diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/cache1d.h b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/cache1d.h
index ad9bba8fd..8d3571023 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/include/cache1d.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/include/cache1d.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ void	agecache(void);
 
 extern int32_t pathsearchmode;	// 0 = gamefs mode (default), 1 = localfs mode (editor's mode)
 int32_t     addsearchpath(const char *p);
+int32_t     removesearchpath(const char *p);
 int32_t		findfrompath(const char *fn, char **where);
 int32_t     openfrompath(const char *fn, int32_t flags, int32_t mode);
 BFILE  *fopenfrompath(const char *fn, const char *mode);
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/cache1d.c b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/cache1d.c
index ad254cb52..86088c3c8 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/build/src/cache1d.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/build/src/cache1d.c
@@ -353,11 +353,9 @@ int32_t addsearchpath(const char *p)
     }
 
     Bstrcpy(srch->path, path);
-    for (s=srch->path; *s; s++)
-    {
-        /* do nothing */
-    }
+    for (s=srch->path; *s; s++);
     s--;
+
     if (s<srch->path || toupperlookup[*s] != '/')
         Bstrcat(srch->path, "/");
 
@@ -373,6 +371,58 @@ int32_t addsearchpath(const char *p)
     return 0;
 }
 
+int32_t removesearchpath(const char *p)
+{
+    searchpath_t *srch;
+    char *s;
+    char *path = (char *)Bmalloc(Bstrlen(p) + 2);
+
+    Bstrcpy(path, p);
+
+    if (path[Bstrlen(path)-1] == '\\')
+        path[Bstrlen(path)-1] = 0;
+
+    for (s=path; *s; s++);
+    s--;
+
+    if (s<path || toupperlookup[*s] != '/')
+        Bstrcat(path, "/");
+
+    Bcorrectfilename(path,0);
+
+    for (srch = searchpathhead; srch; srch = srch->next)
+    {
+        if (!Bstrncmp(path, srch->path, srch->pathlen))
+        {
+//            initprintf("Removing %s from path stack\n", path);
+
+            if (srch == searchpathhead)
+                searchpathhead = srch->next;
+            else
+            {
+                searchpath_t *sp;
+
+                for (sp = searchpathhead; sp; sp = sp->next)
+                {
+                    if (sp->next == srch)
+                    {
+//                        initprintf("matched %s\n", srch->path);
+                        sp->next = srch->next;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            Bfree(srch->path);
+            Bfree(srch);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    Bfree(path);
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int32_t findfrompath(const char *fn, char **where)
 {
     searchpath_t *sp;
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c
index bc2477345..165d716e1 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/common.c
@@ -218,17 +218,28 @@ void G_ExtPreInit(void)
 }
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
-const char * G_GetSteamPath(void)
+const char * G_GetInstallPath(int32_t insttype)
 {
-    static char spath[BMAX_PATH];
-    static int32_t success = -1;
+    static char spath[NUMINSTPATHS][BMAX_PATH];
+    static int32_t success[NUMINSTPATHS] = { -1, -1 };
     int32_t siz = BMAX_PATH;
 
-    if (success == -1)
-        success = SHGetValueA(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\Steam App 225140", "InstallLocation", NULL, spath, (LPDWORD)&siz);
+    // this still needs to be fixed for win64 builds
+    if (success[insttype] == -1)
+    {
+        switch (insttype)
+        {
+        case INSTPATH_STEAM:
+            success[insttype] = SHGetValueA(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\Steam App 225140", "InstallLocation", NULL, spath[insttype], (LPDWORD)&siz);
+            break;
+        case INSTPATH_GOG:
+            success[insttype] = SHGetValueA(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SOFTWARE\\GOG.com\\GOGDUKE3D", "PATH", NULL, spath[insttype], (LPDWORD)&siz);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
 
-    if (success == ERROR_SUCCESS)
-        return spath;
+    if (success[insttype] == ERROR_SUCCESS)
+        return spath[insttype];
 
     return NULL;
 }
@@ -247,21 +258,18 @@ void G_AddSearchPaths(void)
 #elif defined (_WIN32)
     // detect Steam and GOG versions of Duke3D
     char buf[BMAX_PATH];
-    int32_t siz = BMAX_PATH, ret;
 
-    if (G_GetSteamPath())
+    if (G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_STEAM))
     {
-        Bsprintf(buf, "%s/gameroot/classic", G_GetSteamPath());
+        Bsprintf(buf, "%s/gameroot", G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_STEAM));
         addsearchpath(buf);
 
-        Bsprintf(buf, "%s/gameroot/addons", G_GetSteamPath());
+        Bsprintf(buf, "%s/gameroot/addons", G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_STEAM));
         addsearchpath(buf);
     }
 
-    ret = SHGetValueA(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SOFTWARE\\GOG.com\\GOGDUKE3D", "PATH", NULL, buf, (LPDWORD)&siz);
-
-    if (ret == ERROR_SUCCESS)
-        addsearchpath(buf);
+    if (G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_GOG))
+        addsearchpath(G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_GOG));
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h b/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h
index 83ef732ec..c99b1eeee 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/common_game.h
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ enum Games_t {
     GAMECOUNT
 };
 
+enum instpath_t {
+    INSTPATH_STEAM,
+    INSTPATH_GOG,
+    NUMINSTPATHS
+};
+
 extern const char *defaultgamegrp[GAMECOUNT];
 extern const char *defaultdeffilename[GAMECOUNT];
 extern const char *defaultconfilename;
@@ -55,4 +61,6 @@ extern void G_ExtPreInit(void);
 
 extern void G_AddSearchPaths(void);
 
+extern const char * G_GetInstallPath(int32_t insttype);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
index 8ecf445d8..24ad0215b 100644
--- a/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
+++ b/polymer/eduke32/source/game.c
@@ -10452,6 +10452,20 @@ int32_t app_main(int32_t argc, const char **argv)
         }
     }
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    if (G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_STEAM))
+    {
+        Bsprintf(buf, "%s/gameroot", G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_STEAM));
+        removesearchpath(buf);
+
+        Bsprintf(buf, "%s/gameroot/addons", G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_STEAM));
+        removesearchpath(buf);
+    }
+
+    if (G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_GOG))
+        removesearchpath(G_GetInstallPath(INSTPATH_GOG));
+#endif
+
     if (g_modDir[0] != '/')
         G_LoadGroupsInDir(g_modDir);