diff --git a/Lib/Bucket/newbucket.cxx b/Lib/Bucket/newbucket.cxx
index fc41418a..ff3c7b42 100644
--- a/Lib/Bucket/newbucket.cxx
+++ b/Lib/Bucket/newbucket.cxx
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ string FGBucket::gen_base_path() const {
 
     FGPath path( raw_path );
 
-    return path.get_path();
+    return path.str();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/Lib/Misc/fgpath.cxx b/Lib/Misc/fgpath.cxx
index 73212818..a49c025f 100644
--- a/Lib/Misc/fgpath.cxx
+++ b/Lib/Misc/fgpath.cxx
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ FGPath::FGPath() {
 
 // create a path based on "path"
 FGPath::FGPath( const string p ) {
-    path = fix_path( p );
+    set( p );
 }
 
 
@@ -60,7 +60,13 @@ FGPath::~FGPath() {
 }
 
 
-// append to the existing path
+// set path
+void FGPath::set( const string p ) {
+    path = fix_path( p );
+}
+
+
+// append another piece to the existing path
 void FGPath::append( const string p ) {
     string part = fix_path( p );
 
@@ -73,3 +79,16 @@ void FGPath::append( const string p ) {
 	path += part;
     }
 }
+
+
+// concatenate a string to the end of the path without inserting a
+// path separator
+void FGPath::concat( const string p ) {
+    string part = fix_path( p );
+
+    if ( path.size() == 0 ) {
+	path = part;
+    } else {
+	path += part;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Lib/Misc/fgpath.hxx b/Lib/Misc/fgpath.hxx
index 801b4513..a3d3fc71 100644
--- a/Lib/Misc/fgpath.hxx
+++ b/Lib/Misc/fgpath.hxx
@@ -60,12 +60,19 @@ public:
     // destructor
     ~FGPath();
 
-    // append to the existing path
+    // set path
+    void set( const string p );
+
+    // append another piece to the existing path
     void append( const string p );
 
+    // concatenate a string to the end of the path without inserting a
+    // path separator
+    void concat( const string p );
+
     // get the path string
-    inline string get_path() const { return path; }
-    inline const char *get_path_c_str() { return path.c_str(); }
+    inline string str() const { return path; }
+    inline const char *c_str() { return path.c_str(); }
 };