diff --git a/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h b/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h
index 1356bd62..c86512a7 100644
--- a/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h
+++ b/include/dwarfs/writer/categorizer.h
@@ -65,10 +65,26 @@ class categorizer {
   subcategory_less(fragment_category a, fragment_category b) const = 0;
 };
 
+class file_path_info {
+ public:
+  file_path_info(std::filesystem::path const& root_path,
+                 std::filesystem::path const& full_path)
+      : root_path_{root_path}
+      , full_path_{full_path} {}
+
+  std::filesystem::path const& root_path() const { return root_path_; }
+  std::filesystem::path const& full_path() const { return full_path_; }
+  std::filesystem::path relative_path() const;
+
+ private:
+  std::filesystem::path const& root_path_;
+  std::filesystem::path const& full_path_;
+};
+
 class random_access_categorizer : public categorizer {
  public:
   virtual inode_fragments
-  categorize(std::filesystem::path const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+  categorize(file_path_info const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
              category_mapper const& mapper) const = 0;
 };
 
@@ -85,7 +101,7 @@ class sequential_categorizer_job {
 class sequential_categorizer : public categorizer {
  public:
   virtual std::unique_ptr<sequential_categorizer_job>
-  job(std::filesystem::path const& path, size_t total_size,
+  job(file_path_info const& path, size_t total_size,
       category_mapper const& mapper) const = 0;
 };
 
@@ -129,7 +145,7 @@ class categorizer_job {
 
 class categorizer_manager : public category_resolver {
  public:
-  categorizer_manager(logger& lgr);
+  categorizer_manager(logger& lgr, std::filesystem::path root);
 
   static fragment_category default_category();
 
diff --git a/src/writer/categorizer.cpp b/src/writer/categorizer.cpp
index 8c05410f..2dc65f6b 100644
--- a/src/writer/categorizer.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/categorizer.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@
 
 namespace dwarfs::writer {
 
+namespace fs = std::filesystem;
+
 namespace internal {
 
 using namespace std::placeholders;
@@ -61,9 +63,10 @@ template <typename LoggerPolicy>
 class categorizer_job_ final : public categorizer_job::impl {
  public:
   categorizer_job_(logger& lgr, categorizer_manager_private const& mgr,
-                   std::filesystem::path const& path)
+                   fs::path const& root_path, fs::path const& path)
       : LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
       , mgr_{mgr}
+      , root_path_{root_path}
       , path_{path}
       , cat_mapper_{// NOLINTNEXTLINE(modernize-avoid-bind)
                     std::bind(&categorizer_manager_private::category,
@@ -85,7 +88,8 @@ class categorizer_job_ final : public categorizer_job::impl {
   size_t total_size_{0};
   std::vector<std::pair<int, std::unique_ptr<sequential_categorizer_job>>>
       seq_jobs_;
-  std::filesystem::path const path_;
+  fs::path const& root_path_;
+  fs::path const path_;
   category_mapper cat_mapper_;
 };
 
@@ -104,9 +108,11 @@ void categorizer_job_<LoggerPolicy>::categorize_random_access(
 
   bool global_best = true;
 
+  file_path_info path_info{root_path_, path_};
+
   for (auto&& [index, cat] : ranges::views::enumerate(mgr_.categorizers())) {
     if (auto p = dynamic_cast<random_access_categorizer*>(cat.get())) {
-      if (auto c = p->categorize(path_, data, cat_mapper_)) {
+      if (auto c = p->categorize(path_info, data, cat_mapper_)) {
         best_ = c;
         index_ = index;
         is_global_best_ = global_best;
@@ -126,13 +132,15 @@ void categorizer_job_<LoggerPolicy>::categorize_sequential(
   }
 
   if (seq_jobs_.empty()) [[unlikely]] {
+    file_path_info path_info{root_path_, path_};
+
     for (auto&& [index, cat] : ranges::views::enumerate(mgr_.categorizers())) {
       if (index_ >= 0 && std::cmp_greater_equal(index, index_)) {
         break;
       }
 
       if (auto p = dynamic_cast<sequential_categorizer*>(cat.get())) {
-        if (auto job = p->job(path_, total_size_, cat_mapper_)) {
+        if (auto job = p->job(path_info, total_size_, cat_mapper_)) {
           seq_jobs_.emplace_back(index, std::move(job));
         }
       }
@@ -174,15 +182,16 @@ bool categorizer_job_<LoggerPolicy>::best_result_found() const {
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
 class categorizer_manager_ final : public categorizer_manager_private {
  public:
-  explicit categorizer_manager_(logger& lgr)
+  explicit categorizer_manager_(logger& lgr, fs::path root)
       : lgr_{lgr}
-      , LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr) {
+      , LOG_PROXY_INIT(lgr)
+      , root_path_{std::move(root)} {
     add_category(categorizer::DEFAULT_CATEGORY,
                  std::numeric_limits<size_t>::max());
   }
 
   void add(std::shared_ptr<categorizer> c) override;
-  categorizer_job job(std::filesystem::path const& path) const override;
+  categorizer_job job(fs::path const& path) const override;
   std::string_view
   category_name(fragment_category::value_type c) const override;
 
@@ -229,6 +238,7 @@ class categorizer_manager_ final : public categorizer_manager_private {
   // TODO: category descriptions?
   std::vector<std::pair<std::string_view, size_t>> categories_;
   std::unordered_map<std::string_view, fragment_category::value_type> catmap_;
+  fs::path root_path_;
 };
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
@@ -241,11 +251,12 @@ void categorizer_manager_<LoggerPolicy>::add(std::shared_ptr<categorizer> c) {
 }
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
-categorizer_job categorizer_manager_<LoggerPolicy>::job(
-    std::filesystem::path const& path) const {
+categorizer_job
+categorizer_manager_<LoggerPolicy>::job(fs::path const& path) const {
   return categorizer_job(
       make_unique_logging_object<categorizer_job::impl, categorizer_job_,
-                                 logger_policies>(lgr_, *this, path));
+                                 logger_policies>(lgr_, *this, root_path_,
+                                                  path));
 }
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
@@ -307,6 +318,10 @@ bool categorizer_manager_<LoggerPolicy>::deterministic_less(
 
 namespace po = boost::program_options;
 
+fs::path file_path_info::relative_path() const {
+  return full_path_.lexically_relative(root_path_);
+}
+
 std::string category_prefix(std::shared_ptr<categorizer_manager> const& mgr,
                             fragment_category cat) {
   return category_prefix(mgr.get(), cat);
@@ -361,9 +376,10 @@ categorizer_job::categorizer_job() = default;
 categorizer_job::categorizer_job(std::unique_ptr<impl> impl)
     : impl_{std::move(impl)} {}
 
-categorizer_manager::categorizer_manager(logger& lgr)
+categorizer_manager::categorizer_manager(logger& lgr, fs::path root)
     : impl_(make_unique_logging_object<impl, internal::categorizer_manager_,
-                                       logger_policies>(lgr)) {}
+                                       logger_policies>(lgr, std::move(root))) {
+}
 
 fragment_category categorizer_manager::default_category() {
   return fragment_category(0);
diff --git a/src/writer/categorizer/fits_categorizer.cpp b/src/writer/categorizer/fits_categorizer.cpp
index 6121691e..db6a5ffa 100644
--- a/src/writer/categorizer/fits_categorizer.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/categorizer/fits_categorizer.cpp
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ class fits_categorizer_ final : public fits_categorizer_base {
   }
 
   inode_fragments
-  categorize(fs::path const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+  categorize(file_path_info const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
              category_mapper const& mapper) const override;
 
   std::string category_metadata(std::string_view category_name,
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ bool fits_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::check_metadata(
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
 inode_fragments fits_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::categorize(
-    fs::path const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+    file_path_info const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
     category_mapper const& mapper) const {
   inode_fragments fragments;
 
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ inode_fragments fits_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::categorize(
         meta.unused_lsb_count = fi->unused_lsb_count;
         meta.component_count = fi->component_count;
 
-        if (check_metadata(meta, path)) {
+        if (check_metadata(meta, path.full_path())) {
           auto subcategory = meta_.wlock()->add(meta);
           fragments.emplace_back(fragment_category(mapper(METADATA_CATEGORY)),
                                  fi->header.size());
diff --git a/src/writer/categorizer/incompressible_categorizer.cpp b/src/writer/categorizer/incompressible_categorizer.cpp
index 9b326bf4..2ff7a410 100644
--- a/src/writer/categorizer/incompressible_categorizer.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/categorizer/incompressible_categorizer.cpp
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ class incompressible_categorizer_ final : public sequential_categorizer {
 
   std::span<std::string_view const> categories() const override;
   std::unique_ptr<sequential_categorizer_job>
-  job(std::filesystem::path const& path, size_t total_size,
+  job(file_path_info const& path, size_t total_size,
       category_mapper const& mapper) const override;
 
   bool
@@ -235,8 +235,7 @@ incompressible_categorizer_::categories() const {
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<sequential_categorizer_job>
-incompressible_categorizer_::job(std::filesystem::path const& path,
-                                 size_t total_size,
+incompressible_categorizer_::job(file_path_info const& path, size_t total_size,
                                  category_mapper const& mapper) const {
   if (total_size < config_.min_input_size) {
     return nullptr;
@@ -244,8 +243,8 @@ incompressible_categorizer_::job(std::filesystem::path const& path,
 
   return make_unique_logging_object<sequential_categorizer_job,
                                     incompressible_categorizer_job_,
-                                    logger_policies>(lgr_, config_, ctxmgr_,
-                                                     path, total_size, mapper);
+                                    logger_policies>(
+      lgr_, config_, ctxmgr_, path.full_path(), total_size, mapper);
 }
 
 bool incompressible_categorizer_::subcategory_less(fragment_category,
diff --git a/src/writer/categorizer/pcmaudio_categorizer.cpp b/src/writer/categorizer/pcmaudio_categorizer.cpp
index ac622ad0..687814dc 100644
--- a/src/writer/categorizer/pcmaudio_categorizer.cpp
+++ b/src/writer/categorizer/pcmaudio_categorizer.cpp
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ class pcmaudio_categorizer_ final : public pcmaudio_categorizer_base {
   }
 
   inode_fragments
-  categorize(fs::path const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+  categorize(file_path_info const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
              category_mapper const& mapper) const override;
 
   std::string category_metadata(std::string_view category_name,
@@ -1114,7 +1114,7 @@ void pcmaudio_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::add_fragments(
 
 template <typename LoggerPolicy>
 inode_fragments pcmaudio_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::categorize(
-    fs::path const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
+    file_path_info const& path, std::span<uint8_t const> data,
     category_mapper const& mapper) const {
   inode_fragments fragments;
 
@@ -1127,7 +1127,7 @@ inode_fragments pcmaudio_categorizer_<LoggerPolicy>::categorize(
              &pcmaudio_categorizer_::check_wav64,
              // clang-format on
          }) {
-      if ((this->*f)(fragments, path, data, mapper)) {
+      if ((this->*f)(fragments, path.full_path(), data, mapper)) {
         break;
       }
 
diff --git a/test/fits_categorizer_test.cpp b/test/fits_categorizer_test.cpp
index 9a6ef151..52aace7f 100644
--- a/test/fits_categorizer_test.cpp
+++ b/test/fits_categorizer_test.cpp
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class fits_categorizer_fixture : public Base {
     po::store(parsed, vm);
     po::notify(vm);
 
-    catmgr = std::make_shared<writer::categorizer_manager>(lgr);
+    catmgr = std::make_shared<writer::categorizer_manager>(lgr, "/");
 
     catmgr->add(catreg.create(lgr, "fits", vm));
   }
diff --git a/test/incompressible_categorizer_test.cpp b/test/incompressible_categorizer_test.cpp
index f0680f12..42fdbb32 100644
--- a/test/incompressible_categorizer_test.cpp
+++ b/test/incompressible_categorizer_test.cpp
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ class incompressible_categorizer_fixture : public Base {
     po::store(parsed, vm);
     po::notify(vm);
 
-    catmgr = std::make_shared<writer::categorizer_manager>(lgr);
+    catmgr = std::make_shared<writer::categorizer_manager>(lgr, "/");
 
     catmgr->add(catreg.create(lgr, "incompressible", vm));
   }
diff --git a/test/pcmaudio_categorizer_test.cpp b/test/pcmaudio_categorizer_test.cpp
index d2cf7bfe..9f078888 100644
--- a/test/pcmaudio_categorizer_test.cpp
+++ b/test/pcmaudio_categorizer_test.cpp
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ TEST(pcmaudio_categorizer, requirements) {
   test::test_logger logger(logger::INFO);
   boost::program_options::variables_map vm;
   auto& catreg = writer::categorizer_registry::instance();
-  auto catmgr = writer::categorizer_manager(logger);
+  auto catmgr = writer::categorizer_manager(logger, "/");
 
   catmgr.add(catreg.create(logger, "pcmaudio", vm));
 
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ TEST(pcmaudio_categorizer, requirements) {
 class pcmaudio_error_test : public testing::Test {
  public:
   test::test_logger logger{logger::VERBOSE};
-  writer::categorizer_manager catmgr{logger};
+  writer::categorizer_manager catmgr{logger, "/"};
 
   auto categorize(pcmfile_builder const& builder) {
     // std::cout << folly::hexDump(builder.data.data(), builder.data.size());
diff --git a/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp b/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
index d5e91c4e..725b5caf 100644
--- a/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
+++ b/tools/src/mkdwarfs_main.cpp
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ int mkdwarfs_main(int argc, sys_char** argv, iolayer const& iol) {
         split_to<std::vector<std::string>>(categorizer_list.value(), ',');
 
     options.inode.categorizer_mgr =
-        std::make_shared<writer::categorizer_manager>(lgr);
+        std::make_shared<writer::categorizer_manager>(lgr, path);
 
     for (auto const& name : categorizers) {
       options.inode.categorizer_mgr->add(catreg.create(lgr, name, vm));