diff --git a/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m b/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m
index ba9efe8d4..3e84681a0 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m
+++ b/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m
@@ -71,8 +71,15 @@ char *
 SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
 { @autoreleasepool
 {
-    char *retval = NULL;
+    if (!app) {
+        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (!org) {
+        org = "";
+    }
 
+    char *retval = NULL;
     NSArray *array = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSApplicationSupportDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
 
     if ([array count] > 0) {  /* we only want the first item in the list. */
@@ -85,7 +92,11 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
                 SDL_OutOfMemory();
             } else {
                 char *ptr;
-                SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s/%s/%s/", base, org, app);
+                if (*org) {
+                    SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s/%s/%s/", base, org, app);
+                } else {
+                    SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s/%s/", base, app);
+                }
                 for (ptr = retval+1; *ptr; ptr++) {
                     if (*ptr == '/') {
                         *ptr = '\0';
diff --git a/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 8a2228fb0..14b542453 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     char *retval;
     size_t len = 0;
 
+    if (!app) {
+        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (!org) {
+        org = "";
+    }
+
     len = SDL_strlen(append) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 3;
     retval = (char *) SDL_malloc(len);
     if (!retval) {
@@ -53,7 +61,11 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s/%s/", append, org, app);
+    if (*org) {
+        SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s/%s/", append, org, app);
+    } else {
+        SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s/", append, app);
+    }
 
     if (mkdir(retval, 0700) != 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
         SDL_SetError("Couldn't create directory '%s': '%s'", retval, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc b/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc
index 3e9436989..090c808ea 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc
+++ b/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc
@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     const char *home = SDL_getenv("HOME");
     const char *append = "/config/settings/";
     size_t len = SDL_strlen(home);
+
+    if (!app) {
+        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (!org) {
+        org = "";
+    }
+
     if (!len || (home[len - 1] == '/')) {
         ++append; // home empty or ends with separator, skip the one from append
     }
@@ -85,7 +94,11 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     if (!retval) {
         SDL_OutOfMemory();
     } else {
-        SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s%s/%s/", home, append, org, app);
+        if (*org) {
+            SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s%s/%s/", home, append, org, app);
+        } else {
+            SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s%s/", home, append, app);
+        }
         create_directory(retval, 0700);  // Haiku api: creates missing dirs
     }
 
diff --git a/src/filesystem/nacl/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/nacl/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 12e0ee35d..767ef9a4e 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/nacl/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/nacl/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -40,3 +40,4 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
 
 #endif /* SDL_FILESYSTEM_NACL */
 
+/* vi: set ts=4 sw=4 expandtab: */
diff --git a/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 69f8febd7..2db83ee47 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -180,6 +180,14 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     char *ptr = NULL;
     size_t len = 0;
 
+    if (!app) {
+        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (!org) {
+        org = "";
+    }
+
     if (!envr) {
         /* You end up with "$HOME/.local/share/Game Name 2" */
         envr = SDL_getenv("HOME");
@@ -204,7 +212,11 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s%s/%s/", envr, append, org, app);
+    if (*org) {
+        SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s%s/%s/", envr, append, org, app);
+    } else {
+        SDL_snprintf(retval, len, "%s%s%s/", envr, append, app);
+    }
 
     for (ptr = retval+1; *ptr; ptr++) {
         if (*ptr == '/') {
diff --git a/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index b74290efe..1a9514a1c 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -118,6 +118,14 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     size_t new_wpath_len = 0;
     BOOL api_result = FALSE;
 
+    if (!app) {
+        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (!org) {
+        org = "";
+    }
+
     if (!SUCCEEDED(SHGetFolderPathW(NULL, CSIDL_APPDATA | CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE, NULL, 0, path))) {
         WIN_SetError("Couldn't locate our prefpath");
         return NULL;
@@ -145,8 +153,10 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    lstrcatW(path, L"\\");
-    lstrcatW(path, worg);
+    if (*worg) {
+        lstrcatW(path, L"\\");
+        lstrcatW(path, worg);
+    }
     SDL_free(worg);
 
     api_result = CreateDirectoryW(path, NULL);
diff --git a/src/filesystem/winrt/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp b/src/filesystem/winrt/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp
index 880fcbc24..4afc96a1d 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/winrt/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp
+++ b/src/filesystem/winrt/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp
@@ -152,6 +152,14 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     size_t new_wpath_len = 0;
     BOOL api_result = FALSE;
 
+    if (!app) {
+        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    if (!org) {
+        org = "";
+    }
+
     srcPath = SDL_WinRTGetFSPathUNICODE(SDL_WINRT_PATH_LOCAL_FOLDER);
     if ( ! srcPath) {
         SDL_SetError("Unable to find a source path");
@@ -186,9 +194,11 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    SDL_wcslcat(path, L"\\", new_wpath_len + 1);
-    SDL_wcslcat(path, worg, new_wpath_len + 1);
-    SDL_free(worg);
+    if (*worg) {
+        SDL_wcslcat(path, L"\\", new_wpath_len + 1);
+        SDL_wcslcat(path, worg, new_wpath_len + 1);
+        SDL_free(worg);
+    }
 
     api_result = CreateDirectoryW(path, NULL);
     if (api_result == FALSE) {
@@ -219,3 +229,5 @@ SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
 }
 
 #endif /* __WINRT__ */
+
+/* vi: set ts=4 sw=4 expandtab: */
diff --git a/test/testfilesystem.c b/test/testfilesystem.c
index 6d6eab4db..e8a3b3c36 100644
--- a/test/testfilesystem.c
+++ b/test/testfilesystem.c
@@ -46,6 +46,15 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     SDL_Log("pref path: '%s'\n", pref_path); 
     SDL_free(pref_path);
 
+    pref_path = SDL_GetPrefPath(NULL, "testfilesystem");
+    if(pref_path == NULL){
+      SDL_LogError(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_APPLICATION, "Couldn't find pref path without organization: %s\n",
+                   SDL_GetError());
+      return 1;
+    }
+    SDL_Log("pref path: '%s'\n", pref_path); 
+    SDL_free(pref_path);
+
     SDL_Quit();
     return 0;
 }