diff --git a/source/lib/file/vfs/vfs_lookup.cpp b/source/lib/file/vfs/vfs_lookup.cpp
index 5535cabbc7..0b0681ae6e 100644
--- a/source/lib/file/vfs/vfs_lookup.cpp
+++ b/source/lib/file/vfs/vfs_lookup.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (C) 2025 Wildfire Games.
+/* Copyright (C) 2026 Wildfire Games.
  *
  * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
  * a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
@@ -38,40 +38,26 @@
 #include "lib/os_path.h"
 #include "lib/path.h"
 #include "lib/posix/posix_filesystem.h"
-#include "lib/sysdep/filesystem.h"
 
-#include <cerrno>
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <string>
+#include <system_error>
 
-static Status CreateDirectory(const OsPath& path)
+static Status CreateDirectory(const OsPath& dirpath)
 {
-	{
-		const mode_t mode = S_IRWXU; // 0700 as prescribed by XDG basedir
-		const int ret = wmkdir(path, mode);
-		if(ret == 0)	// success
-			return INFO::OK;
-	}
+	const std::filesystem::path path{dirpath.string()};
+	std::error_code ec{};
 
-	// Failed because the directory already exists.
-	// Return 'success' to attach the existing directory.
-	if(errno == EEXIST)
-	{
-		// But first ensure it's really a directory
-		// (otherwise, a file is "in the way" and needs to be deleted).
-		struct stat s;
-		const int ret = wstat(path, &s);
-		ENSURE(ret == 0);	// (wmkdir said it existed)
-		ENSURE(S_ISDIR(s.st_mode));
+    if (std::filesystem::is_directory(path))
 		return INFO::OK;
-	}
 
-	if (errno == EACCES)
-		return ERR::FILE_ACCESS;
+	std::filesystem::create_directory(path, ec);
+	if (ec)
+		return StatusFromSystemError(ec);
 
-	// unexpected failure
-	debug_printf("wmkdir failed with errno=%d\n", errno);
-	DEBUG_WARN_ERR(ERR::LOGIC);
-	WARN_RETURN(StatusFromErrno());
+	// 0700 as prescribed by XDG basedir
+	std::filesystem::permissions(path, std::filesystem::perms::owner_all, ec);
+	return StatusFromSystemError(ec);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/source/lib/sysdep/filesystem.h b/source/lib/sysdep/filesystem.h
index 7d0c72f059..e2c21d35b1 100644
--- a/source/lib/sysdep/filesystem.h
+++ b/source/lib/sysdep/filesystem.h
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ extern int wclose(int fd);
 // sys/stat.h
 //
 
-int wstat(const OsPath& pathname, struct stat* buf);
-
 int wmkdir(const OsPath& path, mode_t mode);
 
 #endif	// #ifndef INCLUDED_SYSDEP_FILESYSTEM
diff --git a/source/lib/sysdep/os/unix/ufilesystem.cpp b/source/lib/sysdep/os/unix/ufilesystem.cpp
index 9444390c1d..60631ad354 100644
--- a/source/lib/sysdep/os/unix/ufilesystem.cpp
+++ b/source/lib/sysdep/os/unix/ufilesystem.cpp
@@ -98,11 +98,6 @@ int wrename(const OsPath& pathnameOld, const OsPath& pathnameNew)
 	return rename(OsString(pathnameOld).c_str(), OsString(pathnameNew).c_str());
 }
 
-int wstat(const OsPath& pathname, struct stat* buf)
-{
-	return stat(OsString(pathname).c_str(), buf);
-}
-
 int wmkdir(const OsPath& path, mode_t mode)
 {
 	return mkdir(OsString(path).c_str(), mode);
diff --git a/source/lib/sysdep/os/win/wposix/wfilesystem.cpp b/source/lib/sysdep/os/win/wposix/wfilesystem.cpp
index 6bbe3b88b9..66a48b6704 100644
--- a/source/lib/sysdep/os/win/wposix/wfilesystem.cpp
+++ b/source/lib/sysdep/os/win/wposix/wfilesystem.cpp
@@ -160,9 +160,3 @@ int wmkdir(const OsPath& path, mode_t)
 
 	return 0;
 }
-
-
-int wstat(const OsPath& pathname, struct stat* buf)
-{
-	return _wstat64(OsString(pathname).c_str(), buf);
-}
diff --git a/source/lib/sysdep/tests/test_sysdep.h b/source/lib/sysdep/tests/test_sysdep.h
index 657de94037..c6916158d3 100644
--- a/source/lib/sysdep/tests/test_sysdep.h
+++ b/source/lib/sysdep/tests/test_sysdep.h
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include <cstdio>
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <cwchar>
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <string>
 
 class TestSysdep : public CxxTest::TestSuite
@@ -59,8 +60,7 @@ public:
 		// Check it's absolute
 		TSM_ASSERT(L"Path: "+path.string(), path_is_absolute(path.string().c_str()));
 		// Check the file exists
-		struct stat s;
-		TSM_ASSERT_EQUALS(L"Path: "+path.string(), wstat(path, &s), 0);
+		TS_ASSERT(std::filesystem::is_regular_file(path.string()));
 	}
 
 private: