diff --git a/.github/actions/spell-check/expect.txt b/.github/actions/spell-check/expect.txt
index 61e9eafc2d..2f4034cf1e 100644
--- a/.github/actions/spell-check/expect.txt
+++ b/.github/actions/spell-check/expect.txt
@@ -736,6 +736,7 @@ hmonitor
 HOLDENTER
 HOLDESC
 homepage
+HOMEPATH
 homljgmgpmcbpjbnjpfijnhipfkiclkd
 HOOKPROC
 Hostbackdropbrush
diff --git a/src/modules/launcher/Plugins/Microsoft.Plugin.Folder.UnitTests/Sources/Path/FolderHelperTests.cs b/src/modules/launcher/Plugins/Microsoft.Plugin.Folder.UnitTests/Sources/Path/FolderHelperTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1d40bdb3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/modules/launcher/Plugins/Microsoft.Plugin.Folder.UnitTests/Sources/Path/FolderHelperTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation
+// The Microsoft Corporation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
+// See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information.
+
+using System.IO;
+using Microsoft.Plugin.Folder.Sources;
+using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
+
+namespace Microsoft.Plugin.Folder.Sources.Tests
+{
+    [TestClass]
+    public class FolderHelperTests
+    {
+        [DataTestMethod]
+        [DataRow(@"%SYSTEMDRIVE%", true)]
+        [DataRow(@"%O%S", false)]
+        [DataRow(@"abcd", false)]
+        [DataRow(@"%ProgramData%", true)]
+        [DataRow(@"%USERPROFILE%", true)]
+        [DataRow(@"powertoys", false)]
+
+        // can't test %HOMEPATH% on CI, so using \User as ExpandEnvironmentVariables was moved up
+        [DataRow(@"\Users", true)]
+        [DataRow(@"Users", false)]
+        public void ExpandsToRootedPath(string query, bool expected)
+        {
+            var expandedQuery = FolderHelper.Expand(query);
+            var result = Path.IsPathRooted(expandedQuery);
+            Assert.AreEqual(expected, result);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/modules/launcher/Plugins/Microsoft.Plugin.Folder/Sources/Path/FolderHelper.cs b/src/modules/launcher/Plugins/Microsoft.Plugin.Folder/Sources/Path/FolderHelper.cs
index 1a4c88e245..3035801b83 100644
--- a/src/modules/launcher/Plugins/Microsoft.Plugin.Folder/Sources/Path/FolderHelper.cs
+++ b/src/modules/launcher/Plugins/Microsoft.Plugin.Folder/Sources/Path/FolderHelper.cs
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ namespace Microsoft.Plugin.Folder.Sources
                 throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(search));
             }
 
+            search = Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables(search);
+
             var validRoots = new char[] { '\\', '/' };
 
             if (validRoots.Contains(search[0]) && (search.Length == 1 || !validRoots.Contains(search[1])))
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ namespace Microsoft.Plugin.Folder.Sources
                 search = search.Length > 1 ? Path.Combine(home, search.Substring(2)) : home;
             }
 
-            return Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables(search);
+            return search;
         }
     }
 }