diff --git a/bin/prisonparty.sh b/bin/prisonparty.sh
index a8b8da84..d18919a1 100755
--- a/bin/prisonparty.sh
+++ b/bin/prisonparty.sh
@@ -11,13 +11,13 @@ sysdirs=( /bin /lib /lib32 /lib64 /sbin /usr )
 help() { cat <<'EOF'
 
 usage:
-  ./prisonparty.sh <ROOTDIR> <UID> <GID> [VOLDIR [VOLDIR...]] -- python3 copyparty-sfx.py [...]"
+  ./prisonparty.sh <ROOTDIR> <UID> <GID> [VOLDIR [VOLDIR...]] -- python3 copyparty-sfx.py [...]
 
 example:
-  ./prisonparty.sh /var/lib/copyparty-jail 1000 1000 /mnt/nas/music -- python3 copyparty-sfx.py -v /mnt/nas/music::rwmd"
+  ./prisonparty.sh /var/lib/copyparty-jail 1000 1000 /mnt/nas/music -- python3 copyparty-sfx.py -v /mnt/nas/music::rwmd
 
 example for running straight from source (instead of using an sfx):
-  PYTHONPATH=$PWD ./prisonparty.sh /var/lib/copyparty-jail 1000 1000 /mnt/nas/music -- python3 -um copyparty -v /mnt/nas/music::rwmd"
+  PYTHONPATH=$PWD ./prisonparty.sh /var/lib/copyparty-jail 1000 1000 /mnt/nas/music -- python3 -um copyparty -v /mnt/nas/music::rwmd
 
 note that if you have python modules installed as --user (such as bpm/key detectors),
   you should add /home/foo/.local as a VOLDIR
diff --git a/copyparty/up2k.py b/copyparty/up2k.py
index 6be3c7cb..d02af739 100644
--- a/copyparty/up2k.py
+++ b/copyparty/up2k.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ from .util import (
     ProgressPrinter,
     absreal,
     atomic_move,
+    djoin,
     fsenc,
     min_ex,
     quotep,
@@ -1527,7 +1528,7 @@ class Up2k(object):
         wark = self._get_wark(cj)
         now = time.time()
         job = None
-        pdir = os.path.join(cj["ptop"], cj["prel"])
+        pdir = djoin(cj["ptop"], cj["prel"])
         try:
             dev = bos.stat(pdir).st_dev
         except:
@@ -1639,7 +1640,7 @@ class Up2k(object):
                         for k in ["ptop", "vtop", "prel"]:
                             job[k] = cj[k]
 
-                        pdir = os.path.join(cj["ptop"], cj["prel"])
+                        pdir = djoin(cj["ptop"], cj["prel"])
                         job["name"] = self._untaken(pdir, cj["name"], now, cj["addr"])
                         dst = os.path.join(job["ptop"], job["prel"], job["name"])
                         if not self.args.nw:
@@ -1655,7 +1656,7 @@ class Up2k(object):
             if not job:
                 vfs = self.asrv.vfs.all_vols[cj["vtop"]]
                 if vfs.lim:
-                    ap1 = os.path.join(cj["ptop"], cj["prel"])
+                    ap1 = djoin(cj["ptop"], cj["prel"])
                     ap2, cj["prel"] = vfs.lim.all(
                         cj["addr"], cj["prel"], cj["size"], ap1, reg
                     )
@@ -2413,7 +2414,7 @@ class Up2k(object):
         return ret
 
     def _new_upload(self, job: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
-        pdir = os.path.join(job["ptop"], job["prel"])
+        pdir = djoin(job["ptop"], job["prel"])
         if not job["size"] and bos.path.isfile(os.path.join(pdir, job["name"])):
             return
 
diff --git a/copyparty/util.py b/copyparty/util.py
index 55842fe7..6497a15b 100644
--- a/copyparty/util.py
+++ b/copyparty/util.py
@@ -989,6 +989,11 @@ def s2hms(s: float, optional_h: bool = False) -> str:
     return "{}:{:02}:{:02}".format(h, m, s)
 
 
+def djoin(*paths: str) -> str:
+    """joins without adding a trailing slash on blank args"""
+    return os.path.join(*[x for x in paths if x])
+
+
 def uncyg(path: str) -> str:
     if len(path) < 2 or not path.startswith("/"):
         return path