diff --git a/cmds/subvolume.c b/cmds/subvolume.c
index 5d53efe6..869d7077 100644
--- a/cmds/subvolume.c
+++ b/cmds/subvolume.c
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <errno.h>
-#include <libgen.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
 #include <dirent.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
@@ -149,7 +148,7 @@ static int create_one_subvolume(const char *dst, struct btrfs_qgroup_inherit *in
 	int	fddst = -1;
 	char	*dupname = NULL;
 	char	*dupdir = NULL;
-	char	*newname;
+	const char *newname;
 	char	*dstdir;
 
 	ret = path_is_dir(dst);
@@ -170,7 +169,7 @@ static int create_one_subvolume(const char *dst, struct btrfs_qgroup_inherit *in
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	newname = basename(dupname);
+	newname = path_basename(dupname);
 
 	dupdir = strdup(dst);
 	if (!dupdir) {
@@ -178,7 +177,7 @@ static int create_one_subvolume(const char *dst, struct btrfs_qgroup_inherit *in
 		ret = -ENOMEM;
 		goto out;
 	}
-	dstdir = dirname(dupdir);
+	dstdir = path_dirname(dupdir);
 
 	if (!test_issubvolname(newname)) {
 		error("invalid subvolume name: %s", newname);
@@ -364,7 +363,8 @@ static int cmd_subvolume_delete(const struct cmd_struct *cmd, int argc, char **a
 	int res, ret = 0;
 	int cnt;
 	int fd = -1;
-	char	*dname, *vname, *cpath;
+	char	*dname, *cpath;
+	const char *vname;
 	char	*dupdname = NULL;
 	char	*dupvname = NULL;
 	char	*path = NULL;
@@ -482,9 +482,9 @@ again:
 		goto out;
 	}
 	dupdname = strdup(cpath);
-	dname = dirname(dupdname);
+	dname = path_dirname(dupdname);
 	dupvname = strdup(cpath);
-	vname = basename(dupvname);
+	vname = path_basename(dupvname);
 	free(cpath);
 
 	/* When subvolid is passed, <path> will point to the mount point */
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ static int cmd_subvolume_snapshot(const struct cmd_struct *cmd, int argc, char *
 	bool readonly = false;
 	char	*dupname = NULL;
 	char	*dupdir = NULL;
-	char	*newname;
+	const char *newname;
 	char	*dstdir;
 	enum btrfs_util_error err;
 	struct btrfs_ioctl_vol_args_v2	args;
@@ -727,13 +727,13 @@ static int cmd_subvolume_snapshot(const struct cmd_struct *cmd, int argc, char *
 
 	if (res > 0) {
 		dupname = strdup(subvol);
-		newname = basename(dupname);
+		newname = path_basename(dupname);
 		dstdir = dst;
 	} else {
 		dupname = strdup(dst);
-		newname = basename(dupname);
+		newname = path_basename(dupname);
 		dupdir = strdup(dst);
-		dstdir = dirname(dupdir);
+		dstdir = path_dirname(dupdir);
 	}
 
 	if (!test_issubvolname(newname)) {
@@ -1557,7 +1557,7 @@ static int cmd_subvolume_show(const struct cmd_struct *cmd, int argc, char **arg
 	struct btrfs_util_subvolume_iterator *iter;
 	struct btrfs_util_subvolume_info subvol;
 	char *subvol_path = NULL;
-	char *subvol_name = NULL;
+	const char *subvol_name = NULL;
 	enum btrfs_util_error err;
 	struct btrfs_qgroup_stats stats;
 	unsigned int unit_mode;
@@ -1669,7 +1669,7 @@ static int cmd_subvolume_show(const struct cmd_struct *cmd, int argc, char **arg
 		subvol_path = strdup("/");
 		subvol_name = "<FS_TREE>";
 	} else {
-		subvol_name = basename(subvol_path);
+		subvol_name = path_basename(subvol_path);
 	}
 
 	if (bconf.output_format == CMD_FORMAT_JSON) {
diff --git a/common/device-utils.c b/common/device-utils.c
index 36108ec4..d086e9ea 100644
--- a/common/device-utils.c
+++ b/common/device-utils.c
@@ -343,14 +343,14 @@ static u64 device_get_partition_size_sysfs(const char *dev)
 	char path[PATH_MAX] = {};
 	char sysfs[PATH_MAX] = {};
 	char sizebuf[128] = {};
-	char *name = NULL;
+	const char *name = NULL;
 	int sysfd;
 	unsigned long long size = 0;
 
 	name = realpath(dev, path);
 	if (!name)
 		return 0;
-	name = basename(path);
+	name = path_basename(path);
 
 	ret = path_cat3_out(sysfs, "/sys/class/block", name, "size");
 	if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/common/path-utils.c b/common/path-utils.c
index 181737c4..929e5c8f 100644
--- a/common/path-utils.c
+++ b/common/path-utils.c
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+/*
+ * For dirname() and basename(), but never use basename directly, there's
+ * path_basename() with unified GNU behaviour regardless of the includes and
+ * conditional defines. See basename(3) for more.
+ */
 #include <libgen.h>
 #include <limits.h>
 #include "common/path-utils.h"
@@ -482,3 +487,26 @@ int test_issubvolname(const char *name)
 		strcmp(name, ".") && strcmp(name, "..");
 }
 
+/*
+ * Unified GNU semantics basename helper, never changing the argument. Always
+ * use this instead of basename().
+ */
+const char *path_basename(const char *path)
+{
+	const char *tmp = strrchr(path, '/');
+
+	/* Special case when the whole path is just "/". */
+	if (path[0] == '/' && path[1] == 0)
+		return path;
+
+	return tmp ? tmp + 1 : path;
+}
+
+/*
+ * Return dirname component of path, may change the argument.
+ * Own helper for parity with path_basename().
+ */
+char *path_dirname(char *path)
+{
+	return dirname(path);
+}
diff --git a/common/path-utils.h b/common/path-utils.h
index 08ae0ff1..697fa6b4 100644
--- a/common/path-utils.h
+++ b/common/path-utils.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ int path_is_dir(const char *path);
 int is_same_loop_file(const char *a, const char *b);
 int path_is_reg_or_block_device(const char *filename);
 int path_is_in_dir(const char *parent, const char *path);
+const char *path_basename(const char *path);
+char *path_dirname(char *path);
 
 int test_issubvolname(const char *name);