diff --git a/src/chat_gui4.cpp b/src/chat_gui4.cpp
index fab54bca..227a75eb 100644
--- a/src/chat_gui4.cpp
+++ b/src/chat_gui4.cpp
@@ -737,7 +737,11 @@ void ChatGui4::renderMessageBodyFile(Message3Registry& reg, const Message3 e) {
 	) {
 		if (ImGui::Button("save to")) {
 			_fss.requestFile(
-				[](const auto& path) -> bool { return std::filesystem::is_directory(path); },
+				[](std::filesystem::path& path) -> bool {
+					// remove file path
+					path.remove_filename();
+					return std::filesystem::is_directory(path);
+				},
 				[this, &reg, e](const auto& path) {
 					if (reg.valid(e)) { // still valid
 						// TODO: trim file?
diff --git a/src/file_selector.cpp b/src/file_selector.cpp
index cc5a7d24..05ca9c04 100644
--- a/src/file_selector.cpp
+++ b/src/file_selector.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ FileSelector::FileSelector(void) {
 }
 
 void FileSelector::requestFile(
-	std::function<bool(const std::filesystem::path& path)>&& is_valid,
+	std::function<bool(std::filesystem::path& path)>&& is_valid,
 	std::function<void(const std::filesystem::path& path)>&& on_choose,
 	std::function<void(void)>&& on_cancel
 ) {
@@ -77,7 +77,9 @@ void FileSelector::render(void) {
 			if (current_path.has_parent_path()) {
 				if (ImGui::TableNextColumn()) {
 					if (ImGui::Selectable("D##..", false, ImGuiSelectableFlags_SpanAllColumns | ImGuiSelectableFlags_AllowItemOverlap)) {
-						_current_file_path = _current_file_path.parent_path();
+						// the first "parent_path()" only removes the filename and the ending "/"
+						_current_file_path = _current_file_path.parent_path().parent_path() / "";
+						//_current_file_path = _current_file_path.remove_filename().parent_path() / "";
 					}
 				}
 
diff --git a/src/file_selector.hpp b/src/file_selector.hpp
index 2a783a99..33620bff 100644
--- a/src/file_selector.hpp
+++ b/src/file_selector.hpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ struct FileSelector {
 
 	bool _open_popup {false};
 
-	std::function<bool(const std::filesystem::path& path)> _is_valid = [](auto){ return true; };
+	std::function<bool(std::filesystem::path& path)> _is_valid = [](auto){ return true; };
 	std::function<void(const std::filesystem::path& path)> _on_choose = [](auto){};
 	std::function<void(void)> _on_cancel = [](){};
 
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ struct FileSelector {
 		FileSelector(void);
 
 		// TODO: supply hints
+		// HACK: until we supply hints, is_valid can modify
 		void requestFile(
-			std::function<bool(const std::filesystem::path& path)>&& is_valid,
+			std::function<bool(std::filesystem::path& path)>&& is_valid,
 			std::function<void(const std::filesystem::path& path)>&& on_choose,
 			std::function<void(void)>&& on_cancel
 		);