diff --git a/rtgui/crophandler.cc b/rtgui/crophandler.cc
index 55068c230..9cc176289 100644
--- a/rtgui/crophandler.cc
+++ b/rtgui/crophandler.cc
@@ -284,7 +284,14 @@ void CropHandler::update () {
 //        crop->setWindow (cropX, cropY, cropW, cropH, zoom>=1000 ? 1 : zoom); --> we use the "getWindow" hook instead of setting the size before
         crop->setListener (this);
         cropPixbuf.clear ();
+
+		// To save threads, try to mark "needUpdate" without a thread first
+		if (crop->tryUpdate()) {
+			if (isLowUpdatePriority)
         Glib::Thread::create(sigc::mem_fun(*crop, &DetailedCrop::fullUpdate), 0, false, true, Glib::THREAD_PRIORITY_LOW);
+			else
+				Glib::Thread::create(sigc::mem_fun(*crop, &DetailedCrop::fullUpdate), false );
+		}
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/rtgui/crophandler.h b/rtgui/crophandler.h
index c282e1446..bd97dc14f 100644
--- a/rtgui/crophandler.h
+++ b/rtgui/crophandler.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ class CropHandler : public rtengine::DetailedCropListener, public rtengine::Size
 		unsigned char* cropimgtrue;
         int cropimg_width, cropimg_height, cix, ciy, ciw, cih, cis;
         bool initial;
+        bool isLowUpdatePriority;
 
         rtengine::StagedImageProcessor* ipc;
         rtengine::DetailedCrop* crop;
diff --git a/rtgui/filebrowser.cc b/rtgui/filebrowser.cc
index 3ec02ce85..17f897e25 100644
--- a/rtgui/filebrowser.cc
+++ b/rtgui/filebrowser.cc
@@ -309,14 +309,18 @@ void FileBrowser::close () {
 		Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(entryMutex);
 		#endif
 
+        
+		selected.clear ();
+		notifySelectionListener ();
+
+        // The listener merges parameters with old values, so delete afterwards
     for (int i=0; i<fd.size(); i++)
     {
         delete fd[i];
     }
     fd.clear ();
-    selected.clear ();
 	}
-    notifySelectionListener ();
+
     lastClicked = NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/rtgui/filecatalog.cc b/rtgui/filecatalog.cc
index e27cc217a..d60e6c573 100644
--- a/rtgui/filecatalog.cc
+++ b/rtgui/filecatalog.cc
@@ -1079,10 +1079,31 @@ void FileCatalog::trashChanged () {
 }
 
 void FileCatalog::buttonBrowsePathPressed () {
-	Glib::ustring sel = BrowsePath->get_text();
+	Glib::ustring BrowsePathValue = BrowsePath->get_text();
+	Glib::ustring DecodedPathPrefix="";
+	Glib::ustring FirstChar;
+
+	// handle shortcuts in the BrowsePath -- START
+	// read the 1-st character from the path
+	FirstChar = BrowsePathValue.substr (0,1);
+
+	if (FirstChar=="~"){ // home directory
+		DecodedPathPrefix = Glib::get_home_dir();
+	}
+	else if (FirstChar=="!"){ // user's pictures directory
+		//DecodedPathPrefix = g_get_user_special_dir(G_USER_DIRECTORY_PICTURES);
+		DecodedPathPrefix = Glib::get_user_special_dir (G_USER_DIRECTORY_PICTURES);
+	}
+
+	if (DecodedPathPrefix!=""){
+		BrowsePathValue = Glib::ustring::compose ("%1%2",DecodedPathPrefix,BrowsePathValue.substr (1,BrowsePath->get_text_length()-1));
+		BrowsePath->set_text(BrowsePathValue);
+	}
+	// handle shortcuts in the BrowsePath -- END
+
 	// validate the path
-	if (safe_file_test(sel, Glib::FILE_TEST_IS_DIR) && dirlistener){
-		dirlistener->selectDir (sel);
+	if (safe_file_test(BrowsePathValue, Glib::FILE_TEST_IS_DIR) && dirlistener){
+		dirlistener->selectDir (BrowsePathValue);
 	}
 	else
 		// error, likely path not found: show red arrow
diff --git a/rtgui/thumbnail.cc b/rtgui/thumbnail.cc
index ac2e0f586..86f5d922c 100644
--- a/rtgui/thumbnail.cc
+++ b/rtgui/thumbnail.cc
@@ -140,7 +140,10 @@ bool Thumbnail::isSupported () {
 }
 
 const ProcParams& Thumbnail::getProcParams () {
-	//Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	// TODO: Check for Linux
+	#ifdef WIN32
+	Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	#endif
 
     if (pparamsValid)
         return pparams;
@@ -161,7 +164,10 @@ const ProcParams& Thumbnail::getProcParams () {
 }
 
 void Thumbnail::loadProcParams () {
-	//Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	// TODO: Check for Linux
+	#ifdef WIN32
+	Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	#endif
 
     pparamsValid = false;
     if (options.paramsLoadLocation==PLL_Input) {
@@ -183,7 +189,10 @@ void Thumbnail::loadProcParams () {
 }
 
 void Thumbnail::clearProcParams (int whoClearedIt) {
-	//Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	// TODO: Check for Linux
+	#ifdef WIN32
+	Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	#endif
 
     cfs.recentlySaved = false;
     pparamsValid = false;
@@ -211,7 +220,10 @@ bool Thumbnail::hasProcParams () {
 }
 
 void Thumbnail::setProcParams (const ProcParams& pp, int whoChangedIt, bool updateCacheNow) {
-	//Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	// TODO: Check for Linux
+	#ifdef WIN32
+	Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	#endif
     
     if (pparams!=pp) 
         cfs.recentlySaved = false;
@@ -523,7 +535,10 @@ void Thumbnail::updateCache () {
 }
 
 Thumbnail::~Thumbnail () {
-	//Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	// TODO: Check for Linux
+	#ifdef WIN32
+	Glib::Mutex::Lock lock(mutex);
+	#endif
 
     delete [] lastImg;
     delete tpp;