diff --git a/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Environment.GetFolderPathCore.Unix.cs b/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Environment.GetFolderPathCore.Unix.cs
index 1ec8fd1af28cb..694310874e95d 100644
--- a/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Environment.GetFolderPathCore.Unix.cs
+++ b/src/libraries/System.Private.CoreLib/src/System/Environment.GetFolderPathCore.Unix.cs
@@ -228,11 +228,10 @@ private static string ReadXdgDirectory(string homeDir, string key, string fallba
                             int endPos = line.IndexOf('"', pos);
                             if (endPos <= pos) continue;
 
-                            // Got we need.  Now extract it.
-                            string path = line.Substring(pos, endPos - pos);
+                            // Got what we need.  Now extract it.
                             return relativeToHome ?
-                                Path.Combine(homeDir, path) :
-                                path;
+                                Path.Join(homeDir, line.AsSpan(pos, endPos - pos)) :
+                                line.Substring(pos, endPos - pos);
                         }
                     }
                 }