diff --git a/src/gui/application.cpp b/src/gui/application.cpp
index 102a0db654..00fcfae310 100644
--- a/src/gui/application.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/application.cpp
@@ -633,13 +633,13 @@ void Application::openPlaceholder(const QString &filename)
         qWarning(lcApplication) << "Can only handle file ending in .owncloud. Unable to open" << filename;
         return;
     }
-    auto folder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(filename);
+    QString relativePath;
+    auto folder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(filename, &relativePath);
     if (!folder) {
         qWarning(lcApplication) << "Can't find sync folder for" << filename;
         // TODO: show a QMessageBox for errors
         return;
     }
-    QString relativePath = QDir::cleanPath(filename).mid(folder->cleanPath().length() + 1);
     folder->downloadPlaceholder(relativePath);
     QString normalName = filename.left(filename.size() - placeholderExt.size());
     auto con = QSharedPointer<QMetaObject::Connection>::create();
diff --git a/src/gui/folderman.cpp b/src/gui/folderman.cpp
index a198f79e4a..ca0b08dae5 100644
--- a/src/gui/folderman.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/folderman.cpp
@@ -934,7 +934,7 @@ Folder *FolderMan::addFolderInternal(FolderDefinition folderDefinition,
     return folder;
 }
 
-Folder *FolderMan::folderForPath(const QString &path)
+Folder *FolderMan::folderForPath(const QString &path, QString *relativePath)
 {
     QString absolutePath = QDir::cleanPath(path) + QLatin1Char('/');
 
@@ -942,10 +942,16 @@ Folder *FolderMan::folderForPath(const QString &path)
         const QString folderPath = folder->cleanPath() + QLatin1Char('/');
 
         if (absolutePath.startsWith(folderPath, (Utility::isWindows() || Utility::isMac()) ? Qt::CaseInsensitive : Qt::CaseSensitive)) {
+            if (relativePath) {
+                *relativePath = absolutePath.mid(folderPath.length());
+                relativePath->chop(1); // we added a '/' above
+            }
             return folder;
         }
     }
 
+    if (relativePath)
+        relativePath->clear();
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/folderman.h b/src/gui/folderman.h
index 3eb6024e21..ae9c48f89a 100644
--- a/src/gui/folderman.h
+++ b/src/gui/folderman.h
@@ -77,8 +77,13 @@ public:
     /** Removes a folder */
     void removeFolder(Folder *);
 
-    /** Returns the folder which the file or directory stored in path is in */
-    Folder *folderForPath(const QString &path);
+    /**
+     * Returns the folder which the file or directory stored in path is in
+     *
+     * Optionally, the path relative to the found folder is returned in
+     * relativePath.
+     */
+    Folder *folderForPath(const QString &path, QString *relativePath = nullptr);
 
     /**
       * returns a list of local files that exist on the local harddisk for an
diff --git a/src/gui/owncloudgui.cpp b/src/gui/owncloudgui.cpp
index aee68d5414..16c82f19a0 100644
--- a/src/gui/owncloudgui.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/owncloudgui.cpp
@@ -1031,7 +1031,8 @@ void ownCloudGui::raiseDialog(QWidget *raiseWidget)
 
 void ownCloudGui::slotShowShareDialog(const QString &sharePath, const QString &localPath)
 {
-    const auto folder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localPath);
+    QString file;
+    const auto folder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localPath, &file);
     if (!folder) {
         qCWarning(lcApplication) << "Could not open share dialog for" << localPath << "no responsible folder found";
         return;
@@ -1042,7 +1043,6 @@ void ownCloudGui::slotShowShareDialog(const QString &sharePath, const QString &l
 
     const auto accountState = folder->accountState();
 
-    const QString file = localPath.mid(folder->cleanPath().length() + 1);
     SyncJournalFileRecord fileRecord;
 
     bool resharingAllowed = true; // lets assume the good
diff --git a/src/gui/socketapi.cpp b/src/gui/socketapi.cpp
index 6ae3317e8c..5bacc6c49e 100644
--- a/src/gui/socketapi.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/socketapi.cpp
@@ -361,7 +361,8 @@ void SocketApi::command_RETRIEVE_FILE_STATUS(const QString &argument, SocketList
 {
     QString statusString;
 
-    Folder *syncFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(argument);
+    QString relativePath;
+    Folder *syncFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(argument, &relativePath);
     if (!syncFolder) {
         // this can happen in offline mode e.g.: nothing to worry about
         statusString = QLatin1String("NOP");
@@ -376,7 +377,6 @@ void SocketApi::command_RETRIEVE_FILE_STATUS(const QString &argument, SocketList
         QString directory = systemPath.left(systemPath.lastIndexOf('/'));
         listener->registerMonitoredDirectory(qHash(directory));
 
-        QString relativePath = systemPath.mid(syncFolder->cleanPath().length() + 1);
         SyncFileStatus fileStatus = syncFolder->syncEngine().syncFileStatusTracker().fileStatus(relativePath);
         statusString = fileStatus.toSocketAPIString();
     }
@@ -389,7 +389,8 @@ void SocketApi::command_SHARE(const QString &localFile, SocketListener *listener
 {
     auto theme = Theme::instance();
 
-    Folder *shareFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localFile);
+    QString file;
+    Folder *shareFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localFile, &file);
     if (!shareFolder) {
         const QString message = QLatin1String("SHARE:NOP:") + QDir::toNativeSeparators(localFile);
         // files that are not within a sync folder are not synced.
@@ -403,7 +404,6 @@ void SocketApi::command_SHARE(const QString &localFile, SocketListener *listener
         listener->sendMessage(message);
     } else {
         const QString localFileClean = QDir::cleanPath(localFile);
-        const QString file = localFileClean.mid(shareFolder->cleanPath().length() + 1);
         SyncFileStatus fileStatus = shareFolder->syncEngine().syncFileStatusTracker().fileStatus(file);
 
         // Verify the file is on the server (to our knowledge of course)
@@ -436,13 +436,13 @@ void SocketApi::command_VERSION(const QString &, SocketListener *listener)
 
 void SocketApi::command_SHARE_STATUS(const QString &localFile, SocketListener *listener)
 {
-    Folder *shareFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localFile);
+    QString file;
+    Folder *shareFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localFile, &file);
 
     if (!shareFolder) {
         const QString message = QLatin1String("SHARE_STATUS:NOP:") + QDir::toNativeSeparators(localFile);
         listener->sendMessage(message);
     } else {
-        const QString file = QDir::cleanPath(localFile).mid(shareFolder->cleanPath().length() + 1);
         SyncFileStatus fileStatus = shareFolder->syncEngine().syncFileStatusTracker().fileStatus(file);
 
         // Verify the file is on the server (to our knowledge of course)
@@ -492,15 +492,13 @@ void SocketApi::command_SHARE_MENU_TITLE(const QString &, SocketListener *listen
 // Fetches the private link url asynchronously and then calls the target slot
 static void fetchPrivateLinkUrlHelper(const QString &localFile, SocketApi *target, void (SocketApi::*targetFun)(const QString &url) const)
 {
-    Folder *shareFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localFile);
+    QString file;
+    Folder *shareFolder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(localFile, &file);
     if (!shareFolder) {
         qCWarning(lcSocketApi) << "Unknown path" << localFile;
         return;
     }
 
-    const QString localFileClean = QDir::cleanPath(localFile);
-    const QString file = localFileClean.mid(shareFolder->cleanPath().length() + 1);
-
     AccountPtr account = shareFolder->accountState()->account();
 
     SyncJournalFileRecord rec;
@@ -535,9 +533,9 @@ void SocketApi::command_DOWNLOAD_PLACEHOLDER(const QString &filesArg, SocketList
     for (const auto &file : files) {
         if (!file.endsWith(placeholderSuffix))
             continue;
-        auto folder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(file);
+        QString relativePath;
+        auto folder = FolderMan::instance()->folderForPath(file, &relativePath);
         if (folder) {
-            QString relativePath = QDir::cleanPath(file).mid(folder->cleanPath().length() + 1);
             folder->downloadPlaceholder(relativePath);
         }
     }