diff --git a/src/gdb/tasks/layout.py b/src/gdb/tasks/layout.py
index 7c07153..315cbde 100644
--- a/src/gdb/tasks/layout.py
+++ b/src/gdb/tasks/layout.py
@@ -575,31 +575,22 @@ def _resolve_layout2_manifest_path(self, data_root: Path) -> Optional[Path]:
 
     @staticmethod
     def _resolve_manifest_file_path(root: Path, value: Any) -> str:
+        # See ``_resolve_manifest_path`` for why we skip ``.resolve()``.
         raw = str(value or "").strip()
         if not raw:
             return ""
         if raw.startswith(("http://", "https://")):
             return raw
-        as_path = Path(raw)
-        if as_path.is_file():
-            return str(as_path.resolve())
-        candidate = (root / raw).resolve()
-        if candidate.is_file():
-            return str(candidate)
-        return ""
+        candidate = Path(raw) if os.path.isabs(raw) else root / raw
+        return str(candidate) if candidate.is_file() else ""
 
     @staticmethod
     def _resolve_manifest_dir_path(root: Path, value: Any) -> str:
         raw = str(value or "").strip()
         if not raw:
             return ""
-        as_path = Path(raw)
-        if as_path.is_dir():
-            return str(as_path.resolve())
-        candidate = (root / raw).resolve()
-        if candidate.is_dir():
-            return str(candidate)
-        return ""
+        candidate = Path(raw) if os.path.isabs(raw) else root / raw
+        return str(candidate) if candidate.is_dir() else ""
 
     def _compose_prompt(self, sample: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
         lines = [
@@ -2881,13 +2872,15 @@ def _resolve_component_asset(
         value: Any,
         component_renders_dir: Path,
     ) -> str:
+        # See ``_resolve_manifest_path`` for why we skip ``.resolve()``.
         raw = str(value or "").strip()
         if not raw:
             return ""
 
-        as_path = Path(raw)
-        if as_path.is_file():
-            return str(as_path.resolve())
+        if os.path.isabs(raw):
+            as_path = Path(raw)
+            if as_path.is_file():
+                return str(as_path)
 
         sample_dir = component_renders_dir / sample_id
         if raw.startswith(("http://", "https://")):
@@ -2895,27 +2888,22 @@ def _resolve_component_asset(
             if filename:
                 cached = sample_dir / filename
                 if cached.is_file():
-                    return str(cached.resolve())
+                    return str(cached)
             return raw
 
-        if sample_dir.is_dir():
-            candidate = sample_dir / raw
-            if candidate.is_file():
-                return str(candidate.resolve())
-        return ""
+        candidate = sample_dir / raw
+        return str(candidate) if candidate.is_file() else ""
 
     @staticmethod
     def _resolve_manifest_path(root: Path, value: Any) -> str:
+        # Hot path during load_data: ``.resolve()`` walks every path component
+        # with lstat to detect symlinks; the dataset has none, so we skip it
+        # in favour of a single ``is_file`` stat.
         raw = str(value or "").strip()
         if not raw:
             return ""
-        as_path = Path(raw)
-        if as_path.is_file():
-            return str(as_path.resolve())
-        candidate = (root / raw).resolve()
-        if candidate.is_file():
-            return str(candidate)
-        return ""
+        candidate = Path(raw) if os.path.isabs(raw) else root / raw
+        return str(candidate) if candidate.is_file() else ""
 
     @classmethod
     def _strip_code_fence(cls, text: str) -> str:
@@ -4270,15 +4258,13 @@ def _load_pair_side(self, side: Any, *, root: Path) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
         }
 
     def _resolve_component_render_dir(self, value: Any, *, root: Path, sample_id: str) -> Path:
+        # See ``_resolve_manifest_path`` for why we skip ``.resolve()``.
         raw = str(value or "").strip()
         if raw:
-            p = Path(raw)
-            if p.is_dir():
-                return p.resolve()
-            candidate = (root / raw).resolve()
+            candidate = Path(raw) if os.path.isabs(raw) else root / raw
             if candidate.is_dir():
                 return candidate
-        return (root / "component_renders" / sample_id).resolve()
+        return root / "component_renders" / sample_id
 
     def _collect_component_assets(self, component_dir: Path, sample_id: str) -> List[str]:
         if not component_dir.is_dir():