diff --git a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
index d8d6f78eff..ea0d1c51e4 100644
--- a/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
+++ b/libretro-common/file/file_path.c
@@ -1280,17 +1280,15 @@ void fill_pathname_home_dir(char *s, size_t len)
 
 bool is_path_accessible_using_standard_io(const char *path)
 {
-   bool result                = true;
 #ifdef __WINRT__
-   size_t         path_sizeof = PATH_MAX_LENGTH * sizeof(char);
-   char *relative_path_abbrev = (char*)malloc(path_sizeof);
-   fill_pathname_abbreviate_special(relative_path_abbrev, path, path_sizeof);
-
-   result = (strlen(relative_path_abbrev) >= 2 )
-      && (relative_path_abbrev[0] == ':' || relative_path_abbrev[0] == '~') 
+   char relative_path_abbrev[PATH_MAX_LENGTH];
+   fill_pathname_abbreviate_special(relative_path_abbrev,
+         path, sizeof(relative_path_abbrev));
+   return (strlen(relative_path_abbrev) >= 2 )
+      &&  (    relative_path_abbrev[0] == ':'
+            || relative_path_abbrev[0] == '~')
       && PATH_CHAR_IS_SLASH(relative_path_abbrev[1]);
-
-   free(relative_path_abbrev);
+#else
+   return true;
 #endif
-   return result;
 }