diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/DSpaceControlledVocabulary.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/DSpaceControlledVocabulary.java
index 94c9452356b0..444332df97d2 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/DSpaceControlledVocabulary.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/content/authority/DSpaceControlledVocabulary.java
@@ -102,8 +102,9 @@ public boolean accept(File dir, String name) {
                 }
             }
             String vocabulariesPath = DSpaceServicesFactory.getInstance().getConfigurationService()
-                                                           .getProperty(
-                                                               "dspace.dir") + "/config/controlled-vocabularies/";
+                                                           .getProperty("dspace.dir") +
+                                                           File.separator + "config" +
+                                                           File.separator + "controlled-vocabularies";
             String[] xmlFiles = (new File(vocabulariesPath)).list(new xmlFilter());
             List<String> names = new ArrayList<String>();
             for (String filename : xmlFiles) {
@@ -120,7 +121,8 @@ protected void init() {
 
             log.info("Initializing " + this.getClass().getName());
             vocabularyName = this.getPluginInstanceName();
-            String vocabulariesPath = config.getProperty("dspace.dir") + "/config/controlled-vocabularies/";
+            String vocabulariesPath = config.getProperty("dspace.dir") + File.separator + "config" +
+                File.separator + "controlled-vocabularies" + File.separator;
             String configurationPrefix = "vocabulary.plugin." + vocabularyName;
             storeHierarchy = config.getBooleanProperty(configurationPrefix + ".hierarchy.store", storeHierarchy);
             suggestHierarchy = config.getBooleanProperty(configurationPrefix + ".hierarchy.suggest", suggestHierarchy);