diff --git a/helix-core/src/path.rs b/helix-core/src/path.rs
index efa46c46e98f9..de57ff98f5838 100644
--- a/helix-core/src/path.rs
+++ b/helix-core/src/path.rs
@@ -96,12 +96,10 @@ pub fn get_canonicalized_path(path: &Path) -> std::io::Result<PathBuf> {
     Ok(get_normalized_path(path.as_path()))
 }
 
-pub fn get_relative_path(path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
+pub fn get_relative_path(path: &Path) -> std::io::Result<PathBuf> {
     let path = PathBuf::from(path);
     let path = if path.is_absolute() {
-        let cwdir = std::env::current_dir()
-            .map(|path| get_normalized_path(&path))
-            .expect("couldn't determine current directory");
+        let cwdir = std::env::current_dir().map(|path| get_normalized_path(&path))?;
         get_normalized_path(&path)
             .strip_prefix(cwdir)
             .map(PathBuf::from)
@@ -109,7 +107,7 @@ pub fn get_relative_path(path: &Path) -> PathBuf {
     } else {
         path
     };
-    fold_home_dir(&path)
+    Ok(fold_home_dir(&path))
 }
 
 /// Returns a truncated filepath where the basepart of the path is reduced to the first
diff --git a/helix-loader/src/lib.rs b/helix-loader/src/lib.rs
index ad4ad899db67c..fbac4b7d1580a 100644
--- a/helix-loader/src/lib.rs
+++ b/helix-loader/src/lib.rs
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ pub fn merge_toml_values(left: toml::Value, right: toml::Value, merge_depth: usi
 /// If no workspace was found returns (CWD, true).
 /// Otherwise (workspace, false) is returned
 pub fn find_workspace() -> (PathBuf, bool) {
-    let current_dir = std::env::current_dir().expect("unable to determine current directory");
+    let current_dir = std::env::current_dir().unwrap_or_default();
     for ancestor in current_dir.ancestors() {
         if ancestor.join(".git").exists() || ancestor.join(".helix").exists() {
             return (ancestor.to_owned(), false);
diff --git a/helix-term/src/application.rs b/helix-term/src/application.rs
index 7e9684827a9cd..9df02ab9f64b4 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/application.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/application.rs
@@ -585,9 +585,10 @@ impl Application {
         }
 
         // TODO: fix being overwritten by lsp
+        let path = get_relative_path(&doc_save_event.path).unwrap_or(doc_save_event.path);
         self.editor.set_status(format!(
             "'{}' written, {}L {}B",
-            get_relative_path(&doc_save_event.path).to_string_lossy(),
+            path.to_string_lossy(),
             lines,
             bytes
         ));
diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands.rs b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
index b7a22c7b24d6c..160cbeeb6f8a7 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
@@ -2032,6 +2032,7 @@ fn global_search(cx: &mut Context) {
 
         fn format(&self, current_path: &Self::Data) -> Row {
             let relative_path = helix_core::path::get_relative_path(&self.path)
+                .unwrap_or_else(|_| self.path.to_owned())
                 .to_string_lossy()
                 .into_owned();
             if current_path
@@ -2065,7 +2066,7 @@ fn global_search(cx: &mut Context) {
                 .map(|comp| (0.., std::borrow::Cow::Owned(comp.clone())))
                 .collect()
         },
-        move |_editor, regex, event| {
+        move |editor, regex, event| {
             if event != PromptEvent::Validate {
                 return;
             }
@@ -2078,8 +2079,13 @@ fn global_search(cx: &mut Context) {
                     .binary_detection(BinaryDetection::quit(b'\x00'))
                     .build();
 
-                let search_root = std::env::current_dir()
-                    .expect("Global search error: Failed to get current dir");
+                let search_root = match std::env::current_dir() {
+                    Ok(cwd) => cwd,
+                    Err(err) => {
+                        editor.set_error(format!("Global search error: {err}"));
+                        return;
+                    }
+                };
                 let dedup_symlinks = file_picker_config.deduplicate_links;
                 let absolute_root = search_root
                     .canonicalize()
@@ -2151,7 +2157,9 @@ fn global_search(cx: &mut Context) {
         let call: job::Callback = Callback::EditorCompositor(Box::new(
             move |editor: &mut Editor, compositor: &mut Compositor| {
                 if all_matches.is_empty() {
-                    editor.set_status("No matches found");
+                    if !editor.is_err() {
+                        editor.set_status("No matches found");
+                    }
                     return;
                 }
 
@@ -2539,14 +2547,15 @@ fn buffer_picker(cx: &mut Context) {
         type Data = ();
 
         fn format(&self, _data: &Self::Data) -> Row {
-            let path = self
-                .path
-                .as_deref()
-                .map(helix_core::path::get_relative_path);
-            let path = match path.as_deref().and_then(Path::to_str) {
-                Some(path) => path,
-                None => SCRATCH_BUFFER_NAME,
-            };
+            let path = self.path.as_deref().map_or_else(
+                || SCRATCH_BUFFER_NAME.to_owned(),
+                |path| {
+                    helix_core::path::get_relative_path(path)
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| path.into())
+                        .to_string_lossy()
+                        .into_owned()
+                },
+            );
 
             let mut flags = String::new();
             if self.is_modified {
@@ -2556,7 +2565,7 @@ fn buffer_picker(cx: &mut Context) {
                 flags.push('*');
             }
 
-            Row::new([self.id.to_string(), flags, path.to_string()])
+            Row::new([self.id.to_string(), flags, path])
         }
     }
 
@@ -2610,14 +2619,15 @@ fn jumplist_picker(cx: &mut Context) {
         type Data = ();
 
         fn format(&self, _data: &Self::Data) -> Row {
-            let path = self
-                .path
-                .as_deref()
-                .map(helix_core::path::get_relative_path);
-            let path = match path.as_deref().and_then(Path::to_str) {
-                Some(path) => path,
-                None => SCRATCH_BUFFER_NAME,
-            };
+            let path = self.path.as_deref().map_or_else(
+                || SCRATCH_BUFFER_NAME.to_owned(),
+                |path| {
+                    helix_core::path::get_relative_path(path)
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| path.into())
+                        .to_string_lossy()
+                        .into_owned()
+                },
+            );
 
             let mut flags = Vec::new();
             if self.is_current {
diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands/lsp.rs b/helix-term/src/commands/lsp.rs
index 8c3fd13b558cf..1dbc194bc8e78 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands/lsp.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands/lsp.rs
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ impl ui::menu::Item for SymbolInformationItem {
         } else {
             match self.symbol.location.uri.to_file_path() {
                 Ok(path) => {
-                    let get_relative_path = path::get_relative_path(path.as_path());
+                    let get_relative_path = path::get_relative_path(path.as_path()).unwrap_or(path);
                     format!(
                         "{} ({})",
                         &self.symbol.name,
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/mod.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/mod.rs
index ec328ec55cea3..8a72f0d6fa47c 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/mod.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/mod.rs
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ pub mod completers {
                 match path.parent() {
                     Some(path) if !path.as_os_str().is_empty() => path.to_path_buf(),
                     // Path::new("h")'s parent is Some("")...
-                    _ => std::env::current_dir().expect("couldn't determine current directory"),
+                    _ => std::env::current_dir().unwrap_or_default(),
                 }
             };
 
diff --git a/helix-view/src/document.rs b/helix-view/src/document.rs
index bd3c465d41dde..42f86f2f93e01 100644
--- a/helix-view/src/document.rs
+++ b/helix-view/src/document.rs
@@ -1546,10 +1546,12 @@ impl Document {
         &self.selections
     }
 
+    // Get the relative path of the document.
+    // Returns its absolute path in case the relative one could not be computed
     pub fn relative_path(&self) -> Option<PathBuf> {
         self.path
             .as_deref()
-            .map(helix_core::path::get_relative_path)
+            .map(|path| helix_core::path::get_relative_path(path).unwrap_or_else(|_| path.into()))
     }
 
     pub fn display_name(&self) -> Cow<'static, str> {