diff --git a/model/folder.go b/model/folder.go
index 8ca52ee4e..701fca8cd 100644
--- a/model/folder.go
+++ b/model/folder.go
@@ -43,21 +43,15 @@ func (f Folder) String() string {
 // FolderID generates a unique ID for a folder in a library.
 // The ID is generated based on the library ID and the folder path relative to the library root.
 // Any leading or trailing slashes are removed from the folder path.
-func FolderID(lib Library, folderPath string) string {
-	folderPath = strings.TrimPrefix(folderPath, lib.Path)
-	folderPath = strings.TrimPrefix(folderPath, string(os.PathSeparator))
-	// Folder IDs must be stable across operating systems, so normalize to
-	// forward slashes (path.Clean, not filepath.Clean) before hashing;
-	// otherwise a nested path on Windows would hash with back-slashes.
-	folderPath = path.Clean(filepath.ToSlash(folderPath))
-	key := fmt.Sprintf("%d:%s", lib.ID, folderPath)
+func FolderID(lib Library, path string) string {
+	path = strings.TrimPrefix(path, lib.Path)
+	path = strings.TrimPrefix(path, string(os.PathSeparator))
+	path = filepath.Clean(path)
+	key := fmt.Sprintf("%d:%s", lib.ID, path)
 	return id.NewHash(key)
 }
 
 func NewFolder(lib Library, folderPath string) *Folder {
-	// path.Split/path.Clean below only treat "/" as a separator, so normalize
-	// OS separators first to derive dir/name correctly on Windows.
-	folderPath = filepath.ToSlash(folderPath)
 	newID := FolderID(lib, folderPath)
 	dir, name := path.Split(folderPath)
 	dir = path.Clean(dir)
diff --git a/model/folder_test.go b/model/folder_test.go
index 0535f6987..30a810ff3 100644
--- a/model/folder_test.go
+++ b/model/folder_test.go
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ var _ = Describe("Folder", func() {
 		When("the folder has multiple subdirs", func() {
 			It("should return the correct folder ID", func() {
 				folderPath := filepath.FromSlash("/music/rock/metal")
-				expectedID := id.NewHash("1:rock/metal")
+				// IDs are persisted and hashed with the OS separator, so changing
+				// this on Windows would need a migration.
+				expectedID := id.NewHash("1:" + filepath.FromSlash("rock/metal"))
 				Expect(model.FolderID(lib, folderPath)).To(Equal(expectedID))
 			})
 		})
@@ -75,7 +77,8 @@ var _ = Describe("Folder", func() {
 
 	Describe("NewFolder", func() {
 		It("should create a new SubFolder with the correct attributes", func() {
-			folderPath := filepath.FromSlash("rock/metal")
+			// The scanner walks an fs.FS, so folder paths always use forward slashes
+			folderPath := "rock/metal"
 			folder := model.NewFolder(lib, folderPath)
 
 			Expect(folder.LibraryID).To(Equal(lib.ID))
diff --git a/model/mediafile.go b/model/mediafile.go
index 6fa82df9a..0c56b4825 100644
--- a/model/mediafile.go
+++ b/model/mediafile.go
@@ -527,13 +527,11 @@ func (mfs MediaFiles) ToM3U8(title string, absolutePaths bool) string {
 	buf.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("#PLAYLIST:%s\n", title))
 	for _, t := range mfs {
 		buf.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("#EXTINF:%.f,%s - %s\n", t.Duration, t.Artist, t.Title))
-		p := t.Path
 		if absolutePaths {
-			p = t.AbsolutePath()
+			buf.WriteString(t.AbsolutePath() + "\n")
+		} else {
+			buf.WriteString(t.Path + "\n")
 		}
-		// Emit forward slashes so the exported .m3u8 is consistent across OSes
-		// (AbsolutePath returns native separators on Windows).
-		buf.WriteString(filepath.ToSlash(p) + "\n")
 	}
 	return buf.String()
 }
diff --git a/model/mediafile_test.go b/model/mediafile_test.go
index 6ba0ce3be..392b940b8 100644
--- a/model/mediafile_test.go
+++ b/model/mediafile_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package model_test
 
 import (
+	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/navidrome/navidrome/conf"
@@ -483,9 +484,10 @@ var _ = Describe("MediaFiles", func() {
 					false,
 					"#EXTM3U\n#PLAYLIST:Multi Track\n#EXTINF:120,Artist A - Song One\na/song1.mp3\n#EXTINF:241,Artist B - Song Two\nb/song2.mp3\n#EXTINF:90,Artist with Ümläuts - Song with \"quotes\" & ampersands\nspecial/file.mp3\n",
 				),
+				// AbsolutePath joins with the OS separator
 				Entry("absolute paths",
 					true,
-					"#EXTM3U\n#PLAYLIST:Multi Track\n#EXTINF:120,Artist A - Song One\n/music/a/song1.mp3\n#EXTINF:241,Artist B - Song Two\n/music/b/song2.mp3\n#EXTINF:90,Artist with Ümläuts - Song with \"quotes\" & ampersands\n/música/special/file.mp3\n",
+					filepath.FromSlash("#EXTM3U\n#PLAYLIST:Multi Track\n#EXTINF:120,Artist A - Song One\n/music/a/song1.mp3\n#EXTINF:241,Artist B - Song Two\n/music/b/song2.mp3\n#EXTINF:90,Artist with Ümläuts - Song with \"quotes\" & ampersands\n/música/special/file.mp3\n"),
 				),
 				Entry("special characters",
 					false,
@@ -506,8 +508,8 @@ var _ = Describe("MediaFiles", func() {
 				Expect(relativeResult).To(ContainSubstring("deep/nested/song.mp3\n"))
 
 				absoluteResult := mfs.ToM3U8("Test", true)
-				Expect(absoluteResult).To(ContainSubstring("/lib/song.mp3\n"))
-				Expect(absoluteResult).To(ContainSubstring("/lib/deep/nested/song.mp3\n"))
+				Expect(absoluteResult).To(ContainSubstring(filepath.FromSlash("/lib/song.mp3\n")))
+				Expect(absoluteResult).To(ContainSubstring(filepath.FromSlash("/lib/deep/nested/song.mp3\n")))
 			})
 		})
 	})
diff --git a/model/playlist_test.go b/model/playlist_test.go
index 12b051a8e..124d2e503 100644
--- a/model/playlist_test.go
+++ b/model/playlist_test.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ var _ = Describe("Playlist", func() {
 #EXTINF:164,Legião Urbana - On the Way Home
 /music/library/Legião Urbana/Música p_ acampamentos/02-05 On the Way Home.mp3
 `
-			Expect(pls.ToM3U8()).To(Equal(expected))
+			Expect(pls.ToM3U8()).To(Equal(filepath.FromSlash(expected)))
 		})
 	})