duplicate of `%s` plugin", files.strings[i], name.c_str());
             }
         }
@@ -58,9 +63,9 @@ void CPluginSystem::LoadPlugins()
     ScanPluginsDir(Filepath_Cleo, "", ".cleo"); // legacy plugins in old location
 
     // reverse order, so opcodes from CLEO5 plugins can overwrite opcodes from legacy plugins
-    if (!filenames.empty())
+    if (!paths.empty())
     {
-        for (auto it = filenames.crbegin(); it != filenames.crend(); it++)
+        for (auto it = paths.crbegin(); it != paths.crend(); it++)
         {
             const auto filename = it->c_str();
             TRACE("Loading plugin '%s'", filename);
diff --git a/source/CleoBase.cpp b/source/CleoBase.cpp
index 09b5b423..48f6957e 100644
--- a/source/CleoBase.cpp
+++ b/source/CleoBase.cpp
@@ -256,19 +256,11 @@ namespace CLEO
 
     StringList WINAPI CLEO_ListDirectory(CLEO::CRunningScript* thread, const char* searchPath, BOOL listDirs, BOOL listFiles)
     {
-        StringList result;
-        result.count = 0;
-        result.strings = nullptr;
-
         if (searchPath == nullptr)
-        {
-            return result; // invalid param
-        }
+            return {}; // invalid param
 
         if (!listDirs && !listFiles)
-        {
-            return result; // nothing to list, done
-        }
+            return {}; // nothing to list, done
 
         auto fsSearchPath = FS::path(searchPath);
         if (!fsSearchPath.is_absolute())
@@ -281,24 +273,18 @@ namespace CLEO
         }
 
         WIN32_FIND_DATA wfd = { 0 };
-        HANDLE hSearch = FindFirstFile(searchPath, &wfd);
+        HANDLE hSearch = FindFirstFile(fsSearchPath.string().c_str(), &wfd);
         if (hSearch == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
-        {
-            return result;
-        }
+            return {}; // nothing found
 
         std::set<std::string> found;
         do
         {
-            if (!listDirs && (wfd.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY))
-            {
+            if (!listDirs && (wfd.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY)) 
                 continue; // skip directories
-            }
 
             if (!listFiles && !(wfd.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY))
-            {
                 continue; // skip files
-            }
 
             auto path = FS::path(wfd.cFileName);
             if (!path.is_absolute()) // keep absolute in case somebody hooked the APIs to return so
@@ -307,19 +293,9 @@ namespace CLEO
             found.insert(path.string());
         } while (FindNextFile(hSearch, &wfd));
 
-        // create results list
-        result.strings = (char**)malloc(found.size() * sizeof(DWORD)); // array of pointers
-
-        for (auto& path : found)
-        {
-            char* str = (char*)malloc(path.length() + 1);
-            strcpy(str, path.c_str());
-
-            result.strings[result.count] = str;
-            result.count++;
-        }
+        FindClose(hSearch);
 
-        return result;
+        return CreateStringList(found);
     }
 }