diff --git a/content/io.js b/content/io.js
index 28261479..3083e064 100644
--- a/content/io.js
+++ b/content/io.js
@@ -124,17 +124,14 @@ function IO() //{{{
     ////////////////////// OPTIONS ////////////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////{{{
 
-    // FIXME: path options need to be of type string now, not stringlist, since
-    // the original arg is, for some reason, no longer preserved for stringlist
-    // E.g. :set cdpath=,,  This comes at the expense of += etc
     options.add(["cdpath", "cd"],
         "List of directories searched when executing :cd",
-        "string", cdpath,
+        "stringlist", cdpath,
         { setter: function (value) expandPathList(value) });
 
     options.add(["runtimepath", "rtp"],
         "List of directories searched for runtime files",
-        "string", runtimepath,
+        "stringlist", runtimepath,
         { setter: function (value) expandPathList(value) });
 
     options.add(["shell", "sh"],
diff --git a/content/options.js b/content/options.js
index 3ffe7abf..865d74d7 100644
--- a/content/options.js
+++ b/content/options.js
@@ -643,7 +643,12 @@ function Options() //{{{
                                 }
                                 break;
                         }
-                        newValue = newValue.filter(function (x) x != "").join(option.type == "charlist" ? "" : ",");
+
+                        // NOTE: empty elements are significant in stringlist options like 'cdpath'
+                        if (option.type == "stringlist")
+                            newValue = newValue.join(",");
+                        else
+                            newValue = newValue.filter(function (x) x != "").join("");
 
                         break;