diff --git a/core/package.json b/core/package.json
index 752353da9..e86f1095f 100644
--- a/core/package.json
+++ b/core/package.json
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
     "@types/mozilla-readability": "^0.2.1",
     "@types/mustache": "^4.2.5",
     "@types/node-fetch": "^2.6.11",
-    "@types/normalize-path": "^3.0.2",
     "@types/pg": "^8.11.6",
     "@types/plist": "^3.0.5",
     "@types/request": "^2.48.12",
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@
     "mac-ca": "^3.1.0",
     "node-fetch": "^3.3.2",
     "node-html-markdown": "^1.3.0",
-    "normalize-path": "^3.0.0",
     "ollama": "^0.4.6",
     "onnxruntime-node": "1.14.0",
     "openai": "^5.13.1",
diff --git a/core/util/pathResolver.test.ts b/core/util/pathResolver.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 571671798..000000000
--- a/core/util/pathResolver.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-import * as os from "os";
-import * as path from "path";
-import { normalizeDisplayPath } from "./pathResolver";
-
-describe("normalizeDisplayPath", () => {
-  it("should contract home directory to ~", () => {
-    const homedir = os.homedir();
-
-    expect(
-      normalizeDisplayPath(path.join(homedir, "Documents", "file.txt")),
-    ).toBe("~/Documents/file.txt");
-
-    expect(normalizeDisplayPath("/usr/local/bin")).toBe("/usr/local/bin");
-  });
-
-  it("should handle root home directory", () => {
-    const homedir = os.homedir();
-    expect(normalizeDisplayPath(homedir)).toBe("~");
-  });
-
-  it("should not contract paths that aren't under home", () => {
-    expect(normalizeDisplayPath("/var/log/messages")).toBe("/var/log/messages");
-    expect(normalizeDisplayPath("/usr/local/bin")).toBe("/usr/local/bin");
-  });
-});
diff --git a/core/util/pathResolver.ts b/core/util/pathResolver.ts
index b5cfd8a2d..25fe75816 100644
--- a/core/util/pathResolver.ts
+++ b/core/util/pathResolver.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
-import normalizePath from "normalize-path";
 import * as path from "path";
 import untildify from "untildify";
 import { IDE } from "..";
@@ -15,11 +14,18 @@ export interface ResolvedPath {
 
 /**
  * Checks if a URI is within any of the workspace directories
+ * Also verifies the file actually exists, matching the behavior of resolveRelativePathInDir
  */
 async function isUriWithinWorkspace(ide: IDE, uri: string): Promise<boolean> {
   const workspaceDirs = await ide.getWorkspaceDirs();
   const { foundInDir } = findUriInDirs(uri, workspaceDirs);
-  return foundInDir !== null;
+
+  // Check both: within workspace path AND file exists
+  if (foundInDir !== null) {
+    return await ide.fileExists(uri);
+  }
+
+  return false;
 }
 
 export async function resolveInputPath(
@@ -52,9 +58,6 @@ export async function resolveInputPath(
     /^[a-zA-Z]:/.test(expandedPath);
 
   if (isAbsolute) {
-    // Normalize for cross-platform compatibility (converts \ to /)
-    const normalizedPath = normalizePath(expandedPath);
-
     // Convert to file:// URI format
     const uri = pathToFileURL(expandedPath).href;
     const isWithinWorkspace = await isUriWithinWorkspace(ide, uri);