diff --git a/lld/COFF/Driver.cpp b/lld/COFF/Driver.cpp
index b6019ffec956..cba89a83cd7e 100644
--- a/lld/COFF/Driver.cpp
+++ b/lld/COFF/Driver.cpp
@@ -1384,7 +1384,12 @@ void LinkerDriver::link(ArrayRef<const char *> ArgsArr) {
     // /pdbaltpath flag was passed.
     if (Config->PDBAltPath.empty()) {
       Config->PDBAltPath = Config->PDBPath;
+
+      // It's important to make the path absolute and remove dots.  This path
+      // will eventually be written into the PE header, and certain Microsoft
+      // tools won't work correctly if these assumptions are not held.
       sys::fs::make_absolute(Config->PDBAltPath);
+      sys::path::remove_dots(Config->PDBAltPath);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/lld/COFF/Writer.cpp b/lld/COFF/Writer.cpp
index adb15c85686e..e9b21df478aa 100644
--- a/lld/COFF/Writer.cpp
+++ b/lld/COFF/Writer.cpp
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ private:
 class CVDebugRecordChunk : public Chunk {
 public:
   size_t getSize() const override {
-    return sizeof(codeview::DebugInfo) + Path.size() + 1;
+    return sizeof(codeview::DebugInfo) + Config->PDBAltPath.size() + 1;
   }
 
   void writeTo(uint8_t *B) const override {
@@ -132,12 +132,11 @@ public:
 
     // variable sized field (PDB Path)
     char *P = reinterpret_cast<char *>(B + OutputSectionOff + sizeof(*BuildId));
-    if (!Path.empty())
-      memcpy(P, Path.data(), Path.size());
-    P[Path.size()] = '\0';
+    if (!Config->PDBAltPath.empty())
+      memcpy(P, Config->PDBAltPath.data(), Config->PDBAltPath.size());
+    P[Config->PDBAltPath.size()] = '\0';
   }
 
-  SmallString<128> Path;
   mutable codeview::DebugInfo *BuildId = nullptr;
 };
 
@@ -510,8 +509,6 @@ void Writer::createMiscChunks() {
     // if we're ultimately not going to write CodeView data to the PDB.
     auto *CVChunk = make<CVDebugRecordChunk>();
     BuildId = CVChunk;
-    CVChunk->Path = Config->PDBAltPath;
-    llvm::sys::path::remove_dots(CVChunk->Path);
     DebugRecords.push_back(CVChunk);
 
     RdataSec->addChunk(DebugDirectory);