diff --git a/lua/lazy/core/config.lua b/lua/lazy/core/config.lua
index c85821f..73761de 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/core/config.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/core/config.lua
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ M.defaults = {
   },
   dev = {
     -- directory where you store your local plugin projects
-    path = vim.fn.expand("~/projects"),
+    path = "~/projects",
     ---@type string[] plugins that match these patterns will use your local versions instead of being fetched from GitHub
     patterns = {}, -- For example {"folke"}
   },
@@ -112,12 +112,17 @@ function M.setup(spec, opts)
   M.options.performance.cache = require("lazy.core.cache")
   table.insert(M.options.install.colorscheme, "habamax")
 
+  M.options.root = Util.norm(M.options.root)
+  M.options.dev.path = Util.norm(M.options.dev.path)
+  M.options.lockfile = Util.norm(M.options.lockfile)
+  M.options.readme.root = Util.norm(M.options.readme.root)
+
   if M.options.performance.reset_packpath then
     vim.go.packpath = ""
   end
   if M.options.performance.rtp.reset then
     M.me = debug.getinfo(1, "S").source:sub(2)
-    M.me = vim.fn.fnamemodify(M.me, ":p:h:h:h:h")
+    M.me = Util.norm(vim.fn.fnamemodify(M.me, ":p:h:h:h:h"))
     vim.opt.rtp = {
       M.me,
       vim.env.VIMRUNTIME,
diff --git a/lua/lazy/core/plugin.lua b/lua/lazy/core/plugin.lua
index 88ef2af..eda70ee 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/core/plugin.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/core/plugin.lua
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ function Spec:add(plugin, is_dep)
   end
 
   if plugin.dir then
-    plugin.dir = plugin.dir:gsub("~", os.getenv("HOME") or "~")
+    plugin.dir = Util.norm(plugin.dir)
     -- local plugin
     plugin.name = plugin.name or Spec.get_name(plugin.dir)
   elseif plugin.url then
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ function M.update_state()
   ---@type table<string,FileType>
   local installed = {}
   Util.ls(Config.options.root, function(_, name, type)
-    if type == "directory" or type == "link" then
+    if type == "directory" and name ~= "readme" then
       installed[name] = type
     end
   end)
diff --git a/lua/lazy/view/render.lua b/lua/lazy/view/render.lua
index 19e869d..67d306b 100644
--- a/lua/lazy/view/render.lua
+++ b/lua/lazy/view/render.lua
@@ -220,12 +220,13 @@ function M:reason(reason, opts)
   ---@type string?
   local source = reason.source
   if source then
+    source = Util.norm(source)
     local plugin = Plugin.find(source)
     if plugin then
       reason.plugin = plugin.name
       reason.source = nil
     else
-      local config = vim.fn.stdpath("config")
+      local config = Util.norm(vim.fn.stdpath("config"))
       if source == config .. "/init.lua" then
         reason.source = "init.lua"
       else
@@ -237,6 +238,7 @@ function M:reason(reason, opts)
     end
   end
   if reason.runtime then
+    reason.runtime = Util.norm(reason.runtime)
     reason.runtime = reason.runtime:gsub(".*/([^/]+/plugin/.*)", "%1")
     reason.runtime = reason.runtime:gsub(".*/([^/]+/after/.*)", "%1")
     reason.runtime = reason.runtime:gsub(".*/([^/]+/ftdetect/.*)", "%1")