diff --git a/include/blt/std/loader.h b/include/blt/std/loader.h
index f2e8643..f5cc840 100755
--- a/include/blt/std/loader.h
+++ b/include/blt/std/loader.h
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ namespace blt::fs
         char close = '>';
     };
     
-    std::string getFile(const std::string& path);
+    std::string getFile(std::string_view path);
     
-    std::vector<std::string> getLinesFromFile(const std::string& path);
+    std::vector<std::string> getLinesFromFile(std::string_view path);
     
     /**
      * Recursively include files
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace blt::fs
      * @param guards characters used to identify the parts that specify the file path. if empty it will assume everything after the include header
      * @return a list of lines in all files. added together in order.
      */
-    std::vector<std::string> recursiveInclude(const std::string& path, const std::string& include_header = "#include",
+    std::vector<std::string> recursiveInclude(std::string_view path, const std::string& include_header = "#include",
                                               const std::vector<include_guard>& guards = {{'<',  '>'}, {'"', '"'}});
     
     static inline std::string loadBrainFuckFile(const std::string& path)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ namespace blt::fs
         return buffer;
     }
     
-    static inline std::string loadShaderFile(const std::string& path)
+    static inline std::string loadShaderFile(std::string_view path)
     {
         std::stringstream stringStream;
         
diff --git a/src/blt/std/loader.cpp b/src/blt/std/loader.cpp
index 9efba5c..b13c11f 100755
--- a/src/blt/std/loader.cpp
+++ b/src/blt/std/loader.cpp
@@ -6,18 +6,18 @@
 #include <blt/std/loader.h>
 #include <blt/std/assert.h>
 
-std::vector<std::string> blt::fs::getLinesFromFile(const std::string& path)
+std::vector<std::string> blt::fs::getLinesFromFile(std::string_view path)
 {
     std::string file = getFile(path);
+    // we only use unix line endings here...
+    string::replaceAll(file, "\r", "");
     // split the file into the lines, this way we can get out the #include statements.
     return string::split(file, "\n");
 }
 
-std::vector<std::string> blt::fs::recursiveInclude(const std::string& path, const std::string& include_header,
+std::vector<std::string> blt::fs::recursiveInclude(std::string_view path, const std::string& include_header,
                                                    const std::vector<include_guard>& guards)
 {
-    std::string pathOnly = path.substr(0, path.find_last_of('/'));
-    
     auto mainLines = getLinesFromFile(path);
     std::vector<std::string> return_lines;
     
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ std::vector<std::string> blt::fs::recursiveInclude(const std::string& path, cons
     return return_lines;
 }
 
-std::string blt::fs::getFile(const std::string& path)
+std::string blt::fs::getFile(std::string_view path)
 {
     std::string file_contents;
     std::ifstream the_file;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ std::string blt::fs::getFile(const std::string& path)
     try
     {
         // open file
-        the_file.open(path);
+        the_file.open(std::string(path));
         std::stringstream file_stream;
         // read file's buffer contents into streams
         file_stream << the_file.rdbuf();
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ std::string blt::fs::getFile(const std::string& path)
         file_contents = file_stream.str();
     } catch (std::ifstream::failure& e)
     {
-        BLT_WARN("Unable to read file '%s'!\n", path.c_str());
+        BLT_WARN("Unable to read file '%s'!\n", std::string(path).c_str());
         BLT_WARN("Exception: %s", e.what());
         throw std::runtime_error("Failed to read file!\n");
     }