2 files changed, 20 insertions, 15 deletions
diff --git a/src/util/system.cpp b/src/util/system.cpp
index aa9122106b..1ad701c56d 100644
--- a/src/util/system.cpp
+++ b/src/util/system.cpp
@@ -387,9 +387,12 @@ std::optional<unsigned int> ArgsManager::GetArgFlags(const std::string& name) co
     return std::nullopt;
 }
 
-fs::path ArgsManager::GetPathArg(std::string pathlike_arg) const
+fs::path ArgsManager::GetPathArg(std::string arg, const fs::path& default_value) const
 {
-    auto result = fs::PathFromString(GetArg(pathlike_arg, "")).lexically_normal();
+    if (IsArgNegated(arg)) return fs::path{};
+    std::string path_str = GetArg(arg, "");
+    if (path_str.empty()) return default_value;
+    fs::path result = fs::PathFromString(path_str).lexically_normal();
     // Remove trailing slash, if present.
     return result.has_filename() ? result : result.parent_path();
 }
@@ -516,12 +519,12 @@ bool ArgsManager::InitSettings(std::string& error)
 
 bool ArgsManager::GetSettingsPath(fs::path* filepath, bool temp) const
 {
-    if (IsArgNegated("-settings")) {
+    fs::path settings = GetPathArg("-settings", fs::path{BITCOIN_SETTINGS_FILENAME});
+    if (settings.empty()) {
         return false;
     }
     if (filepath) {
-        std::string settings = GetArg("-settings", BITCOIN_SETTINGS_FILENAME);
-        *filepath = fsbridge::AbsPathJoin(GetDataDirNet(), fs::PathFromString(temp ? settings + ".tmp" : settings));
+        *filepath = fsbridge::AbsPathJoin(GetDataDirNet(), temp ? settings + ".tmp" : settings);
     }
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/util/system.h b/src/util/system.h
index f193c8ac0b..a66b597d41 100644
--- a/src/util/system.h
+++ b/src/util/system.h
@@ -271,16 +271,6 @@ protected:
     std::optional<const Command> GetCommand() const;
 
     /**
-     * Get a normalized path from a specified pathlike argument
-     *
-     * It is guaranteed that the returned path has no trailing slashes.
-     *
-     * @param pathlike_arg Pathlike argument to get a path from (e.g., "-datadir", "-blocksdir" or "-walletdir")
-     * @return Normalized path which is get from a specified pathlike argument
-     */
-    fs::path GetPathArg(std::string pathlike_arg) const;
-
-    /**
      * Get blocks directory path
      *
      * @return Blocks path which is network specific
@@ -343,6 +333,18 @@ protected:
     std::string GetArg(const std::string& strArg, const std::string& strDefault) const;
 
     /**
+     * Return path argument or default value
+     *
+     * @param arg Argument to get a path from (e.g., "-datadir", "-blocksdir" or "-walletdir")
+     * @param default_value Optional default value to return instead of the empty path.
+     * @return normalized path if argument is set, with redundant "." and ".."
+     * path components and trailing separators removed (see patharg unit test
+     * for examples or implementation for details). If argument is empty or not
+     * set, default_value is returned unchanged.
+     */
+    fs::path GetPathArg(std::string arg, const fs::path& default_value = {}) const;
+
+    /**
      * Return integer argument or default value
      *
      * @param strArg Argument to get (e.g. "-foo")