diff --git a/src/LyXRC.cpp b/src/LyXRC.cpp
index 7696d0991f..c8b69d1ec5 100644
--- a/src/LyXRC.cpp
+++ b/src/LyXRC.cpp
@@ -634,45 +634,33 @@ LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc, bool check_format)
 			break;
 
 		case RC_DOCUMENTPATH:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				document_path = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				document_path = expandPath(document_path);
-			}
 			break;
 
 		case RC_EXAMPLEPATH:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				example_path = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				example_path = expandPath(example_path);
-			}
 			break;
 
 		case RC_TEMPLATEPATH:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				template_path = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				template_path = expandPath(template_path);
-			}
 			break;
 
 		case RC_TEMPDIRPATH:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				tempdir_path = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				tempdir_path = expandPath(tempdir_path);
-			}
 			break;
 
 		case RC_THESAURUSDIRPATH:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				thesaurusdir_path = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				thesaurusdir_path = expandPath(thesaurusdir_path);
-			}
 			break;
 
 		case RC_HUNSPELLDIR_PATH:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				hunspelldir_path = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				hunspelldir_path = expandPath(hunspelldir_path);
-			}
 			break;
 
 		case RC_USELASTFILEPOS:
@@ -813,10 +801,8 @@ LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc, bool check_format)
 			break;
 
 		case RC_SERVERPIPE:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				lyxpipes = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				lyxpipes = expandPath(lyxpipes);
-			}
 			break;
 
 		case RC_CURSOR_FOLLOWS_SCROLLBAR:
@@ -901,10 +887,8 @@ LyXRC::ReturnValues LyXRC::read(Lexer & lexrc, bool check_format)
 			lexrc >> save_origin;
 			break;
 		case RC_BACKUPDIR_PATH:
-			if (lexrc.next()) {
+			if (lexrc.next())
 				backupdir_path = os::internal_path(lexrc.getString());
-				backupdir_path = expandPath(backupdir_path);
-			}
 			break;
 		case RC_DEFAULT_DECIMAL_POINT:
 			lexrc >> default_decimal_point;
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefPathsUi.ui b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefPathsUi.ui
index 3d80efd2ef..4db304aa9b 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefPathsUi.ui
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/PrefPathsUi.ui
@@ -20,20 +20,14 @@
     <number>6</number>
    </property>
    <item row="12" column="0" colspan="3" >
-    <spacer>
-     <property name="orientation" >
-      <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
+    <widget class="QLabel" name="label">
+     <property name="text">
+      <string>Relative and absolute paths are allowed. Relative paths will be expanded with respect to the working directory (WD). For all paths except the "TEXINPUTS prefix" the WD is the directory from which you start LyX, and thus could change for each LyX session. For the "TEXINPUTS prefix" path the WD is the directory containing the document. The path "." (without quotes) is a common example of a relative path and refers to the WD.</string>
      </property>
-     <property name="sizeType" >
-      <enum>QSizePolicy::Expanding</enum>
+     <property name="wordWrap">
+      <bool>true</bool>
      </property>
-     <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0" >
-      <size>
-       <width>329</width>
-       <height>16</height>
-      </size>
-     </property>
-    </spacer>
+    </widget>
    </item>
    <item row="10" column="0" >
     <widget class="QLabel" name="pathPrefixLA" >
@@ -65,7 +59,7 @@
    <item row="11" column="1" colspan="2">
     <widget class="QLineEdit" name="texinputsPrefixED">
      <property name="toolTip">
-      <string>Specify those directories which should be prepended to the TEXINPUTS environment variable. A '.' represents the current document directory. Use the OS native format.</string>
+      <string>Specify those directories which should be prepended to the TEXINPUTS environment variable. Use the OS native format.</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>