diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_fs.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_fs.cpp
index cdc83ac82f..0121236ff6 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_fs.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/Cell/lv2/sys_fs.cpp
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ lv2_file::lv2_file(utils::serial& ar)
 void lv2_file::save(utils::serial& ar)
 {
 	USING_SERIALIZATION_VERSION(lv2_fs);
-	ar(name, mode, flags, type, lock, vfs::retrieve(real_path));
+	ar(name, mode, flags, type, lock, ensure(vfs::retrieve(real_path), FN(!x.empty())));
 
 	if (!(mp->flags & lv2_mp_flag::read_only) && flags & CELL_FS_O_ACCMODE)
 	{
diff --git a/rpcs3/Emu/VFS.cpp b/rpcs3/Emu/VFS.cpp
index fff1b72a88..12c0211144 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Emu/VFS.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Emu/VFS.cpp
@@ -388,13 +388,23 @@ std::string vfs::retrieve(std::string_view path, const vfs_directory* node, std:
 	// Try to extract host root mount point name (if exists)
 	std::string_view host_root_name;
 
+	std::string result;
+	std::string result_dir;
+
 	for (const auto& [name, dir] : node->dirs)
 	{
 		mount_path->back() = name;
 
 		if (std::string res = vfs::retrieve(path, &dir, mount_path); !res.empty())
 		{
-			return res;
+			// Avoid app_home
+			// Prefer dev_bdvd over dev_hdd0
+			if (result.empty() || (name == "app_home") < (result_dir == "app_home") ||
+				(name == "dev_bdvd") > (result_dir == "dev_bdvd"))
+			{
+				result = std::move(res);
+				result_dir = name;
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (dir.path == "/"sv)
@@ -403,6 +413,11 @@ std::string vfs::retrieve(std::string_view path, const vfs_directory* node, std:
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (!result.empty())
+	{
+		return result;
+	}
+
 	mount_path->pop_back();
 
 	if (node->path.size() > 1 && path.starts_with(node->path))
@@ -434,7 +449,7 @@ std::string vfs::retrieve(std::string_view path, const vfs_directory* node, std:
 	{
 		// If failed to find mount point for path and /host_root is mounted
 		// Prepend "/host_root" to path and return the constructed string
-		std::string result{"/"};
+		result = "/";
 
 		for (const auto& name : *mount_path)
 		{
@@ -449,7 +464,7 @@ std::string vfs::retrieve(std::string_view path, const vfs_directory* node, std:
 		return result;
 	}
 
-	return {};
+	return result;
 }
 
 std::string vfs::escape(std::string_view name, bool escape_slash)