diff --git a/vlib/v/eval/eval.v b/vlib/v/eval/eval.v
index 822fbfa2e0..13e27de836 100644
--- a/vlib/v/eval/eval.v
+++ b/vlib/v/eval/eval.v
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 // that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 module eval
 
-import os
 import v.ast
 import v.pref
 import v.util
@@ -242,7 +241,7 @@ fn (e Eval) print_backtrace() {
 	for i := e.back_trace.len - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		t := e.back_trace[i]
 		file_path := if path := e.trace_file_paths[t.file_idx] {
-			os.real_path(path)
+			util.path_styled_for_error_messages(path)
 		} else {
 			t.file_idx.str()
 		}
diff --git a/vlib/v/util/errors.v b/vlib/v/util/errors.v
index e330b8d160..edb4d01db4 100644
--- a/vlib/v/util/errors.v
+++ b/vlib/v/util/errors.v
@@ -75,10 +75,10 @@ fn color(kind string, msg string) string {
 
 const normalised_workdir = os.wd_at_startup.replace('\\', '/') + '/'
 
-// formatted_error - `kind` may be 'error' or 'warn'
-pub fn formatted_error(kind string, omsg string, filepath string, pos token.Pos) string {
-	emsg := omsg.replace('main.', '')
-	mut path := filepath
+// path_styled_for_error_messages returns the modified file path according
+// to the user's preference (`VERROR_PATHS` env-var)
+pub fn path_styled_for_error_messages(path_ string) string {
+	mut path := path_
 	verror_paths_override := os.getenv('VERROR_PATHS')
 	if verror_paths_override == 'absolute' {
 		path = os.real_path(path)
@@ -90,7 +90,13 @@ pub fn formatted_error(kind string, omsg string, filepath string, pos token.Pos)
 			path = path.replace_once(util.normalised_workdir, '')
 		}
 	}
+	return path
+}
 
+// formatted_error - `kind` may be 'error' or 'warn'
+pub fn formatted_error(kind string, omsg string, filepath string, pos token.Pos) string {
+	emsg := omsg.replace('main.', '')
+	path := path_styled_for_error_messages(filepath)
 	position := if filepath.len > 0 {
 		'$path:${pos.line_nr + 1}:${mu.max(1, pos.col + 1)}:'
 	} else {