diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a696c7ee..9563d474 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 ### Fixed
 - Explicitly import `buffer` [#34](https://github.com/seald/nedb/pull/34).
 - Fix `Cursor`'s typings [#45](https://github.com/seald/nedb/issues/45)
+- Removes unnecessary uses of the native `path` module for the browser and React-Native version by replacing the internal `Persistance.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync` static method with `Persistance.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync` so that any `path` functions are used only in Node.js where it is necessary, as it is not necessary for the browser and React-Native.
 
 ## [4.0.3] - 2023-12-13
 ### Fixed
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
     - `Persistence#persistCachedDatabase` replaced with `Persistence#persistCachedDatabaseAsync`;
     - `Persistence#persistNewState` replaced with `Persistence#persistNewStateAsync`;
     - `Persistence#treatRawStream` replaced with `Persistence#treatRawStreamAsync`;
-    - `Persistence.ensureDirectoryExists` replaced with `Persistence#ensureDirectoryExistsAsync`;
+    - `Persistence.ensureDirectoryExists` replaced with `Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync`;
   - Cursor:
     - `Cursor#_exec` replaced with `Cursor#_execAsync`;
     - `Cursor#project` replaced with `Cursor#_project`;
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b7dd39fe..1e92b894 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -838,6 +838,10 @@ This is done for:
   the repo because it is unmaintained). It isn't used in the browser nor
   react-native versions, therefore it is shimmed with an empty object.
 
+However, the `browser` and `react-native` versions rely on node native modules and therefore must be polyfilled:
+- `util` with https://github.com/browserify/node-util.
+- `events` with https://github.com/browserify/events.
+
 ## Performance
 
 ### Speed
diff --git a/benchmarks/commonUtilities.js b/benchmarks/commonUtilities.js
index 81a66970..04d315f4 100755
--- a/benchmarks/commonUtilities.js
+++ b/benchmarks/commonUtilities.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
  * Functions that are used in several benchmark tests
  */
 const fs = require('fs')
-const path = require('path')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
 const Persistence = require('../lib/persistence')
 const { callbackify } = require('util')
@@ -46,7 +45,7 @@ module.exports.getConfiguration = function (benchDb) {
  * Ensure the workspace stat and the db datafile is empty
  */
 module.exports.prepareDb = function (filename, cb) {
-  callbackify((dirname) => Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(dirname))(path.dirname(filename), function () {
+  callbackify((filename) => Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(filename))(filename, function () {
     fs.access(filename, fs.constants.FS_OK, function (err) {
       if (!err) {
         fs.unlink(filename, cb)
diff --git a/browser-version/lib/storage.browser.js b/browser-version/lib/storage.browser.js
index 1548a076..9a7898f5 100755
--- a/browser-version/lib/storage.browser.js
+++ b/browser-version/lib/storage.browser.js
@@ -138,6 +138,17 @@ const unlinkAsync = async filename => {
  */
 const mkdirAsync = (path, options) => Promise.resolve()
 
+/**
+ * Shim for {@link module:storage.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync}, nothing to do, no directories will be used on the browser.
+ * @function
+ * @param {string} file
+ * @param {number} [mode]
+ * @return {Promise<void|string>}
+ * @alias module:storageBrowser.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync
+ * @async
+ */
+const ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync = async (file, mode) => Promise.resolve()
+
 /**
  * Shim for {@link module:storage.ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync}, nothing to do, no data corruption possible in the browser.
  * @param {string} filename
@@ -176,3 +187,5 @@ module.exports.unlinkAsync = unlinkAsync
 module.exports.mkdirAsync = mkdirAsync
 
 module.exports.ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync = ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync
+
+module.exports.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync = ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync
diff --git a/browser-version/lib/storage.react-native.js b/browser-version/lib/storage.react-native.js
index 13048229..528af379 100755
--- a/browser-version/lib/storage.react-native.js
+++ b/browser-version/lib/storage.react-native.js
@@ -253,6 +253,17 @@ const crashSafeWriteFileLinesAsync = async (filename, lines) => {
  */
 const crashSafeWriteFileLines = callbackify(crashSafeWriteFileLinesAsync)
 
+/**
+ * Shim for {@link module:storage.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync}, nothing to do, no directories will be used on the browser.
+ * @function
+ * @param {string} file
+ * @param {number} [mode]
+ * @return {Promise<void|string>}
+ * @alias module:storageBrowser.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync
+ * @async
+ */
+const ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync = async (file, mode) => Promise.resolve()
+
 // Interface
 module.exports.exists = exists
 module.exports.existsAsync = existsAsync
@@ -280,3 +291,5 @@ module.exports.mkdirAsync = mkdirAsync
 
 module.exports.ensureDatafileIntegrity = ensureDatafileIntegrity
 module.exports.ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync = ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync
+
+module.exports.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync = ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync
diff --git a/lib/persistence.js b/lib/persistence.js
index ba359a53..f8c7c167 100755
--- a/lib/persistence.js
+++ b/lib/persistence.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-const path = require('path')
 const { deprecate } = require('util')
 const byline = require('./byline')
 const customUtils = require('./customUtils.js')
@@ -308,7 +307,7 @@ class Persistence {
 
     // In-memory only datastore
     if (this.inMemoryOnly) return
-    await Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(path.dirname(this.filename), this.modes.dirMode)
+    await Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(this.filename, this.modes.dirMode)
     await storage.ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync(this.filename, this.modes.fileMode)
 
     let treatedData
@@ -372,12 +371,8 @@ class Persistence {
    * @return {Promise<void>}
    * @private
    */
-  static async ensureDirectoryExistsAsync (dir, mode = DEFAULT_DIR_MODE) {
-    const parsedDir = path.parse(path.resolve(dir))
-    // this is because on Windows mkdir throws a permission error when called on the root directory of a volume
-    if (process.platform !== 'win32' || parsedDir.dir !== parsedDir.root || parsedDir.base !== '') {
-      await storage.mkdirAsync(dir, { recursive: true, mode })
-    }
+  static async ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync (dir, mode = DEFAULT_DIR_MODE) {
+    return storage.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(dir, mode)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/storage.js b/lib/storage.js
index 957fcc91..c8fec6dd 100755
--- a/lib/storage.js
+++ b/lib/storage.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * Way data is stored for this database.
- * This version is the Node.js/Node Webkit version.
+ * This version is the Node.js version.
  * It's essentially fs, mkdirp and crash safe write and read functions.
  *
  * @see module:storageBrowser
@@ -271,6 +271,22 @@ const ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync = async (filename, mode = DEFAULT_FILE_MODE)
   else await renameAsync(tempFilename, filename)
 }
 
+/**
+ * Check if a file's parent directory exists and create it on the fly if it is not the case.
+ * @param {string} filename
+ * @param {number} mode
+ * @return {Promise<void>}
+ * @private
+ */
+const ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync = async (filename, mode) => {
+  const dir = path.dirname(filename)
+  const parsedDir = path.parse(path.resolve(dir))
+  // this is because on Windows mkdir throws a permission error when called on the root directory of a volume
+  if (process.platform !== 'win32' || parsedDir.dir !== parsedDir.root || parsedDir.base !== '') {
+    await mkdirAsync(dir, { recursive: true, mode })
+  }
+}
+
 // Interface
 module.exports.existsAsync = existsAsync
 
@@ -297,3 +313,5 @@ module.exports.flushToStorageAsync = flushToStorageAsync
 module.exports.ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync = ensureDatafileIntegrityAsync
 
 module.exports.ensureFileDoesntExistAsync = ensureFileDoesntExistAsync
+
+module.exports.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync = ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync
diff --git a/test/cursor.async.test.js b/test/cursor.async.test.js
index ec9b2f61..97452601 100755
--- a/test/cursor.async.test.js
+++ b/test/cursor.async.test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 const testDb = 'workspace/test.db'
 const { promises: fs } = require('fs')
 const assert = require('assert').strict
-const path = require('path')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
 const Persistence = require('../lib/persistence')
 const Cursor = require('../lib/cursor')
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ describe('Cursor Async', function () {
     d = new Datastore({ filename: testDb })
     assert.equal(d.filename, testDb)
     assert.equal(d.inMemoryOnly, false)
-    await Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(path.dirname(testDb))
+    await Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(testDb)
     if (await exists(testDb)) await fs.unlink(testDb)
     await d.loadDatabaseAsync()
     assert.equal(d.getAllData().length, 0)
diff --git a/test/cursor.test.js b/test/cursor.test.js
index c767ac47..b555d78d 100755
--- a/test/cursor.test.js
+++ b/test/cursor.test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 const chai = require('chai')
 const testDb = 'workspace/test.db'
 const fs = require('fs')
-const path = require('path')
 const { each, waterfall } = require('./utils.test.js')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
 const Persistence = require('../lib/persistence')
@@ -22,7 +21,7 @@ describe('Cursor', function () {
 
     waterfall([
       function (cb) {
-        callbackify((dirname) => Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(dirname))(path.dirname(testDb), function () {
+        callbackify((filename) => Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(filename))(testDb, function () {
           fs.access(testDb, fs.constants.F_OK, function (err) {
             if (!err) {
               fs.unlink(testDb, cb)
diff --git a/test/db.async.test.js b/test/db.async.test.js
index a6033e7f..e0f303cc 100644
--- a/test/db.async.test.js
+++ b/test/db.async.test.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /* eslint-env mocha */
 const testDb = 'workspace/test.db'
 const { promises: fs } = require('fs')
-const path = require('path')
 const assert = require('assert').strict
 const model = require('../lib/model')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ describe('Database async', function () {
     d = new Datastore({ filename: testDb })
     assert.equal(d.filename, testDb)
     assert.equal(d.inMemoryOnly, false)
-    await Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(path.dirname(testDb))
+    await Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(testDb)
     if (await exists(testDb)) await fs.unlink(testDb)
     await d.loadDatabaseAsync()
     assert.equal(d.getAllData().length, 0)
diff --git a/test/db.test.js b/test/db.test.js
index 67966ff6..cfee4eb6 100755
--- a/test/db.test.js
+++ b/test/db.test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 const chai = require('chai')
 const testDb = 'workspace/test.db'
 const fs = require('fs')
-const path = require('path')
 const { apply, each, waterfall } = require('./utils.test.js')
 const model = require('../lib/model')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
@@ -23,7 +22,7 @@ describe('Database', function () {
 
     waterfall([
       function (cb) {
-        callbackify((dirname) => Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(dirname))(path.dirname(testDb), function () {
+        callbackify((filename) => Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(filename))(testDb, function () {
           fs.access(testDb, fs.constants.FS_OK, function (err) {
             if (!err) {
               fs.unlink(testDb, cb)
diff --git a/test/executor.async.test.js b/test/executor.async.test.js
index d8354004..5f362894 100755
--- a/test/executor.async.test.js
+++ b/test/executor.async.test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 const testDb = 'workspace/test.db'
 const { promises: fs } = require('fs')
 const assert = require('assert').strict
-const path = require('path')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
 const Persistence = require('../lib/persistence')
 const { exists } = require('./utils.test.js')
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ describe('Executor async', function () {
       d = new Datastore({ filename: testDb })
       assert.equal(d.filename, testDb)
       assert.equal(d.inMemoryOnly, false)
-      await Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(path.dirname(testDb))
+      await Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(testDb)
       if (await exists(testDb)) await fs.unlink(testDb)
       await d.loadDatabaseAsync()
       assert.equal(d.getAllData().length, 0)
diff --git a/test/executor.test.js b/test/executor.test.js
index 64fb0f73..09ffdfcc 100755
--- a/test/executor.test.js
+++ b/test/executor.test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 const chai = require('chai')
 const testDb = 'workspace/test.db'
 const fs = require('fs')
-const path = require('path')
 const { waterfall } = require('./utils.test.js')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
 const Persistence = require('../lib/persistence')
@@ -154,7 +153,7 @@ describe('Executor', function () {
 
       waterfall([
         function (cb) {
-          callbackify((dirname) => Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(dirname))(path.dirname(testDb), function () {
+          callbackify((filename) => Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(filename))(testDb, function () {
             fs.access(testDb, fs.constants.F_OK, function (err) {
               if (!err) {
                 fs.unlink(testDb, cb)
diff --git a/test/persistence.async.test.js b/test/persistence.async.test.js
index 241147b7..db51ef53 100755
--- a/test/persistence.async.test.js
+++ b/test/persistence.async.test.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ describe('Persistence async', function () {
     d = new Datastore({ filename: testDb })
     assert.equal(d.filename, testDb)
     assert.equal(d.inMemoryOnly, false)
-    await Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(path.dirname(testDb))
+    await Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(testDb)
     if (await exists(testDb)) await fs.unlink(testDb)
     await d.loadDatabaseAsync()
     assert.equal(d.getAllData().length, 0)
@@ -1062,7 +1062,7 @@ describe('permissions', function () {
   })
 
   it('ensureDirectoryExists forwards mode argument', async () => {
-    await Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(path.dirname(testDb), 0o700)
+    await Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(testDb, 0o700)
     assert.equal(await getMode(path.dirname(testDb)), 0o700)
   })
 
diff --git a/test/persistence.test.js b/test/persistence.test.js
index c027e0dc..ba9026b9 100755
--- a/test/persistence.test.js
+++ b/test/persistence.test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 const chai = require('chai')
 const testDb = 'workspace/test.db'
 const fs = require('fs')
-const path = require('path')
 const { apply, waterfall } = require('./utils.test.js')
 const model = require('../lib/model')
 const Datastore = require('../lib/datastore')
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ describe('Persistence', function () {
 
     waterfall([
       function (cb) {
-        callbackify((dirname) => Persistence.ensureDirectoryExistsAsync(dirname))(path.dirname(testDb), function () {
+        callbackify((filename) => Persistence.ensureParentDirectoryExistsAsync(filename))(testDb, function () {
           fs.access(testDb, fs.constants.FS_OK, function (err) {
             if (!err) {
               fs.unlink(testDb, cb)