diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/base.js b/ui (gen4)/features/base.js
index b145db84..08892390 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/base.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/base.js	
@@ -270,6 +270,16 @@ actions.Actions({
 			return res
 		}],
 
+	getImagePath: ['- System/',
+		function(gid, type){
+			gid = this.data.getImage(gid)
+
+			var img = this.images[gid]
+
+			return img == null ?
+				null
+				: this.images.getImagePath(gid, this.location.path)
+		}],
 	replaceGid: ['- System/Replace image gid',
 		{journal: true},
 		function(from, to){
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js b/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js
index 44446c9d..5e6c0172 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/filesystem.js	
@@ -196,14 +196,6 @@ module.IndexFormat = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 /*********************************************************************/
 
 var FileSystemInfoActions = actions.Actions({
-	getImagePath: ['- System/',
-		function(gid, type){
-			gid = this.data.getImage(gid)
-
-			var img = this.images[gid]
-
-			return pathlib.join(img.base_path || this.location.path, img.path)
-		}],
 })
 
 
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/features/metadata.js b/ui (gen4)/features/metadata.js
index 93770d4c..c4f4fcc3 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/features/metadata.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/features/metadata.js	
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ var MetadataReaderActions = actions.Actions({
 				return false
 			}
 
-			var full_path = path.normalize(img.base_path +'/'+ img.path)
+			//var full_path = path.normalize(img.base_path +'/'+ img.path)
+			var full_path = this.getImagePath(gid)
 
 			return new Promise(function(resolve, reject){
 				if(!force && img.metadata){
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ module.MetadataReader = core.ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 	tag: 'fs-metadata',
 	depends: [
+		'fs-info',
 		'metadata',
 	],
 
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/imagegrid/images.js b/ui (gen4)/imagegrid/images.js
index bd29f8d0..3eb8c765 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/imagegrid/images.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/imagegrid/images.js	
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 var sha1 = require('ext-lib/sha1')
 
 var object = require('lib/object')
+var util = require('lib/util')
 
 
 
@@ -456,8 +457,16 @@ module.ImagesPrototype = {
 
 
 	// Image data helpers...
+	
+	getImagePath: function(gid, path){
+		var img = this[gid] || IMAGE_DATA
 
+		return (img.base_path || path) ? 
+			[img.base_path || path, img.path].join('/')
+			: util.path2url(img.path)
+	},
 	// XXX see: ribbons.js for details...
+	// XXX this is the same (in part) as .getImagePath(..) 
 	getBestPreview: function(gid, size, img_data, full_path){
 		if(img_data === true){
 			full_path = true
@@ -476,7 +485,7 @@ module.ImagesPrototype = {
 
 		var s
 		// XXX not sure about encodeURI(..) here...
-		var url = encodeURI(img_data.path)
+		var url = encodeURI(util.path2url(img_data.path))
 		var preview_size = 'Original'
 		var p = Infinity
 		var previews = img_data.preview || {}
@@ -492,7 +501,7 @@ module.ImagesPrototype = {
 		return {
 			//url: normalizePath(url),
 			url: (full_path && img_data.base_path ?
-				  	img_data.base_path + '/' 
+				  	util.path2url(img_data.base_path) + '/' 
 					: '') 
 				+ url,
 			size: preview_size
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/lib/util.js b/ui (gen4)/lib/util.js
index e7208993..0ccdd77e 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/lib/util.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/lib/util.js	
@@ -179,11 +179,12 @@ function(path){
 		return path
 	}
 	// skip encoding windows drives...
-	var drive = path.split(/^([a-z]:[\\\/])/i)
-	path = drive.pop()
-	drive = drive.pop() || ''
-	return drive + (path
+	path = path
 		.split(/[\\\/]/g)
+	drive = path[0].endsWith(':') ?
+		path.shift() + '/'
+		: ''
+	return drive + (path
 		// XXX these are too aggressive...
 		//.map(encodeURI)
 		//.map(encodeURIComponent)
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/ui.js b/ui (gen4)/ui.js
index 4be92ec0..4db4582f 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/ui.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/ui.js	
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ function handleDrop(evt){
 
 	var files = event.dataTransfer.files
 	var lst = {}
+	var paths = []
 
 	// files is a FileList of File objects. List some properties.
 	var output = []
@@ -114,31 +115,40 @@ function handleDrop(evt){
 			continue
 		}
 
-		lst[f.name] = {
+		if(f.path){
+			paths.push(f.path)
+
+		} else {
 			// XXX get the metadata...
+			lst[f.name] = {}
+
+			var reader = new FileReader()
+
+			reader.onload = (function(f){
+				return function(e){
+					// update the data and reload...
+					var gid = lst[f.name].gid
+					ig.images[gid].path = e.target.result
+					ig.ribbons.updateImage(gid)
+				} })(f)
+
+			reader.readAsDataURL(f)
 		}
-
-		var reader = new FileReader()
-
-		reader.onload = (function(f){
-			return function(e){
-				// update the data and reload...
-				var gid = lst[f.name].gid
-				ig.images[gid].path = e.target.result
-				ig.ribbons.updateImage(gid)
-			} })(f)
-
-		reader.readAsDataURL(f)
 	}
 
-	ig.loadURLs(Object.keys(lst))
+	if(paths.length > 0){
+		ig.loadURLs(paths)
 
-	// add the generated stuff to the list -- this will help us id the 
-	// images when they are loaded later...
-	ig.images.forEach(function(gid, img){
-		lst[img.path].gid = gid
-		img.name = img.path
-	})
+	} else {
+		ig.loadURLs(Object.keys(lst))
+
+		// add the generated stuff to the list -- this will help us id the 
+		// images when they are loaded later...
+		ig.images.forEach(function(gid, img){
+			lst[img.path].gid = gid
+			img.name = img.path
+		})
+	}
 }
 function handleDragOver(evt) {
 	evt.stopPropagation()