diff --git a/include/file.hpp b/include/file.hpp
index aba7a84f..9a5e06bb 100644
--- a/include/file.hpp
+++ b/include/file.hpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <ios>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <streambuf>
+#include <string>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <string_view>
 #include <variant>
@@ -85,17 +86,11 @@ public:
 		           : nullptr;
 	}
 
-	char const *c_str(std::filesystem::path const &path) const {
-		// FIXME: This is a hack to prevent the path string from being destroyed until
-		// `.c_str(path)` is called again. It's necessary because just `return path.c_str()`
-		// fails on Windows, where paths use `wchar_t`.
-		static std::string path_string;
-		return std::visit(Visitor{[&path](std::filebuf const &) {
-			                          path_string = path.string();
-			                          return path_string.c_str();
-		                          },
+	std::string string(std::filesystem::path const &path) const {
+		return std::visit(Visitor{[&path](std::filebuf const &) { return path.string(); },
 		                          [](std::streambuf const *buf) {
-			                          return buf == std::cin.rdbuf() ? "<stdin>" : "<stdout>";
+			                          return std::string{buf == std::cin.rdbuf()
+			                                 ? "<stdin>" : "<stdout>"};
 		                          }},
 		                  _file);
 	}
diff --git a/src/gfx/main.cpp b/src/gfx/main.cpp
index 7a4298ed..b7aac36c 100644
--- a/src/gfx/main.cpp
+++ b/src/gfx/main.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ static std::vector<size_t> readAtFile(std::filesystem::path const &path,
                                       std::vector<char> &argPool) {
 	File file;
 	if (!file.open(path, std::ios_base::in)) {
-		fatal("Error reading @%s: %s", file.c_str(path), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Error reading @%s: %s", file.string(path).c_str(), strerror(errno));
 	}
 
 	// We only filter out `EOF`, but calling `isblank()` on anything else is UB!
diff --git a/src/gfx/process.cpp b/src/gfx/process.cpp
index cbe5f60f..e6aac621 100644
--- a/src/gfx/process.cpp
+++ b/src/gfx/process.cpp
@@ -89,13 +89,13 @@ class Png {
 	[[noreturn]] static void handleError(png_structp png, char const *msg) {
 		Png *self = reinterpret_cast<Png *>(png_get_error_ptr(png));
 
-		fatal("Error reading input image (\"%s\"): %s", self->file.c_str(self->path), msg);
+		fatal("Error reading input image (\"%s\"): %s", self->string().c_str(), msg);
 	}
 
 	static void handleWarning(png_structp png, char const *msg) {
 		Png *self = reinterpret_cast<Png *>(png_get_error_ptr(png));
 
-		warning("In input image (\"%s\"): %s", self->file.c_str(self->path), msg);
+		warning("In input image (\"%s\"): %s", self->string().c_str(), msg);
 	}
 
 	static void readData(png_structp png, png_bytep data, size_t length) {
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class Png {
 		if (nbBytesRead != expectedLen) {
 			fatal("Error reading input image (\"%s\"): file too short (expected at least %zd more "
 			      "bytes after reading %lld)",
-			      self->file.c_str(self->path), length - nbBytesRead,
+			      self->string().c_str(), length - nbBytesRead,
 			      self->file->pubseekoff(0, std::ios_base::cur));
 		}
 	}
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ public:
 
 	Rgba const &pixel(uint32_t x, uint32_t y) const { return pixels[y * width + x]; }
 
+	std::string string() const { return file.string(path); }
+
 	bool isSuitableForGrayscale() const {
 		// Check that all of the grays don't fall into the same "bin"
 		if (colors.size() > options.maxOpaqueColors()) { // Apply the Pigeonhole Principle
@@ -172,7 +174,8 @@ public:
 	 */
 	explicit Png(std::filesystem::path const &filePath) : path(filePath), colors() {
 		if (file.open(path, std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::binary) == nullptr) {
-			fatal("Failed to open input image (\"%s\"): %s", file.c_str(path), strerror(errno));
+			fatal("Failed to open input image (\"%s\"): %s", file.string(path).c_str(),
+			      strerror(errno));
 		}
 
 		options.verbosePrint(Options::VERB_LOG_ACT, "Opened input file\n");
@@ -182,7 +185,7 @@ public:
 		if (file->sgetn(reinterpret_cast<char *>(pngHeader.data()), pngHeader.size())
 		        != static_cast<std::streamsize>(pngHeader.size()) // Not enough bytes?
 		    || png_sig_cmp(pngHeader.data(), 0, pngHeader.size()) != 0) {
-			fatal("Input file (\"%s\") is not a PNG image!", file.c_str(path));
+			fatal("Input file (\"%s\") is not a PNG image!", file.string(path).c_str());
 		}
 
 		options.verbosePrint(Options::VERB_INTERM, "PNG header signature is OK\n");
@@ -641,7 +644,7 @@ static void outputPalettes(std::vector<Palette> const &palettes) {
 	if (options.palettes.has_value()) {
 		File output;
 		if (!output.open(*options.palettes, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary)) {
-			fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", output.c_str(*options.palettes),
+			fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", output.string(*options.palettes).c_str(),
 				strerror(errno));
 		}
 
@@ -772,7 +775,8 @@ static void outputTileData(Png const &png, DefaultInitVec<AttrmapEntry> const &a
                            DefaultInitVec<size_t> const &mappings) {
 	File output;
 	if (!output.open(*options.output, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary)) {
-		fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", output.c_str(*options.output), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", output.string(*options.output).c_str(),
+		      strerror(errno));
 	}
 
 	uint16_t widthTiles = options.inputSlice.width ? options.inputSlice.width : png.getWidth() / 8;
@@ -809,7 +813,7 @@ static void outputMaps(DefaultInitVec<AttrmapEntry> const &attrmap,
 		if (path.has_value()) {
 			file.emplace();
 			if (!file->open(*path, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary)) {
-				fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", file->c_str(*path),
+				fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", file->string(*path).c_str(),
 				      strerror(errno));
 			}
 		}
@@ -912,7 +916,8 @@ static UniqueTiles dedupTiles(Png const &png, DefaultInitVec<AttrmapEntry> &attr
 static void outputTileData(UniqueTiles const &tiles) {
 	File output;
 	if (!output.open(*options.output, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary)) {
-		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.c_str(*options.output), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.string(*options.output).c_str(),
+		      strerror(errno));
 	}
 
 	uint16_t tileID = 0;
@@ -927,7 +932,8 @@ static void outputTileData(UniqueTiles const &tiles) {
 static void outputTilemap(DefaultInitVec<AttrmapEntry> const &attrmap) {
 	File output;
 	if (!output.open(*options.tilemap, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary)) {
-		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.c_str(*options.tilemap), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.string(*options.tilemap).c_str(),
+		      strerror(errno));
 	}
 
 	for (AttrmapEntry const &entry : attrmap) {
@@ -939,7 +945,8 @@ static void outputAttrmap(DefaultInitVec<AttrmapEntry> const &attrmap,
                           DefaultInitVec<size_t> const &mappings) {
 	File output;
 	if (!output.open(*options.attrmap, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary)) {
-		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.c_str(*options.attrmap), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.string(*options.attrmap).c_str(),
+		      strerror(errno));
 	}
 
 	for (AttrmapEntry const &entry : attrmap) {
@@ -954,7 +961,8 @@ static void outputPalmap(DefaultInitVec<AttrmapEntry> const &attrmap,
                          DefaultInitVec<size_t> const &mappings) {
 	File output;
 	if (!output.open(*options.palmap, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary)) {
-		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.c_str(*options.palmap), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", output.string(*options.palmap).c_str(),
+		      strerror(errno));
 	}
 
 	for (AttrmapEntry const &entry : attrmap) {
diff --git a/src/gfx/reverse.cpp b/src/gfx/reverse.cpp
index f6f317a2..1dcae1dc 100644
--- a/src/gfx/reverse.cpp
+++ b/src/gfx/reverse.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 static DefaultInitVec<uint8_t> readInto(std::filesystem::path path) {
 	File file;
 	if (!file.open(path, std::ios::in | std::ios::binary)) {
-		fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", file.c_str(path), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", file.string(path).c_str(), strerror(errno));
 	}
 	DefaultInitVec<uint8_t> data(128 * 16); // Begin with some room pre-allocated
 
@@ -144,7 +144,8 @@ void reverse() {
 	if (options.palettes.has_value()) {
 		File file;
 		if (!file.open(*options.palettes, std::ios::in | std::ios::binary)) {
-			fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", file.c_str(*options.palettes), strerror(errno));
+			fatal("Failed to open \"%s\": %s", file.string(*options.palettes).c_str(),
+			      strerror(errno));
 		}
 
 		palettes.clear();
@@ -231,12 +232,13 @@ void reverse() {
 	options.verbosePrint(Options::VERB_LOG_ACT, "Writing image...\n");
 	File pngFile;
 	if (!pngFile.open(*options.input, std::ios::out | std::ios::binary)) {
-		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", pngFile.c_str(*options.input), strerror(errno));
+		fatal("Failed to create \"%s\": %s", pngFile.string(*options.input).c_str(),
+		      strerror(errno));
 	}
 	png_structp png = png_create_write_struct(
 	    PNG_LIBPNG_VER_STRING,
-	    const_cast<png_voidp>(static_cast<void const *>(pngFile.c_str(*options.input))), pngError,
-	    pngWarning);
+	    const_cast<png_voidp>(static_cast<void const *>(pngFile.string(*options.input).c_str())),
+	    pngError, pngWarning);
 	if (!png) {
 		fatal("Couldn't create PNG write struct: %s", strerror(errno));
 	}