diff --git a/hecl/include/HECL/HECL.hpp b/hecl/include/HECL/HECL.hpp
index 6d51afc67..1ef5e6c8f 100644
--- a/hecl/include/HECL/HECL.hpp
+++ b/hecl/include/HECL/HECL.hpp
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ inline std::string operator+(const char* lhs, const SystemStringView& rhs) {retu
 typedef struct stat Sstat;
 #endif
 
+void SanitizePath(std::string& path);
+void SanitizePath(std::wstring& path);
+
 static inline void Unlink(const SystemChar* file)
 {
 #if _WIN32
@@ -395,8 +398,12 @@ protected:
     std::string m_utf8RelPath;
 #endif
     ProjectPath(const SystemString& projRoot)
-    : m_projRoot(projRoot), m_absPath(projRoot), m_relPath(_S(".")), m_hash(m_relPath)
+        : m_projRoot(projRoot), m_absPath(projRoot), m_relPath(_S("."))
     {
+        SanitizePath(m_projRoot);
+        SanitizePath(m_relPath);
+        SanitizePath(m_absPath);
+        m_hash = Hash(m_relPath);
 #if HECL_UCS2
         m_utf8AbsPath = WideToUTF8(m_absPath);
         m_utf8RelPath = ".";
@@ -420,10 +427,10 @@ public:
      * @param parentPath previously constructed ProjectPath which ultimately connects to a ProjectRootPath
      * @param path valid filesystem-path (relative or absolute) to subpath
      */
-    ProjectPath(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const SystemString& path) {assign(parentPath, path);}
-    void assign(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const SystemString& path);
+/*    ProjectPath(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const SystemString& path) {assign(parentPath, path);}
+    void assign(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const SystemString& path);*/
 
-#if HECL_UCS2
+#ifndef HECL_UCS2
     ProjectPath(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const std::string& path) {assign(parentPath, path);}
     void assign(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const std::string& path);
 #endif
@@ -541,7 +548,6 @@ public:
         relTarget += target.m_relPath;
         MakeLink(relTarget.c_str(), m_absPath.c_str());
     }
-
     /**
      * @brief HECL-specific blowfish hash
      * @return unique hash value
diff --git a/hecl/lib/HECL.cpp b/hecl/lib/HECL.cpp
index b15add036..de0cf9379 100644
--- a/hecl/lib/HECL.cpp
+++ b/hecl/lib/HECL.cpp
@@ -3,4 +3,29 @@
 namespace HECL
 {
 LogVisor::LogModule LogModule("HECL");
+
+void SanitizePath(std::string& path)
+{
+    path.erase(std::remove(path.begin(), path.end(), '\n'), path.end());
+    path.erase(std::remove(path.begin(), path.end(), '\r'), path.end());
+    std::transform(path.begin(), path.end(), path.begin(), [](const char a) -> char {
+        static const std::string illegals {"<>?*\"|"};
+        if (illegals.find_first_of(a) != std::string::npos)
+            return '_';
+        return a;
+    });
+}
+
+void SanitizePath(std::wstring& path)
+{
+    path.erase(std::remove(path.begin(), path.end(), L'\n'), path.end());
+    path.erase(std::remove(path.begin(), path.end(), L'\r'), path.end());
+    std::transform(path.begin(), path.end(), path.begin(), [](const wchar_t a) -> wchar_t {
+        static const std::wstring illegals {L"<>?*\"|"};
+        if (illegals.find_first_of(a) != std::wstring::npos)
+            return L'_';
+        return a;
+    });
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/hecl/lib/ProjectPath.cpp b/hecl/lib/ProjectPath.cpp
index 054fe091f..5c4d823e1 100644
--- a/hecl/lib/ProjectPath.cpp
+++ b/hecl/lib/ProjectPath.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 
 namespace HECL
 {
-
 static const SystemRegex regGLOB(_S("\\*"), SystemRegex::ECMAScript|SystemRegex::optimize);
 static const SystemRegex regPATHCOMP(_S("[/\\\\]*([^/\\\\]+)"), SystemRegex::ECMAScript|SystemRegex::optimize);
 static const SystemRegex regDRIVELETTER(_S("^([^/]*)/"), SystemRegex::ECMAScript|SystemRegex::optimize);
@@ -21,6 +20,7 @@ static SystemString canonRelPath(const SystemString& path)
     std::vector<SystemString> comps;
     HECL::SystemRegexMatch matches;
     SystemString in = path;
+    SanitizePath(in);
     for (; std::regex_search(in, matches, regPATHCOMP) ; in = matches.suffix())
     {
         const SystemString& match = matches[1];
@@ -57,10 +57,15 @@ static SystemString canonRelPath(const SystemString& path)
 
 void ProjectPath::assign(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const SystemString& path)
 {
+    SystemString in = path;
     m_projRoot = parentPath.m_projRoot;
-    m_relPath = canonRelPath(parentPath.m_relPath + _S('/') + path);
+    m_relPath = canonRelPath(parentPath.m_relPath + _S('/') + in);
     m_absPath = parentPath.m_projRoot + _S('/') + m_relPath;
+    SanitizePath(m_projRoot);
+    SanitizePath(m_relPath);
+    SanitizePath(m_absPath);
     m_hash = Hash(m_relPath);
+
 #if HECL_UCS2
     m_utf8AbsPath = WideToUTF8(m_absPath);
     m_utf8RelPath = WideToUTF8(m_relPath);
@@ -70,10 +75,14 @@ void ProjectPath::assign(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const SystemString& path
 #if HECL_UCS2
 void ProjectPath::assign(const ProjectPath& parentPath, const std::string& path)
 {
+    std::string in = path;
     m_projRoot = parentPath.m_projRoot;
-    std::wstring wpath = UTF8ToWide(path);
+    std::wstring wpath = UTF8ToWide(in);
     m_relPath = canonRelPath(parentPath.m_relPath + _S('/') + wpath);
     m_absPath = parentPath.m_projRoot + _S('/') + m_relPath;
+    SanitizePath(m_projRoot);
+    SanitizePath(m_relPath);
+    SanitizePath(m_absPath);
     m_hash = Hash(m_relPath);
     m_utf8AbsPath = WideToUTF8(m_absPath);
     m_utf8RelPath = WideToUTF8(m_relPath);