diff --git a/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp b/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
index 2d0f34b52407..34ee135c7438 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsoptions.cpp
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl )
     mRemoveCustomVarBtn->setEnabled( false );
     mCustomVariablesTable->setEnabled( false );
   }
-  QStringList customVarsList = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "qgis/customEnvVars" ), "" ).toStringList();
+  QStringList customVarsList = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "qgis/customEnvVars" ) ).toStringList();
   Q_FOREACH ( const QString &varStr, customVarsList )
   {
     int pos = varStr.indexOf( QLatin1Char( '|' ) );
@@ -221,25 +221,20 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl )
     mCurrentVariablesTable->resizeColumnToContents( 0 );
 
   //local directories to search when loading c++ plugins
-  QString myPaths = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "plugins/searchPathsForPlugins" ), "" ).toString();
-  if ( !myPaths.isEmpty() )
+  QStringList pathList = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "plugins/searchPathsForPlugins" ) ).toStringList();
+  Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, pathList )
   {
-    QStringList myPathList = myPaths.split( '|' );
-    QStringList::const_iterator pathIt = myPathList.constBegin();
-    for ( ; pathIt != myPathList.constEnd(); ++pathIt )
-    {
-      QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mListPluginPaths );
-      newItem->setText( *pathIt );
-      newItem->setFlags( Qt::ItemIsEditable | Qt::ItemIsEnabled | Qt::ItemIsSelectable );
-      mListPluginPaths->addItem( newItem );
-    }
+    QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mListPluginPaths );
+    newItem->setText( path );
+    newItem->setFlags( Qt::ItemIsEditable | Qt::ItemIsEnabled | Qt::ItemIsSelectable );
+    mListPluginPaths->addItem( newItem );
   }
 
   //local directories to search when looking for an SVG with a given basename
-  QStringList svgPaths = QgsApplication::svgPaths();
-  if ( !svgPaths.isEmpty() )
+  pathList = QgsApplication::svgPaths();
+  if ( !pathList.isEmpty() )
   {
-    Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, svgPaths )
+    Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, pathList )
     {
       QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mListSVGPaths );
       newItem->setText( path );
@@ -248,10 +243,11 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl )
     }
   }
 
-  QStringList templatePaths = QgsApplication::composerTemplatePaths();
-  if ( !templatePaths.isEmpty() )
+  //local directories to search when looking for a composer templates
+  pathList = QgsApplication::composerTemplatePaths();
+  if ( !pathList.isEmpty() )
   {
-    Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, templatePaths )
+    Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, pathList )
     {
       QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mListComposerTemplatePaths );
       newItem->setText( path );
@@ -260,13 +256,12 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl )
     }
   }
 
-  QStringList hiddenItems = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "/browser/hiddenPaths" ),
-                            QStringList() ).toStringList();
-  QStringList::const_iterator pathIt = hiddenItems.constBegin();
-  for ( ; pathIt != hiddenItems.constEnd(); ++pathIt )
+  //paths hidden from browser
+  pathList = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "/browser/hiddenPaths" ) ).toStringList();
+  Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, pathList )
   {
     QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mListHiddenBrowserPaths );
-    newItem->setText( *pathIt );
+    newItem->setText( path );
     mListHiddenBrowserPaths->addItem( newItem );
   }
 
@@ -300,18 +295,13 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl )
   mProxyTypeComboBox->setCurrentIndex( mProxyTypeComboBox->findText( settingProxyType ) );
 
   //URLs excluded not going through proxies
-  QString proxyExcludedURLs = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "proxy/proxyExcludedUrls" ), "" ).toString();
-  if ( !proxyExcludedURLs.isEmpty() )
+  pathList = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "proxy/proxyExcludedUrls" ) ).toStringList();
+  Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, pathList )
   {
-    QStringList splitUrls = proxyExcludedURLs.split( '|' );
-    QStringList::const_iterator urlIt = splitUrls.constBegin();
-    for ( ; urlIt != splitUrls.constEnd(); ++urlIt )
-    {
-      QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mExcludeUrlListWidget );
-      newItem->setText( *urlIt );
-      newItem->setFlags( Qt::ItemIsEditable | Qt::ItemIsEnabled | Qt::ItemIsSelectable );
-      mExcludeUrlListWidget->addItem( newItem );
-    }
+    QListWidgetItem* newItem = new QListWidgetItem( mExcludeUrlListWidget );
+    newItem->setText( path );
+    newItem->setFlags( Qt::ItemIsEditable | Qt::ItemIsEnabled | Qt::ItemIsSelectable );
+    mExcludeUrlListWidget->addItem( newItem );
   }
 
   // cache settings
@@ -731,7 +721,7 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl )
   spinZoomFactor->setValue( mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "/qgis/zoom_factor" ), 2 ).toDouble() );
 
   // predefined scales for scale combobox
-  myPaths = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "Map/scales" ), PROJECT_SCALES ).toString();
+  QString myPaths = mSettings->value( QStringLiteral( "Map/scales" ), PROJECT_SCALES ).toString();
   if ( !myPaths.isEmpty() )
   {
     QStringList myScalesList = myPaths.split( ',' );
@@ -933,8 +923,6 @@ QgsOptions::QgsOptions( QWidget *parent, Qt::WindowFlags fl )
   mVariableEditor->reloadContext();
   mVariableEditor->setEditableScopeIndex( 0 );
 
-
-
   mAdvancedSettingsEditor->setSettingsObject( mSettings );
 
   // restore window and widget geometry/state
@@ -1077,46 +1065,34 @@ void QgsOptions::saveOptions()
   mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "qgis/customEnvVars" ), QVariant( customVars ) );
 
   //search directories for user plugins
-  QString myPaths;
+  QStringList pathsList;
   for ( int i = 0; i < mListPluginPaths->count(); ++i )
   {
-    if ( i != 0 )
-    {
-      myPaths += '|';
-    }
-    myPaths += mListPluginPaths->item( i )->text();
+    pathsList << mListPluginPaths->item( i )->text();
   }
-  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "plugins/searchPathsForPlugins" ), myPaths );
+  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "help/helpSearchPath" ), pathsList );
 
   //search directories for svgs
-  myPaths.clear();
+  pathsList.clear();
   for ( int i = 0; i < mListSVGPaths->count(); ++i )
   {
-    if ( i != 0 )
-    {
-      myPaths += '|';
-    }
-    myPaths += mListSVGPaths->item( i )->text();
+    pathsList << mListSVGPaths->item( i )->text();
   }
-  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "svg/searchPathsForSVG" ), myPaths );
+  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "svg/searchPathsForSVG" ), pathsList );
 
-  myPaths.clear();
+  pathsList.clear();
   for ( int i = 0; i < mListComposerTemplatePaths->count(); ++i )
   {
-    if ( i != 0 )
-    {
-      myPaths += '|';
-    }
-    myPaths += mListComposerTemplatePaths->item( i )->text();
+    pathsList << mListComposerTemplatePaths->item( i )->text();
   }
-  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "composer/searchPathsForTemplates" ), myPaths );
+  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "composer/searchPathsForTemplates" ), pathsList );
 
-  QStringList paths;
+  pathsList.clear();
   for ( int i = 0; i < mListHiddenBrowserPaths->count(); ++i )
   {
-    paths << mListHiddenBrowserPaths->item( i )->text();
+    pathsList << mListHiddenBrowserPaths->item( i )->text();
   }
-  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "/browser/hiddenPaths" ), paths );
+  mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "/browser/hiddenPaths" ), pathsList );
 
   //Network timeout
   mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "/qgis/networkAndProxy/networkTimeout" ), mNetworkTimeoutSpinBox->value() );
@@ -1398,7 +1374,7 @@ void QgsOptions::saveOptions()
   mSettings->setValue( QStringLiteral( "/qgis/digitizing/offset_miter_limit" ), mCurveOffsetMiterLimitComboBox->value() );
 
   // default scale list
-  myPaths.clear();
+  QString myPaths;
   for ( int i = 0; i < mListGlobalScales->count(); ++i )
   {
     if ( i != 0 )
diff --git a/src/core/qgsapplication.cpp b/src/core/qgsapplication.cpp
index 0b84b4d7697d..3d7e69772386 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsapplication.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsapplication.cpp
@@ -729,16 +729,11 @@ QStringList QgsApplication::svgPaths()
   //local directories to search when looking for an SVG with a given basename
   //defined by user in options dialog
   QSettings settings;
-  QStringList myPathList;
-  QString myPaths = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "svg/searchPathsForSVG" ), QString() ).toString();
-  if ( !myPaths.isEmpty() )
-  {
-    myPathList = myPaths.split( '|' );
-  }
+  QStringList pathList = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "svg/searchPathsForSVG" ) ).toStringList();
 
   // maintain user set order while stripping duplicates
   QStringList paths;
-  Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, myPathList )
+  Q_FOREACH ( const QString& path, pathList )
   {
     if ( !paths.contains( path ) )
       paths.append( path );
@@ -760,14 +755,9 @@ QStringList QgsApplication::composerTemplatePaths()
   //local directories to search when looking for an SVG with a given basename
   //defined by user in options dialog
   QSettings settings;
-  QStringList myPathList;
-  QString myPaths = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "composer/searchPathsForTemplates" ), QString() ).toString();
-  if ( !myPaths.isEmpty() )
-  {
-    myPathList = myPaths.split( '|' );
-  }
+  QStringList pathList = settings.value( QStringLiteral( "composer/searchPathsForTemplates" ) ).toStringList();
 
-  return myPathList;
+  return pathList;
 }
 
 QString QgsApplication::userStylePath()