diff --git a/lib/core/config.js b/lib/core/config.js
index 13372037d..a43d4c5dc 100644
--- a/lib/core/config.js
+++ b/lib/core/config.js
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ Config.prototype._getFileOrOject = function(object, filePath, property) {
   if (typeof (this.configDir) === 'object') {
     return this.configDir[property];
   }
-  return this.configDir + filePath;
+  return utils.joinPath(this.configDir, filePath);
 };
 
 Config.prototype.loadBlockchainConfigFile = function() {
diff --git a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
index d830de593..2f95ba544 100644
--- a/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
+++ b/lib/pipeline/pipeline.js
@@ -31,10 +31,7 @@ class Pipeline {
       function createPlaceholderPage(next){
         self.events.request('embark-building-placeholder', (html) => {
           fs.mkdirpSync(self.buildDir); // create dist/ folder if not already exists
-          fs.writeFile(self.buildDir + 'index.html', html, next);
-          // ^ ?? should this use path.join instead? templates' embark.json
-          // files have a '/' hardcoded on the end of buildDir but that doesn't
-          // seem too resilient
+          fs.writeFile(utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, 'index.html'), html, next);
         });
       },
       function buildTheContracts(next) {
@@ -117,7 +114,7 @@ class Pipeline {
             const isDir = targetFile.slice(-1) === '/' || targetFile.indexOf('.') === -1;
             // if it's not a directory
             if (!isDir) {
-              self.logger.info(__("writing file") + " " + (self.buildDir + targetFile).bold.dim);
+              self.logger.info(__("writing file") + " " + (utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, targetFile)).bold.dim);
             }
             async.map(
               files,
@@ -160,8 +157,8 @@ class Pipeline {
                   self.logger.error(__('errors found while generating') + ' ' + targetFile);
                 }
                 let dir = targetFile.split('/').slice(0, -1).join('/');
-                self.logger.trace("creating dir " + self.buildDir + dir);
-                fs.mkdirpSync(self.buildDir + dir);
+                self.logger.trace("creating dir " + utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, dir));
+                fs.mkdirpSync(utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, dir));
 
                 // if it's a directory
                 if (isDir) {
@@ -173,9 +170,9 @@ class Pipeline {
 
                   async.each(contentFiles, function (file, mapCb) {
                     let filename = file.filename.replace(file.basedir + '/', '');
-                    self.logger.info("writing file " + (self.buildDir + targetDir + filename).bold.dim);
+                    self.logger.info("writing file " + (utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, targetDir, filename)).bold.dim);
 
-                    fs.copy(file.path, self.buildDir + targetDir + filename, {overwrite: true}, mapCb);
+                    fs.copy(file.path, utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, targetDir, filename), {overwrite: true}, mapCb);
                   }, cb);
                   return;
                 }
@@ -191,7 +188,7 @@ class Pipeline {
                   targetFile = targetFile.replace('index', 'index-temp');
                   placeholderPage = targetFile;
                 }
-                fs.writeFile(self.buildDir + targetFile, content, cb);
+                fs.writeFile(utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, targetFile), content, cb);
               }
             );
           },
@@ -199,8 +196,8 @@ class Pipeline {
         );
       },
       function removePlaceholderPage(next){
-        let placeholderFile = self.buildDir + placeholderPage;
-        fs.access(self.buildDir + placeholderPage, (err) => {
+        let placeholderFile = utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, placeholderPage);
+        fs.access(utils.joinPath(self.buildDir, placeholderPage), (err) => {
           if (err) return next(); // index-temp doesn't exist, do nothing
 
           // rename index-temp.htm/l to index.htm/l, effectively replacing our placeholder page