diff --git a/include/qemu-common.h b/include/qemu-common.h
index bb9496bd80..b856bfcec4 100644
--- a/include/qemu-common.h
+++ b/include/qemu-common.h
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ char *qemu_find_file(int type, const char *name);
 
 /* OS specific functions */
 void os_setup_early_signal_handling(void);
-char *os_find_datadir(void);
 int os_parse_cmd_args(int index, const char *optarg);
 
 /*
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 4b6a5c459c..817ff4cf75 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ extern const char *qemu_name;
 extern QemuUUID qemu_uuid;
 extern bool qemu_uuid_set;
 
-void qemu_add_data_dir(const char *path);
+void qemu_add_data_dir(char *path);
 
 void qemu_add_exit_notifier(Notifier *notify);
 void qemu_remove_exit_notifier(Notifier *notify);
diff --git a/os-posix.c b/os-posix.c
index 8d8e7fc15c..af91089c01 100644
--- a/os-posix.c
+++ b/os-posix.c
@@ -80,26 +80,6 @@ void os_setup_signal_handling(void)
     sigaction(SIGTERM, &act, NULL);
 }
 
-/*
- * Find a likely location for support files using the location of the binary.
- * When running from the build tree this will be "$bindir/pc-bios".
- * Otherwise, this is CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR.
- *
- * The caller must use g_free() to free the returned data when it is
- * no longer required.
- */
-char *os_find_datadir(void)
-{
-    g_autofree char *dir = NULL;
-
-    dir = g_build_filename(qemu_get_exec_dir(), "pc-bios", NULL);
-    if (g_file_test(dir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
-        return g_steal_pointer(&dir);
-    }
-
-    return g_strdup(CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR);
-}
-
 void os_set_proc_name(const char *s)
 {
 #if defined(PR_SET_NAME)
diff --git a/os-win32.c b/os-win32.c
index eb8501b9e5..fd1137bab1 100644
--- a/os-win32.c
+++ b/os-win32.c
@@ -57,17 +57,6 @@ void os_setup_early_signal_handling(void)
     atexit(os_undo_timer_resolution);
 }
 
-/*
- * Look for support files in the same directory as the executable.
- *
- * The caller must use g_free() to free the returned data when it is
- * no longer required.
- */
-char *os_find_datadir(void)
-{
-    return g_strdup(qemu_get_exec_dir());
-}
-
 void os_set_line_buffering(void)
 {
     setbuf(stdout, NULL);
diff --git a/softmmu/vl.c b/softmmu/vl.c
index 0cc86b0766..81e325fa44 100644
--- a/softmmu/vl.c
+++ b/softmmu/vl.c
@@ -2005,7 +2005,7 @@ char *qemu_find_file(int type, const char *name)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-void qemu_add_data_dir(const char *path)
+void qemu_add_data_dir(char *path)
 {
     int i;
 
@@ -2017,10 +2017,11 @@ void qemu_add_data_dir(const char *path)
     }
     for (i = 0; i < data_dir_idx; i++) {
         if (strcmp(data_dir[i], path) == 0) {
-            return; /* duplicate */
+            g_free(path); /* duplicate */
+            return;
         }
     }
-    data_dir[data_dir_idx++] = g_strdup(path);
+    data_dir[data_dir_idx++] = path;
 }
 
 static inline bool nonempty_str(const char *str)
@@ -2829,6 +2830,26 @@ static void create_default_memdev(MachineState *ms, const char *path)
                             &error_fatal);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Find a likely location for support files using the location of the binary.
+ * When running from the build tree this will be "$bindir/pc-bios".
+ * Otherwise, this is CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR (possibly relocated).
+ *
+ * The caller must use g_free() to free the returned data when it is
+ * no longer required.
+ */
+static char *find_datadir(void)
+{
+    g_autofree char *dir = NULL;
+
+    dir = g_build_filename(qemu_get_exec_dir(), "pc-bios", NULL);
+    if (g_file_test(dir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
+        return g_steal_pointer(&dir);
+    }
+
+    return get_relocated_path(CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR);
+}
+
 void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 {
     int i;
@@ -2862,7 +2883,7 @@ void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     Error *main_loop_err = NULL;
     Error *err = NULL;
     bool list_data_dirs = false;
-    char *dir, **dirs;
+    char **dirs;
     const char *mem_path = NULL;
     bool have_custom_ram_size;
     BlockdevOptionsQueue bdo_queue = QSIMPLEQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(bdo_queue);
@@ -3195,7 +3216,7 @@ void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                 if (is_help_option(optarg)) {
                     list_data_dirs = true;
                 } else {
-                    qemu_add_data_dir(optarg);
+                    qemu_add_data_dir(g_strdup(optarg));
                 }
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_bios:
@@ -3927,17 +3948,12 @@ void qemu_init(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     /* add configured firmware directories */
     dirs = g_strsplit(CONFIG_QEMU_FIRMWAREPATH, G_SEARCHPATH_SEPARATOR_S, 0);
     for (i = 0; dirs[i] != NULL; i++) {
-        qemu_add_data_dir(dirs[i]);
+        qemu_add_data_dir(get_relocated_path(dirs[i]));
     }
     g_strfreev(dirs);
 
     /* try to find datadir relative to the executable path */
-    dir = os_find_datadir();
-    qemu_add_data_dir(dir);
-    g_free(dir);
-
-    /* add the datadir specified when building */
-    qemu_add_data_dir(CONFIG_QEMU_DATADIR);
+    qemu_add_data_dir(find_datadir());
 
     /* -L help lists the data directories and exits. */
     if (list_data_dirs) {
diff --git a/tests/qtest/fuzz/fuzz.c b/tests/qtest/fuzz/fuzz.c
index 1811cb1d88..d9ef4b3e1e 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/fuzz/fuzz.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/fuzz/fuzz.c
@@ -170,8 +170,9 @@ int LLVMFuzzerInitialize(int *argc, char ***argv, char ***envp)
         datadir = g_build_filename(bindir, "pc-bios", NULL);
         if (g_file_test(datadir, G_FILE_TEST_IS_DIR)) {
             qemu_add_data_dir(datadir);
-        }
-        g_free(datadir);
+        } else {
+            g_free(datadir);
+	}
     } else if (*argc > 1) {  /* The target is specified as an argument */
         target_name = (*argv)[1];
         if (!strstr(target_name, "--fuzz-target=")) {
