diff --git a/src/gsc_init.cpp b/src/gsc_init.cpp
index 7f73d98..80290f8 100644
--- a/src/gsc_init.cpp
+++ b/src/gsc_init.cpp
@@ -431,6 +431,8 @@ bool app_init_and_loop(int& argc, char**& argv)
 	debug_out_info("app", "Current C locale: " << hz::locale_c_get() << "\n");
 	debug_out_info("app", "Current C++ locale: " << hz::locale_cpp_get<std::string>() << "\n");
 
+	debug_out_info("app", "Current working directory: " << Glib::get_current_dir() << "\n");
+
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	// Now that all program-specific locale setup has been performed,
@@ -443,24 +445,28 @@ bool app_init_and_loop(int& argc, char**& argv)
 	// This shows up in About dialog gtk.
 	Glib::set_application_name(_("GSmartControl"));
 
+	// Check whether we're running from build directory, or it's a packaged program.
+	auto application_dir = hz::fs_get_application_dir();
+	debug_out_info("app", "Application directory: " << application_dir << "\n");
+
+	bool is_from_source = !application_dir.empty() && hz::fs::exists((application_dir / "src"));  // this covers standard cmake builds, but not VS.
 
 	// Add data file search paths
-#ifdef _WIN32
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("icons", hz::fs::u8path("."));  // current dir, since shortcuts also use this icon.
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("ui", hz::fs::u8path("ui"));
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("doc", hz::fs::u8path("doc"));
-#else
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("icons", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_PKGDATA_DIR) / "icons");  // /usr/share/program_name/icons
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("ui", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_PKGDATA_DIR) / "ui");  // /usr/share/program_name/ui
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("doc", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_DOC_DIR));  // /usr/share/doc/[packages/]gsmartcontrol
-#endif
-
-	// Paths in source tree
-#ifdef DEBUG_BUILD
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("icons", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_TOP_SOURCE_DIR) / "data");
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("ui", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_TOP_SOURCE_DIR) / "src/ui");
-	hz::data_file_add_search_directory("doc", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_TOP_SOURCE_DIR) / "doc");
-#endif
+	if (is_from_source) {
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("icons", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_TOP_SOURCE_DIR) / "data");
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("ui", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_TOP_SOURCE_DIR) / "src/ui");
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("doc", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_TOP_SOURCE_DIR) / "doc");
+	} else {
+	#ifdef _WIN32
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("icons", application_dir);
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("ui", application_dir / "ui");
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("doc", application_dir / "doc");
+	#else
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("icons", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_PKGDATA_DIR) / "icons");  // /usr/share/program_name/icons
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("ui", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_PKGDATA_DIR) / "ui");  // /usr/share/program_name/ui
+		hz::data_file_add_search_directory("doc", hz::fs::u8path(PACKAGE_DOC_DIR));  // /usr/share/doc/[packages/]gsmartcontrol
+	#endif
+	}
 
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
diff --git a/src/hz/CMakeLists.txt b/src/hz/CMakeLists.txt
index 83d55c5..2a42782 100644
--- a/src/hz/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/hz/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ target_link_libraries(hz
 #		app_pcrecpp_interface
 		app_gettext_interface  # format_unit.h uses this
 		libdebug  # debug.h
+		whereami  # whereami.h
 		std::filesystem  # fs_ns.h, linking to stdc++fs / c++fs if needed
 )
 
diff --git a/src/hz/fs.h b/src/hz/fs.h
index a7598da..0dc21fc 100644
--- a/src/hz/fs.h
+++ b/src/hz/fs.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Copyright:
 #include <stdio.h>  // off_t, fileno(), _fileno(), _wfopen()
 #include <limits>
 #include <array>
+#include <vector>
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 	#include <io.h>  // _waccess*()
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ Copyright:
 #endif
 
 #include "fs_ns.h"
+#include "whereami.h"
 
 
 /// \def HAVE_POSIX_OFF_T_FUNCS
@@ -419,6 +421,25 @@ inline fs::path fs_get_user_config_dir()
 
 
 
+/// Get absolute path of the current executable
+inline fs::path fs_get_application_dir()
+{
+	auto path_len = static_cast<std::size_t>(wai_getExecutablePath(nullptr, 0, nullptr));
+	if (path_len == 0) {
+		return {};
+	}
+	std::vector<char> vpath(path_len + 1);
+
+	int dirname_length = 0;
+
+	// In Windows the path is in utf-8.
+	wai_getExecutablePath(vpath.data(), int(path_len), &dirname_length);
+
+	return {vpath.begin(), vpath.begin() + dirname_length};
+}
+
+
+
 /// Check if the existing file can be fopen'ed with "rb", or the directory has read perms.
 /// Note: This function should be use only as an utility function (e.g. for GUI notification);
 /// other uses are not logically concurrent-safe (and therefore, insecure).