diff --git a/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.cpp b/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.cpp
index 8ee1438..78ee049 100644
--- a/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.cpp
+++ b/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.cpp
@@ -58,10 +58,10 @@ void ComponentPlugin::initEncoding() {
 std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent>
 ComponentPlugin::createTransport(const std::string &name, ITransportSdk *sdk,
                                  const std::string &roleName,
-                                 const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
+                                 PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
   TRACE_METHOD(path, name);
   initTransport();
-  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = fs::path(path).parent_path().string();
+  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = path;
   ITransportComponent *transport =
       createTransportImpl(name.c_str(), sdk, roleName.c_str(), pluginConfig);
   return std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent>(transport, destroyTransportImpl);
@@ -70,10 +70,10 @@ ComponentPlugin::createTransport(const std::string &name, ITransportSdk *sdk,
 std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent>
 ComponentPlugin::createUserModel(const std::string &name, IUserModelSdk *sdk,
                                  const std::string &roleName,
-                                 const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
+                                 PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
   TRACE_METHOD(path, name);
   initUserModel();
-  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = fs::path(path).parent_path().string();
+  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = path;
   return std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent>(
       createUserModelImpl(name.c_str(), sdk, roleName.c_str(), pluginConfig),
       destroyUserModelImpl);
@@ -82,10 +82,10 @@ ComponentPlugin::createUserModel(const std::string &name, IUserModelSdk *sdk,
 std::shared_ptr<IEncodingComponent>
 ComponentPlugin::createEncoding(const std::string &name, IEncodingSdk *sdk,
                                 const std::string &roleName,
-                                const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
+                                PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
   TRACE_METHOD(path, name);
   initEncoding();
-  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = fs::path(path).parent_path().string();
+  const std::string pluginPath = path;
   return std::shared_ptr<IEncodingComponent>(
       createEncodingImpl(name.c_str(), sdk, roleName.c_str(), pluginConfig),
       destroyEncodingImpl);
diff --git a/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.h b/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.h
index a083f09..e8381a3 100644
--- a/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.h
+++ b/source/plugin-loading/ComponentPlugin.h
@@ -34,15 +34,15 @@ struct ComponentPlugin : public IComponentPlugin {
   virtual std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent>
   createTransport(const std::string &name, ITransportSdk *sdk,
                   const std::string &roleName,
-                  const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
+                  PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
   virtual std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent>
   createUserModel(const std::string &name, IUserModelSdk *sdk,
                   const std::string &roleName,
-                  const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
+                  PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
   virtual std::shared_ptr<IEncodingComponent>
   createEncoding(const std::string &name, IEncodingSdk *sdk,
                  const std::string &roleName,
-                 const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
+                 PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
 
   virtual std::string get_path() override;
 
diff --git a/source/plugin-loading/IComponentPlugin.h b/source/plugin-loading/IComponentPlugin.h
index 8a27e59..7050407 100644
--- a/source/plugin-loading/IComponentPlugin.h
+++ b/source/plugin-loading/IComponentPlugin.h
@@ -31,15 +31,15 @@ struct IComponentPlugin {
   virtual std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent>
   createTransport(const std::string &name, ITransportSdk *sdk,
                   const std::string &roleName,
-                  const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) = 0;
+                  PluginConfig &pluginConfig) = 0;
   virtual std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent>
   createUserModel(const std::string &name, IUserModelSdk *sdk,
                   const std::string &roleName,
-                  const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) = 0;
+                  PluginConfig &pluginConfig) = 0;
   virtual std::shared_ptr<IEncodingComponent>
   createEncoding(const std::string &name, IEncodingSdk *sdk,
                  const std::string &roleName,
-                 const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) = 0;
+                 PluginConfig &pluginConfig) = 0;
   virtual std::string get_path() = 0;
 };
 
diff --git a/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.cpp b/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.cpp
index 89fedcf..d59cf9b 100644
--- a/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.cpp
+++ b/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.cpp
@@ -149,10 +149,10 @@ PythonComponentPlugin::PythonComponentPlugin(
 
 std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent> PythonComponentPlugin::createTransport(
     const std::string &name, ITransportSdk *sdk, const std::string &roleName,
-    const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
+    PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
   TRACE_METHOD(path, name);
   initPython("", pythonModulePath, pythonShimsPath);
-  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = fs::path(path).string();
+  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = path;
   return std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent>(
       static_cast<ITransportComponent *>(createPythonComponentPlugin(
           FUNC_CREATE_TRANSPORT, path, pythonModule, SDK_TYPE_TRANSPORT,
@@ -162,10 +162,10 @@ std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent> PythonComponentPlugin::createTransport(
 
 std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent> PythonComponentPlugin::createUserModel(
     const std::string &name, IUserModelSdk *sdk, const std::string &roleName,
-    const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
+    PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
   TRACE_METHOD(path, name);
   initPython("", pythonModulePath, pythonShimsPath);
-  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = fs::path(path).string();
+  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = path;
   return std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent>(
       static_cast<IUserModelComponent *>(createPythonComponentPlugin(
           FUNC_CREATE_USER_MODEL, path, pythonModule, SDK_TYPE_USER_MODEL,
@@ -175,10 +175,10 @@ std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent> PythonComponentPlugin::createUserModel(
 
 std::shared_ptr<IEncodingComponent> PythonComponentPlugin::createEncoding(
     const std::string &name, IEncodingSdk *sdk, const std::string &roleName,
-    const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
+    PluginConfig &pluginConfig) {
   TRACE_METHOD(path, name);
   initPython("", pythonModulePath, pythonShimsPath);
-  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = fs::path(path).string();
+  pluginConfig.pluginDirectory = path;
   return std::shared_ptr<IEncodingComponent>(
       static_cast<IEncodingComponent *>(createPythonComponentPlugin(
           FUNC_CREATE_ENCODING, path, pythonModule, SDK_TYPE_ENCODING,
diff --git a/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.h b/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.h
index 727ad59..d434e7a 100644
--- a/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.h
+++ b/source/plugin-loading/PythonComponentPlugin.h
@@ -52,15 +52,15 @@ struct PythonComponentPlugin : public IComponentPlugin {
   virtual std::shared_ptr<ITransportComponent>
   createTransport(const std::string &name, ITransportSdk *sdk,
                   const std::string &roleName,
-                  const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
+                  PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
   virtual std::shared_ptr<IUserModelComponent>
   createUserModel(const std::string &name, IUserModelSdk *sdk,
                   const std::string &roleName,
-                  const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
+                  PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
   virtual std::shared_ptr<IEncodingComponent>
   createEncoding(const std::string &name, IEncodingSdk *sdk,
                  const std::string &roleName,
-                 const PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
+                 PluginConfig &pluginConfig) override;
 
   virtual std::string get_path() override;