diff --git a/options/m_config_frontend.c b/options/m_config_frontend.c
index fc92a28e72..a5e19ba287 100644
--- a/options/m_config_frontend.c
+++ b/options/m_config_frontend.c
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ int m_config_set_option_raw(struct m_config *config,
 
     m_config_mark_co_flags(co, flags);
 
-    m_option_copy(co->opt, co->data, data);
+    m_option_copy_and_expand(config->global, co->opt, co->data, data);
     if (m_config_cache_write_opt(config->cache, co->data))
         force_self_notify_change_opt(config, co, false);
 
diff --git a/options/m_option.c b/options/m_option.c
index c53b6536aa..a9be272faf 100644
--- a/options/m_option.c
+++ b/options/m_option.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #include "misc/node.h"
 #include "m_option.h"
 #include "m_config_frontend.h"
+#include "path.h"
 
 #if HAVE_DOS_PATHS
 #define OPTION_PATH_SEPARATOR ';'
@@ -1270,6 +1271,15 @@ static void copy_str(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst, const void *src)
         talloc_replace(NULL, VAL(dst), VAL(src));
 }
 
+static void expand_str(struct mpv_global *global, const m_option_t *opt,
+                       void *dst, const void *src)
+{
+    if (dst && src) {
+        talloc_free(VAL(dst));
+        VAL(dst) = mp_get_user_path(NULL, global, VAL(src));
+    }
+}
+
 static int str_set(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst, struct mpv_node *src)
 {
     if (src->format != MPV_FORMAT_STRING)
@@ -1303,15 +1313,16 @@ static void free_str(void *src)
 }
 
 const m_option_type_t m_option_type_string = {
-    .name  = "String",
-    .size  = sizeof(char *),
-    .parse = parse_str,
-    .print = print_str,
-    .copy  = copy_str,
-    .free  = free_str,
-    .set   = str_set,
-    .get   = str_get,
-    .equal = str_equal,
+    .name   = "String",
+    .size   = sizeof(char *),
+    .parse  = parse_str,
+    .print  = print_str,
+    .copy   = copy_str,
+    .expand = expand_str,
+    .free   = free_str,
+    .set    = str_set,
+    .get    = str_get,
+    .equal  = str_equal,
 };
 
 //////////// String list
@@ -1547,7 +1558,8 @@ static int parse_str_list_impl(struct mp_log *log, const m_option_t *opt,
     return 1;
 }
 
-static void copy_str_list(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst, const void *src)
+static void copy_str_list_impl(struct mpv_global *global, const m_option_t *opt,
+                               void *dst, const void *src)
 {
     int n;
     char **d, **s;
@@ -1567,12 +1579,28 @@ static void copy_str_list(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst, const void *src)
     for (n = 0; s[n] != NULL; n++)
         /* NOTHING */;
     d = talloc_array(NULL, char *, n + 1);
-    for (; n >= 0; n--)
-        d[n] = talloc_strdup(NULL, s[n]);
+    for (; n >= 0; n--) {
+        if (global) {
+            d[n] = mp_get_user_path(NULL, global, s[n]);
+        } else {
+            d[n] = talloc_strdup(NULL, s[n]);
+        }
+    }
 
     VAL(dst) = d;
 }
 
+static void copy_str_list(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst, const void *src)
+{
+    copy_str_list_impl(NULL, opt, dst, src);
+}
+
+static void expand_str_list(struct mpv_global *global, const m_option_t *opt,
+                            void *dst, const void *src)
+{
+    copy_str_list_impl(global, opt, dst, src);
+}
+
 static char *print_str_list(const m_option_t *opt, const void *src)
 {
     char **lst = NULL;
@@ -1652,15 +1680,16 @@ static bool str_list_equal(const m_option_t *opt, void *a, void *b)
 }
 
 const m_option_type_t m_option_type_string_list = {
-    .name  = "String list",
-    .size  = sizeof(char **),
-    .parse = parse_str_list,
-    .print = print_str_list,
-    .copy  = copy_str_list,
-    .free  = free_str_list,
-    .get   = str_list_get,
-    .set   = str_list_set,
-    .equal = str_list_equal,
+    .name   = "String list",
+    .size   = sizeof(char **),
+    .parse  = parse_str_list,
+    .print  = print_str_list,
+    .copy   = copy_str_list,
+    .expand = expand_str_list,
+    .free   = free_str_list,
+    .get    = str_list_get,
+    .set    = str_list_set,
+    .equal  = str_list_equal,
     .actions = (const struct m_option_action[]){
         {"add"},
         {"append"},
diff --git a/options/m_option.h b/options/m_option.h
index c6ebdb7978..58fab84212 100644
--- a/options/m_option.h
+++ b/options/m_option.h
@@ -332,6 +332,12 @@ struct m_option_type {
      */
     void (*copy)(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst, const void *src);
 
+    // Exactly the same as copy but will potentially perform a path expansion if
+    // the underlying option is a string with paths (M_OPT_FILE). This is for
+    // options that take paths as argument values.
+    void (*expand)(struct mpv_global *global, const m_option_t *opt,
+                   void *dst, const void *src);
+
     // Free the data allocated for a save slot.
     /** This is only needed for dynamic types like strings.
      *  \param dst Pointer to the data, usually a pointer that should be freed and
@@ -575,6 +581,17 @@ static inline void m_option_copy(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst,
         opt->type->copy(opt, dst, src);
 }
 
+// Expand and copy the string if M_OPT_FILE. Do a raw copy otherwise.
+static inline void m_option_copy_and_expand(struct mpv_global *global, const m_option_t *opt,
+                                            void *dst, const void *src)
+{
+    if (opt->flags & M_OPT_FILE && opt->type->expand) {
+        opt->type->expand(global, opt, dst, src);
+    } else {
+        m_option_copy(opt, dst, src);
+    }
+}
+
 // Helper around \ref m_option_type::free.
 static inline void m_option_free(const m_option_t *opt, void *dst)
 {