diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 06fbdd22..28b0c84f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -230,7 +230,10 @@ option(DEV_BUILD "Enable development build (enables some debugging tools, local
 # PLEASE DO NOT USE ON UNOFFICIAL BUILDS. Thanks.
 option(OFFICIAL_COLOBOT_BUILD "Official build (changes crash screen text)" OFF)
 
-# Portable build - load all data from current directory
+# Hardcode relative paths instead of absolute paths
+option(USE_RELATIVE_PATHS "Generate relative paths from absolute paths" OFF)
+
+# Portable build - load all data from the base directory
 option(PORTABLE "Portable build" OFF)
 
 # Portable saves - suitable for e.g. putting the whole game on external storage and moving your saves with it
@@ -392,39 +395,44 @@ endif()
 # Installation paths defined before compiling sources
 if(PORTABLE OR (PLATFORM_WINDOWS AND MXE))
     # We need to use STRING because PATH doesn't accept relative paths
-    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_BIN_DIR ./ CACHE STRING "Colobot binary directory")
-    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_LIB_DIR ./ CACHE STRING "Colobot libraries directory")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_DATA_DIR data CACHE STRING "Colobot shared data directory (relative)")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_I18N_DIR lang CACHE STRING "Colobot translations directory (relative)")
-    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR ./data CACHE STRING "Colobot shared data directory")
-    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_I18N_DIR ./lang CACHE STRING "Colobot translations directory")
-    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DOC_DIR ./doc CACHE STRING "Colobot documentation directory")
+    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_BIN_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/ CACHE STRING "Colobot binary directory")
+    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_LIB_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/ CACHE STRING "Colobot libraries directory")
+    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/data CACHE STRING "Colobot shared data directory")
+    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_I18N_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lang CACHE STRING "Colobot translations directory")
+    set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DOC_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/doc CACHE STRING "Colobot documentation directory")
+    set(USE_RELATIVE_PATHS ON)
 elseif(PLATFORM_WINDOWS)
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_BIN_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/ CACHE PATH "Colobot binary directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_LIB_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/ CACHE PATH "Colobot libraries directory")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_DATA_DIR data CACHE STRING "Colobot shared data directory (relative)")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_I18N_DIR lang CACHE STRING "Colobot translations directory (relative)")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/data CACHE PATH "Colobot shared data directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_I18N_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lang CACHE PATH "Colobot translations directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DOC_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/doc CACHE PATH "Colobot documentation directory")
 elseif(PLATFORM_MACOSX)
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_BIN_DIR ../MacOS CACHE STRING "Colobot binary directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_LIB_DIR ../MacOS CACHE STRING "Colobot libraries directory")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_DATA_DIR . CACHE STRING "Colobot shared data directory (relative)")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_I18N_DIR i18n CACHE STRING "Colobot translations directory (relative)")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR . CACHE STRING "Colobot shared data directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_I18N_DIR i18n CACHE SRING "Colobot translations directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DOC_DIR doc CACHE STRING "Colobot documentation directory")
 else()
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_BIN_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/games CACHE PATH "Colobot binary directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_LIB_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib/colobot CACHE PATH "Colobot libraries directory")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_DATA_DIR ../share/games/colobot CACHE STRING "Colobot shared data directory (relative)")
-    set(COLOBOT_RELATIVE_I18N_DIR ../share/locale CACHE STRING "Colobot translations directory (relative)")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/games/colobot CACHE PATH "Colobot shared data directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_I18N_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/locale CACHE PATH "Colobot translations directory")
     set(COLOBOT_INSTALL_DOC_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/doc/colobot CACHE PATH "Colobot documentation directory")
 endif()
 
+# Generate relative paths from absolute paths
+if(USE_RELATIVE_PATHS)
+    message(STATUS "Generating relative paths")
+    file(RELATIVE_PATH COLOBOT_DATA_DIR ${COLOBOT_INSTALL_BIN_DIR} ${COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR})
+    file(RELATIVE_PATH COLOBOT_I18N_DIR ${COLOBOT_INSTALL_BIN_DIR} ${COLOBOT_INSTALL_I18N_DIR})
+
+    add_definitions(-DUSE_RELATIVE_PATHS)
+else()
+    set(COLOBOT_DATA_DIR ${COLOBOT_INSTALL_DATA_DIR})
+    set(COLOBOT_I18N_DIR ${COLOBOT_INSTALL_I18N_DIR})
+endif()
+
 # Subdirectory with sources
 add_subdirectory(src)
 
diff --git a/src/common/config.h.cmake b/src/common/config.h.cmake
index 6100d7dc..556e067e 100644
--- a/src/common/config.h.cmake
+++ b/src/common/config.h.cmake
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@
 
 #cmakedefine PORTABLE_SAVES @PORTABLE_SAVES@
 
-#define COLOBOT_DEFAULT_DATADIR "@COLOBOT_RELATIVE_DATA_DIR@"
-#define COLOBOT_I18N_DIR "@COLOBOT_RELATIVE_I18N_DIR@"
+#define COLOBOT_DEFAULT_DATADIR "@COLOBOT_DATA_DIR@"
+#define COLOBOT_I18N_DIR "@COLOBOT_I18N_DIR@"
diff --git a/src/common/system/system.cpp b/src/common/system/system.cpp
index b22d0771..d69fbf6c 100644
--- a/src/common/system/system.cpp
+++ b/src/common/system/system.cpp
@@ -190,28 +190,28 @@ std::string CSystemUtils::GetBasePath()
 
 std::string CSystemUtils::GetDataPath()
 {
-#if DEV_BUILD
-    return std::string{"./"} + COLOBOT_DEFAULT_DATADIR;
-#else
+#ifdef USE_RELATIVE_PATHS
     return GetBasePath() + COLOBOT_DEFAULT_DATADIR;
+#else
+    return COLOBOT_DEFAULT_DATADIR;
 #endif
 }
 
 std::string CSystemUtils::GetLangPath()
 {
-#if DEV_BUILD
-    return std::string{"./"} + COLOBOT_I18N_DIR;
-#else
+#ifdef USE_RELATIVE_PATHS
     return GetBasePath() + COLOBOT_I18N_DIR;
+#else
+    return COLOBOT_I18N_DIR;
 #endif
 }
 
 std::string CSystemUtils::GetSaveDir()
 {
-    return "./saves";
+    return GetBasePath() + "saves";
 }
 
-std::string CSystemUtils::GetEnvVar(const std::string& str)
+std::string CSystemUtils::GetEnvVar(const std::string& name)
 {
-    return std::string();
+    return "";
 }
diff --git a/src/common/system/system.h b/src/common/system/system.h
index 431ddd41..95901390 100644
--- a/src/common/system/system.h
+++ b/src/common/system/system.h
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public:
     /** The difference is \a after - \a before. */
     virtual long long TimeStampExactDiff(SystemTimeStamp *before, SystemTimeStamp *after) = 0;
 
-    //! Returns the path where the executable binary is located
+    //! Returns the path where the executable binary is located (ends with the path separator)
     virtual std::string GetBasePath();
 
     //! Returns the data path (containing textures, levels, helpfiles, etc)
@@ -139,8 +139,8 @@ public:
     //! Returns the save dir location
     virtual std::string GetSaveDir();
 
-    //! Returns environment variable
-    virtual std::string GetEnvVar(const std::string &str);
+    //! Returns the environment variable with the given name or an empty string if it does not exist
+    virtual std::string GetEnvVar(const std::string &name);
 
     //! Sleep for given amount of microseconds
     virtual void Usleep(int usecs) = 0;
diff --git a/src/common/system/system_linux.cpp b/src/common/system/system_linux.cpp
index b71befe5..69551bce 100644
--- a/src/common/system/system_linux.cpp
+++ b/src/common/system/system_linux.cpp
@@ -102,23 +102,23 @@ std::string CSystemUtilsLinux::GetSaveDir()
     std::string savegameDir;
 
     // Determine savegame dir according to XDG Base Directory Specification
-    char *envXDG_DATA_HOME = getenv("XDG_DATA_HOME");
-    if (envXDG_DATA_HOME == nullptr)
+    auto envXDG_DATA_HOME = GetEnvVar("XDG_DATA_HOME");
+    if (envXDG_DATA_HOME.empty())
     {
-        char *envHOME = getenv("HOME");
-        if (envHOME == nullptr)
+        auto envHOME = GetEnvVar("HOME");
+        if (envHOME.empty())
         {
-            GetLogger()->Warn("Unable to find directory for saves - using current directory");
-            savegameDir = "./saves";
+            GetLogger()->Warn("Unable to find directory for saves - using default directory");
+            savegameDir = CSystemUtils::GetSaveDir();
         }
         else
         {
-            savegameDir = std::string(envHOME) + "/.local/share/colobot";
+            savegameDir = envHOME + "/.local/share/colobot";
         }
     }
     else
     {
-        savegameDir = std::string(envXDG_DATA_HOME) + "/colobot";
+        savegameDir = envXDG_DATA_HOME + "/colobot";
     }
     GetLogger()->Trace("Saved game files are going to %s\n", savegameDir.c_str());
 
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ std::string CSystemUtilsLinux::GetEnvVar(const std::string& name)
     char* envVar = getenv(name.c_str());
     if (envVar != nullptr)
     {
-
         GetLogger()->Trace("Detected environment variable %s = %s\n", name.c_str(), envVar);
         return std::string(envVar);
     }
diff --git a/src/common/system/system_macosx.h b/src/common/system/system_macosx.h
index 708d26fc..c8ea607a 100644
--- a/src/common/system/system_macosx.h
+++ b/src/common/system/system_macosx.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public:
     std::string GetLangPath() override;
     std::string GetSaveDir() override;
 
-    std::string GetEnvVar(const std::string& str) override;
+    std::string GetEnvVar(const std::string& name) override;
 
     void Usleep(int usec) override;
 
diff --git a/src/common/system/system_windows.cpp b/src/common/system/system_windows.cpp
index 5254db83..9a8e6833 100644
--- a/src/common/system/system_windows.cpp
+++ b/src/common/system/system_windows.cpp
@@ -115,15 +115,15 @@ std::string CSystemUtilsWindows::GetSaveDir()
 #else
     std::string savegameDir;
 
-    wchar_t* envUSERPROFILE = _wgetenv(L"USERPROFILE");
-    if (envUSERPROFILE == nullptr)
+    auto envUSERPROFILE = GetEnvVar("USERPROFILE");
+    if (envUSERPROFILE.empty())
     {
-        GetLogger()->Warn("Unable to find directory for saves - using current directory");
-        savegameDir = "./saves";
+        GetLogger()->Warn("Unable to find directory for saves - using default directory");
+        savegameDir = CSystemUtils::GetSaveDir();
     }
     else
     {
-        savegameDir = UTF8_Encode(std::wstring(envUSERPROFILE)) + "\\colobot";
+        savegameDir = envUSERPROFILE + "\\colobot";
     }
     GetLogger()->Trace("Saved game files are going to %s\n", savegameDir.c_str());