diff --git a/src/filemanager/file.c b/src/filemanager/file.c
index 8ded73c9d..1428ae6f8 100644
--- a/src/filemanager/file.c
+++ b/src/filemanager/file.c
@@ -1386,7 +1386,7 @@ erase_file (file_op_total_context_t *tctx, file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_pat
     FileProgressStatus return_status;
 
     /* check buttons if deleting info was changed */
-    if (file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, vfs_path_as_str (vpath), &tctx->progress_count))
+    if (file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, vpath, &tctx->progress_count))
     {
         file_progress_show_count (ctx, tctx->progress_count, ctx->progress_count);
         if (check_progress_buttons (ctx) == FILE_ABORT)
@@ -1413,10 +1413,13 @@ erase_file (file_op_total_context_t *tctx, file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_pat
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 static FileProgressStatus
-try_erase_dir (file_op_context_t *ctx, const char *dir)
+try_erase_dir (file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_path_t *vpath)
 {
+    const char *dir;
     FileProgressStatus return_status = FILE_CONT;
 
+    dir = vfs_path_as_str (vpath);
+
     while (my_rmdir (dir) != 0 && !ctx->skip_all)
     {
         return_status = file_error (TRUE, _("Cannot remove directory \"%s\"\n%s"), dir);
@@ -1442,7 +1445,6 @@ recursive_erase (file_op_total_context_t *tctx, file_op_context_t *ctx, const vf
 {
     struct vfs_dirent *next;
     DIR *reading;
-    const char *s;
     FileProgressStatus return_status = FILE_CONT;
 
     reading = mc_opendir (vpath);
@@ -1475,16 +1477,14 @@ recursive_erase (file_op_total_context_t *tctx, file_op_context_t *ctx, const vf
     if (return_status == FILE_ABORT)
         return FILE_ABORT;
 
-    s = vfs_path_as_str (vpath);
-
-    file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, s, NULL);
+    file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, vpath, NULL);
     file_progress_show_count (ctx, tctx->progress_count, ctx->progress_count);
     if (check_progress_buttons (ctx) == FILE_ABORT)
         return FILE_ABORT;
 
     mc_refresh ();
 
-    return try_erase_dir (ctx, s);
+    return try_erase_dir (ctx, vpath);
 }
 
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -1528,11 +1528,7 @@ check_dir_is_empty (const vfs_path_t *vpath)
 static FileProgressStatus
 erase_dir_iff_empty (file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_path_t *vpath, size_t count)
 {
-    const char *s;
-
-    s = vfs_path_as_str (vpath);
-
-    file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, s, NULL);
+    file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, vpath, NULL);
     file_progress_show_count (ctx, count, ctx->progress_count);
     if (check_progress_buttons (ctx) == FILE_ABORT)
         return FILE_ABORT;
@@ -1543,10 +1539,9 @@ erase_dir_iff_empty (file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_path_t *vpath, size_t cou
         return FILE_CONT;
 
     /* not empty or error */
-    return try_erase_dir (ctx, s);
+    return try_erase_dir (ctx, vpath);
 }
 
-
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 static void
@@ -3258,7 +3253,7 @@ move_dir_dir (file_op_total_context_t *tctx, file_op_context_t *ctx, const char
 FileProgressStatus
 erase_dir (file_op_total_context_t *tctx, file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_path_t *vpath)
 {
-    file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, vfs_path_as_str (vpath), NULL);
+    file_progress_show_deleting (ctx, vpath, NULL);
     file_progress_show_count (ctx, tctx->progress_count, ctx->progress_count);
     if (check_progress_buttons (ctx) == FILE_ABORT)
         return FILE_ABORT;
@@ -3282,7 +3277,7 @@ erase_dir (file_op_total_context_t *tctx, file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_path
         return error;
     }
 
-    return try_erase_dir (ctx, vfs_path_as_str (vpath));
+    return try_erase_dir (ctx, vpath);
 }
 
 /* }}} */
diff --git a/src/filemanager/filegui.c b/src/filemanager/filegui.c
index e3f6b5442..b6b0032d8 100644
--- a/src/filemanager/filegui.c
+++ b/src/filemanager/filegui.c
@@ -1176,7 +1176,7 @@ file_progress_show_target (file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_path_t *vpath)
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 gboolean
-file_progress_show_deleting (file_op_context_t *ctx, const char *s, size_t *count)
+file_progress_show_deleting (file_op_context_t *ctx, const vfs_path_t *vpath, size_t *count)
 {
     static gint64 timestamp = 0;
     /* update with 25 FPS rate */
@@ -1192,12 +1192,14 @@ file_progress_show_deleting (file_op_context_t *ctx, const char *s, size_t *coun
     if (ret)
     {
         file_op_context_ui_t *ui;
+        const char *s;
 
         ui = ctx->ui;
 
         if (ui->src_file_label != NULL)
             label_set_text (ui->src_file_label, _("Deleting"));
 
+        s = vfs_path_as_str (vpath);
         label_set_text (ui->src_file, truncFileStringSecure (ui->op_dlg, s));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/filemanager/filegui.h b/src/filemanager/filegui.h
index 47e17ab68..0eb412845 100644
--- a/src/filemanager/filegui.h
+++ b/src/filemanager/filegui.h
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ void file_progress_show_total (file_op_total_context_t * tctx, file_op_context_t
                                uintmax_t copied_bytes, gboolean show_summary);
 void file_progress_show_source (file_op_context_t * ctx, const vfs_path_t * vpath);
 void file_progress_show_target (file_op_context_t * ctx, const vfs_path_t * vpath);
-gboolean file_progress_show_deleting (file_op_context_t * ctx, const char *path, size_t *count);
+gboolean file_progress_show_deleting (file_op_context_t * ctx, const vfs_path_t * vpath,
+                                      size_t *count);
 
 /*** inline functions ****************************************************************************/
 #endif /* MC__FILEGUI_H */