diff --git a/collects/mred/private/path-dialog.ss b/collects/mred/private/path-dialog.ss
index 724a72ab12..8acd0839d6 100644
--- a/collects/mred/private/path-dialog.ss
+++ b/collects/mred/private/path-dialog.ss
@@ -49,7 +49,13 @@
 
   (define-struct pname (path string isdir? okstring? nulstring))
   (define (path->pname path isdir?)
-    (let* ([name (regexp-replace end-separators-rx (path->string path) "")]
+    (let* ([name (if (member (path->string path) '("." ".."))
+                   (path->string path) ; avoid segfault bug (PR8481)
+                   (bytes->string/utf-8 (path-element->bytes path)))]
+           [name (regexp-replace end-separators-rx name "")]
+           [name (if (<= 199 (string-length name))
+                   (string-append (substring name 0 195) "...")
+                   name)]
            [name/ (if isdir? (string-append name path-separator) name)]
            [goodstr?  (equal? path (string->path name))]
            [no-globs? (not (regexp-match-positions isfilter-rx name))])
@@ -58,6 +64,10 @@
                   ;; * paths where the string name does not correspond to the
                   ;;   path, eg, a sequence of bytes that interprets badly when
                   ;;   using UTF-8
+                  ;; * paths that are about 200 characters or longer (the
+                  ;;   displayed name must be truncated) (part of the above)
+                  ;; * paths that have an initial "~" in them (also part of the
+                  ;;   above)
                   ;; * paths that contain `*' and `?', since they will be
                   ;;   considered as filters
                   ;; in these cases, the string is shown in the path-list gui,