diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Configuration/IGlobalSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Configuration/IGlobalSettings.cs
index b96434c30c..48371bd11b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Configuration/IGlobalSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Configuration/IGlobalSettings.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
 {
     /// <summary>
-    /// Contains general settings information for the entire Umbraco instance based on information from  web.config appsettings 
+    /// Contains general settings information for the entire Umbraco instance based on information from  web.config appsettings
     /// </summary>
     public interface IGlobalSettings
     {
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         /// Gets the path to umbraco's root directory (/umbraco by default).
         /// </summary>
         string Path { get; }
-        
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets or sets the configuration status. This will return the version number of the currently installed umbraco instance.
         /// </summary>
@@ -67,5 +67,10 @@
         /// Gets the location of temporary files.
         /// </summary>
         string LocalTempPath { get; }
+
+        string UmbracoPath { get; }
+        string UmbracoCssPath { get; }
+        string UmbracoScriptsPath { get; }
+        string UmbracoMediaPath { get; }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Constants-AppSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Constants-AppSettings.cs
index 509be46b61..beaffef5b4 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Constants-AppSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Abstractions/Constants-AppSettings.cs
@@ -46,6 +46,26 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core
             /// </summary>
             public const string ReservedUrls = "Umbraco.Core.ReservedUrls";
 
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The path of backoffice.
+            /// </summary>
+            public const string UmbracoPath = "umbracoPath";
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The path of the stylesheet folder.
+            /// </summary>
+            public const string UmbracoCssPath = "umbracoCssPath";
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The path of script folder.
+            /// </summary>
+            public const string UmbracoScriptsPath = "umbracoScriptsPath";
+
+            /// <summary>
+            /// The path of media folder.
+            /// </summary>
+            public const string UmbracoMediaPath = "umbracoMediaPath";
+
             /// <summary>
             /// The reserved paths from web.config
             /// </summary>
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
index 76d6c2e1c1..00168cf028 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/GlobalSettings.cs
@@ -384,5 +384,43 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        private string _umbracoMediaPath = null;
+        public string UmbracoMediaPath => GetterWithDefaultValue(Constants.AppSettings.UmbracoMediaPath, "~/umbraco", ref _umbracoMediaPath);
+
+        private string _umbracoScriptsPath = null;
+        public string UmbracoScriptsPath => GetterWithDefaultValue(Constants.AppSettings.UmbracoScriptsPath, "~/umbraco", ref _umbracoScriptsPath);
+
+        private string _umbracoCssPath = null;
+        public string UmbracoCssPath => GetterWithDefaultValue(Constants.AppSettings.UmbracoCssPath, "~/umbraco", ref _umbracoCssPath);
+
+        private string _umbracoPath = null;
+        public string UmbracoPath => GetterWithDefaultValue(Constants.AppSettings.UmbracoPath, "~/umbraco", ref _umbracoPath);
+
+        private T GetterWithDefaultValue<T>(string appSettingKey, T defaultValue, ref T backingField)
+        {
+            if (backingField != null) return backingField;
+
+            if (ConfigurationManager.AppSettings.ContainsKey(appSettingKey))
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    var value = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[appSettingKey];
+
+                    backingField = (T)Convert.ChangeType(value, typeof(T));
+                }
+                catch
+                {
+                    /* ignore and use default value */
+                    backingField = defaultValue;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                backingField = defaultValue;
+            }
+
+            return backingField;
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/IOHelper.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/IOHelper.cs
index 370f9d1f7a..8ab9c93b31 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/IOHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/IO/IOHelper.cs
@@ -3,16 +3,22 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.Reflection;
 using System.IO;
-using System.Configuration;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Web;
 using System.Web.Hosting;
+using Umbraco.Core.Configuration;
 
 namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
 {
     public class IOHelper : IIOHelper
     {
-        internal static IIOHelper Default { get; } = new IOHelper();
+        private readonly IGlobalSettings _globalSettings;
+        internal static IIOHelper Default { get; } = new IOHelper(new GlobalSettings());
+
+        public IOHelper(IGlobalSettings globalSettings)
+        {
+            _globalSettings = globalSettings;
+        }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets or sets a value forcing Umbraco to consider it is non-hosted.
@@ -114,23 +120,6 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
             return MapPath(path, true);
         }
 
-        //use a tilde character instead of the complete path
-        private string ReturnPath(string settingsKey, string standardPath, bool useTilde)
-        {
-            var retval = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings[settingsKey];
-
-            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(retval))
-                retval = standardPath;
-
-            return retval.TrimEnd('/');
-        }
-
-        private string ReturnPath(string settingsKey, string standardPath)
-        {
-            return ReturnPath(settingsKey, standardPath, false);
-
-        }
-
         /// <summary>
         /// Verifies that the current filepath matches a directory where the user is allowed to edit a file.
         /// </summary>
@@ -304,13 +293,13 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.IO
         }
 
 
-        public string Media => ReturnPath("umbracoMediaPath", "~/media");
+        public string Media => _globalSettings.UmbracoMediaPath;
 
-        public string Scripts => ReturnPath("umbracoScriptsPath", "~/scripts");
+        public string Scripts => _globalSettings.UmbracoScriptsPath;
 
-        public string Css => ReturnPath("umbracoCssPath", "~/css");
+        public string Css => _globalSettings.UmbracoCssPath;
 
-        public string Umbraco => ReturnPath("umbracoPath", "~/umbraco");
+        public string Umbraco => _globalSettings.UmbracoPath;
 
         private string _root;