diff --git a/src/blackmisc/aviation/airlineicaocode.cpp b/src/blackmisc/aviation/airlineicaocode.cpp
index a14c8b80d..43ab9123e 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/aviation/airlineicaocode.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/aviation/airlineicaocode.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         {
             if (this->m_designator.length() > 2)
             {
-                return CIcon("images/airlines/" + m_designator.toLower() + ".png",
+                // relative to images
+                return CIcon("airlines/" + m_designator.toLower() + ".png",
                              this->convertToQString());
             }
             else
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/country.cpp b/src/blackmisc/country.cpp
index 88271dbee..794b90c25 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/country.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/country.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ namespace BlackMisc
     {
         if (this->m_dbKey.length() == 2)
         {
-            return CIcon("images/flags/" + m_dbKey.toLower() + ".png",
+            // relative to images
+            return CIcon("flags/" + m_dbKey.toLower() + ".png",
                          this->convertToQString());
         }
         else
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/icons.cpp b/src/blackmisc/icons.cpp
index 2464495ee..03c374c12 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/icons.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/icons.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
  */
 
 #include "icons.h"
+#include "blackmisc/project.h"
+#include "blackmisc/fileutilities.h"
 #include <QImage>
 #include <QIcon>
 #include <QPainter>
@@ -1079,9 +1081,7 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         Q_ASSERT_X(!fileName.isEmpty(), Q_FUNC_INFO, "missing filename");
         if (!getResourceFileCache().contains(fileName))
         {
-            QString path = fileName.contains("resources") ?
-                           QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath().append("/").append(fileName) :
-                           QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath().append("/resources/").append(fileName);
+            QString path = CFileUtils::appendFilePaths(CProject::getImagesDir(), fileName);
             QPixmap pm;
             bool s = pm.load(path);
             if (s)
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/project.cpp b/src/blackmisc/project.cpp
index 02a86d29b..609872e42 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/project.cpp
+++ b/src/blackmisc/project.cpp
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "project.h"
+#include "blackmisc/fileutilities.h"
 #include <QStringList>
 #include <QCoreApplication>
 #include <QProcessEnvironment>
@@ -254,35 +255,66 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         return QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().value(envVarPrivateSetupDir());
     }
 
-    QString CProject::getApplicationDir()
+    QString getApplicationDir_()
     {
         QFileInfo executable(QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath());
         QDir p(executable.dir());
         return p.absolutePath();
     }
 
-    QString CProject::getSwiftResourceDir()
+    const QString &CProject::getApplicationDir()
     {
-        QDir dir(getApplicationDir());
+        static const QString s(getApplicationDir_());
+        return s;
+    }
+
+    QString getSwiftResourceDir_()
+    {
+        QDir dir(CProject::getApplicationDir());
         if (dir.cdUp()) { return dir.absolutePath(); }
         return "";
     }
 
+    const QString &CProject::getSwiftResourceDir()
+    {
+        static const QString s(getSwiftResourceDir_());
+        return s;
+    }
+
     QString CProject::getSwiftPrivateResourceDir()
     {
         static const QString dir(envVarPrivateSetupDirValue());
         return dir;
     }
 
-    QString CProject::getSwiftStaticDbFilesDir()
+    QString getSwiftStaticDbFilesDir_()
     {
-        QString d(getSwiftResourceDir());
+        QString d(CProject::getSwiftResourceDir());
         if (d.isEmpty()) { return ""; }
         QDir dir(d);
         if (dir.cd("swiftDB")) { return dir.absolutePath(); }
         return "";
     }
 
+    const QString &CProject::getSwiftStaticDbFilesDir()
+    {
+        static QString s(getSwiftResourceDir_());
+        return s;
+    }
+
+    QString getImagesDir_()
+    {
+        QString d(CProject::getSwiftResourceDir());
+        if (d.isEmpty()) return "";
+        return CFileUtils::appendFilePaths(d, "data/images");
+    }
+
+    const QString &CProject::getImagesDir()
+    {
+        static const QString s(getImagesDir_());
+        return s;
+    }
+
     QString CProject::getEnvironmentVariables(const QString &separator)
     {
         QString e(envDevelopmentSetup());
diff --git a/src/blackmisc/project.h b/src/blackmisc/project.h
index 2d8349cc7..412bdbda8 100644
--- a/src/blackmisc/project.h
+++ b/src/blackmisc/project.h
@@ -100,16 +100,19 @@ namespace BlackMisc
         static bool isRunningInBetaOrDeveloperEnvironment();
 
         //! Application directory where current application is located
-        static QString getApplicationDir();
+        static const QString &getApplicationDir();
 
         //! Where resource files (static DB files, ...) etc are located
-        static QString getSwiftResourceDir();
+        static const QString &getSwiftResourceDir();
 
         //! Private resource dir for developer's own resource files
         static QString getSwiftPrivateResourceDir();
 
-        //! Where resource files (static DB files, ...) etc are located
-        static QString getSwiftStaticDbFilesDir();
+        //! Where static DB files are located
+        static const QString &getSwiftStaticDbFilesDir();
+
+        //! Where images are located
+        static const QString &getImagesDir();
 
         //! Dump all env.variables
         static QString getEnvironmentVariables(const QString &separator = QString("\n"));