diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3c4efe2..9e56738 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -258,4 +258,5 @@ paket-files/
 
 # Python Tools for Visual Studio (PTVS)
 __pycache__/
-*.pyc
\ No newline at end of file
+*.pyc
+/.dotnet-home/
diff --git a/SFTPSync.sln b/SFTPSync.sln
index b3cce34..22e1f4a 100644
--- a/SFTPSync.sln
+++ b/SFTPSync.sln
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "Solution Items", "Solution
 		.github\workflows\build.yml = .github\workflows\build.yml
 		LICENSE.md = LICENSE.md
 		README.md = README.md
+		UpdateSubModules.bat = UpdateSubModules.bat
 	EndProjectSection
 EndProject
 Global
diff --git a/SFTPSyncLib/RemoteSync.cs b/SFTPSyncLib/RemoteSync.cs
index f6197d5..0ad9906 100644
--- a/SFTPSyncLib/RemoteSync.cs
+++ b/SFTPSyncLib/RemoteSync.cs
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ public static async Task RunSharedInitialSyncAsync(
                 return;
             }
 
+            localRootDirectory = Path.TrimEndingDirectorySeparator(Path.GetFullPath(localRootDirectory));
+            remoteRootDirectory = NormalizeRemoteRootDirectory(remoteRootDirectory);
+
             try
             {
                 using (var sftp = new SftpClient(host, username, password))
@@ -282,7 +285,8 @@ public async Task InitialSync(string localPath, string remotePath)
             foreach (var item in localDirectories)
             {
                 var directoryName = item.Split(Path.DirectorySeparatorChar).Last();
-                await InitialSync(localPath + "\\" + directoryName, remotePath + "/" + directoryName);
+                var nextRemotePath = AppendRemotePath(remotePath, directoryName);
+                await InitialSync(localPath + "\\" + directoryName, nextRemotePath);
             }
 
             await SyncDirectoryAsync(_sftp, localPath, remotePath, _searchPattern);
@@ -331,7 +335,7 @@ private static string[] FilteredDirectories(string localRootDirectory, string lo
                     .OrderBy(path => path, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
                 {
                     var directoryName = directory.Split(Path.DirectorySeparatorChar).Last();
-                    var remotePath = current.RemotePath + "/" + directoryName;
+                    var remotePath = AppendRemotePath(current.RemotePath, directoryName);
                     queue.Enqueue((directory, remotePath));
                 }
             }
@@ -359,12 +363,13 @@ private static async Task CreateDirectoriesInternal(
             foreach (var item in localDirectories)
             {
                 var directoryName = item.Split(Path.DirectorySeparatorChar).Last();
+                var targetRemotePath = AppendRemotePath(remotePath, directoryName);
                 if (!remoteDirectories.ContainsKey(directoryName))
                 {
-                    Logger.LogInfo($"Creating remote directory {remotePath}{directoryName}");
-                    sftp.CreateDirectory(remotePath + "/" + directoryName);
+                    Logger.LogInfo($"Creating remote directory {targetRemotePath}");
+                    sftp.CreateDirectory(targetRemotePath);
                 }
-                await CreateDirectoriesInternal(sftp, localRootDirectory, localPath + "\\" + directoryName, remotePath + "/" + directoryName, excludedFolders);
+                await CreateDirectoriesInternal(sftp, localRootDirectory, localPath + "\\" + directoryName, targetRemotePath, excludedFolders);
             }
         }
 
@@ -421,6 +426,32 @@ private string GetRemotePathForLocal(string localPath)
             return _remoteRootDirectory + "/" + relativePath;
         }
 
+        private static string NormalizeRemoteRootDirectory(string remoteRootDirectory)
+        {
+            if (remoteRootDirectory == "/")
+                return "/";
+
+            return remoteRootDirectory.TrimEnd('/', '\\');
+        }
+
+        private static string AppendRemotePath(string remotePath, string segment)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(segment))
+                return remotePath;
+
+            var normalizedSegment = segment.Replace('\\', '/').Trim('/');
+            if (normalizedSegment.Length == 0)
+                return remotePath;
+
+            if (remotePath == "/")
+                return "/" + normalizedSegment;
+
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(remotePath))
+                return normalizedSegment;
+
+            return remotePath + "/" + normalizedSegment;
+        }
+
         private void EnsureConnected()
         {
             if (_disposed)
diff --git a/SFTPSyncSetup/Product.wxs b/SFTPSyncSetup/Product.wxs
index 74146a9..70374fe 100644
--- a/SFTPSyncSetup/Product.wxs
+++ b/SFTPSyncSetup/Product.wxs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 		Id="*"
 		Name="SFTPSync"
 		Language="1033"
-		Version="1.7"
+		Version="1.8"
 		Manufacturer="Synergex International Corporation"
 		UpgradeCode="6000f870-b811-4e22-b80b-5b8956317d09">
 
diff --git a/SFTPSyncSetup/SFTPSyncSetup.wixproj b/SFTPSyncSetup/SFTPSyncSetup.wixproj
index 04ec8da..9479027 100644
--- a/SFTPSyncSetup/SFTPSyncSetup.wixproj
+++ b/SFTPSyncSetup/SFTPSyncSetup.wixproj
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <ProductVersion>3.10</ProductVersion>
     <ProjectGuid>5074cbcb-641b-4a9c-b3bc-8dd0b78810a6</ProjectGuid>
     <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
-    <OutputName>SFTPSync-1.7</OutputName>
+    <OutputName>SFTPSync-1.8</OutputName>
     <OutputType>Package</OutputType>
     <Name>SFTPSyncSetup</Name>
   </PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/SFTPSyncUI/SFTPSyncUI.csproj b/SFTPSyncUI/SFTPSyncUI.csproj
index ad38383..64e8fc6 100644
--- a/SFTPSyncUI/SFTPSyncUI.csproj
+++ b/SFTPSyncUI/SFTPSyncUI.csproj
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@
     <PackageLicenseFile>LICENSE.md</PackageLicenseFile>
     <PackageRequireLicenseAcceptance>True</PackageRequireLicenseAcceptance>
     <Company>Synergex International, Inc.</Company>
-    <AssemblyVersion>1.7</AssemblyVersion>
-    <FileVersion>1.7</FileVersion>
+    <AssemblyVersion>1.8</AssemblyVersion>
+    <FileVersion>1.8</FileVersion>
     <LangVersion>preview</LangVersion>
-    <Version>1.7</Version>
+    <Version>1.8</Version>
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
     </Content>
     <Content Include="docs\SFTPSync.chm">
-      <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
     </Content>
     <Content Include="SFTPSyncUI.ico">
       <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
diff --git a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync.chm b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync.chm
index 80cc187..5c2152a 100644
Binary files a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync.chm and b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync.chm differ
diff --git a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/CompletedSettingsFile.png b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/CompletedSettingsFile.png
index f71437b..1014e69 100644
Binary files a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/CompletedSettingsFile.png and b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/CompletedSettingsFile.png differ
diff --git a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/EmptySettingsDialog.png b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/EmptySettingsDialog.png
index f914963..d317f7d 100644
Binary files a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/EmptySettingsDialog.png and b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/EmptySettingsDialog.png differ
diff --git a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/SettingsFileContent.png b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/SettingsFileContent.png
index 6c5a7e5..94b7bf3 100644
Binary files a/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/SettingsFileContent.png and b/SFTPSyncUI/docs/SFTPSync_files/SettingsFileContent.png differ
diff --git a/UpdateSubModules.bat b/UpdateSubModules.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec1b037
--- /dev/null
+++ b/UpdateSubModules.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+@echo off
+pushd %~dp0
+
+rem Keep submodules pinned to the commit recorded by this repo.
+git submodule sync --recursive
+git submodule update --init --recursive --checkout
+
+rem Do not auto-pull submodule branches here; that makes the superproject dirty.
+
+popd