diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1dc4a218..fdebb172 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Unreleased
+
 ## 1.20.0 - 2021-12-29
 ### Additions
 - [500px] add `favorite` extractor ([#1927](https://github.com/mikf/gallery-dl/issues/1927))
diff --git a/gallery_dl/path.py b/gallery_dl/path.py
index 9e9e9831..15db67f1 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/path.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/path.py
@@ -178,10 +178,11 @@ class PathFormat():
 
         if WINDOWS:
             # Enable longer-than-260-character paths
+            directory = os.path.abspath(directory)
             if directory.startswith("\\\\"):
                 directory = "\\\\?\\UNC\\" + directory[2:]
             else:
-                directory = "\\\\?\\" + os.path.abspath(directory)
+                directory = "\\\\?\\" + directory
 
             # abspath() in Python 3.7+ removes trailing path separators (#402)
             if directory[-1] != sep:
diff --git a/gallery_dl/version.py b/gallery_dl/version.py
index b5114e80..8ce9d18f 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/version.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/version.py
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as
 # published by the Free Software Foundation.
 
-__version__ = "1.20.0"
+__version__ = "1.20.1-dev"