diff --git a/r5dev/engine/net.cpp b/r5dev/engine/net.cpp
index 6e22862f..7965b168 100644
--- a/r5dev/engine/net.cpp
+++ b/r5dev/engine/net.cpp
@@ -65,14 +65,13 @@ int NET_SendDatagram(SOCKET s, void* pPayload, int iLenght, netadr_t* pAdr, bool
 // Purpose: sets the user specified encryption key
 // Input  : svNetKey - 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void NET_SetKey(string svNetKey)
+void NET_SetKey(const string& svNetKey)
 {
 	std::lock_guard<std::mutex> l(g_NetKeyMutex);
 
 	if (svNetKey.size() == AES_128_B64_ENCODED_SIZE &&
-		IsValidBase64(svNetKey))
+		IsValidBase64(svNetKey, &g_svNetKey)) // Results are tokenized by 'IsValidBase64()'.
 	{
-		g_svNetKey = svNetKey; // Results are tokenized by 'IsValidBase64()'.
 		v_NET_SetKey(g_pNetKey, g_svNetKey.c_str());
 
 		DevMsg(eDLL_T::ENGINE, "Installed NetKey: '%s%s%s'\n",
diff --git a/r5dev/engine/net.h b/r5dev/engine/net.h
index 032f3199..2dce686e 100644
--- a/r5dev/engine/net.h
+++ b/r5dev/engine/net.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ inline auto v_NET_PrintFunc = p_NET_PrintFunc.RCast<void(*)(const char* fmt)>();
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 bool NET_ReceiveDatagram(int iSocket, netpacket_s* pInpacket, bool bRaw);
 int  NET_SendDatagram(SOCKET s, void* pPayload, int iLenght, netadr_t* pAdr, bool bEncrypted);
-void NET_SetKey(string svNetKey);
+void NET_SetKey(const string& svNetKey);
 void NET_GenerateKey();
 void NET_PrintFunc(const char* fmt, ...);
 void NET_Shutdown(void* thisptr, const char* szReason, uint8_t bBadRep, bool bRemoveNow);
diff --git a/r5dev/public/utility/utility.cpp b/r5dev/public/utility/utility.cpp
index c8b3d703..1d97b609 100644
--- a/r5dev/public/utility/utility.cpp
+++ b/r5dev/public/utility/utility.cpp
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ string CreateTimedFileName()
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // For creating directories for output streams.
-string CreateDirectories(string svInput, bool bWindows)
+void CreateDirectories(string svInput, string* pszOutput, bool bWindows)
 {
     if (bWindows)
     {
@@ -388,12 +388,14 @@ string CreateDirectories(string svInput, bool bWindows)
     }
 
     fs::path fspPathOut(svInput);
-    string result = fspPathOut.u8string();
+
+    if (pszOutput)
+    {
+        *pszOutput = fspPathOut.u8string();
+    }
 
     fspPathOut = fspPathOut.parent_path();
     fs::create_directories(fspPathOut);
-
-    return result;
 }
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -432,14 +434,17 @@ string ConvertToUnixPath(const string& svInput)
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // For checking if input is a valid Base64.
-bool IsValidBase64(string& svInput)
+bool IsValidBase64(const string& svInput, string* psvOutput)
 {
     static const std::regex rx(R"((?:[A-Za-z0-9+\/]{4}?)*(?:[A-Za-z0-9+\/]{2}==|[A-Za-z0-9+\/]{3}=))");
     std::smatch mh;
 
     if (std::regex_search(svInput, mh, rx))
     {
-        svInput = mh[0].str();
+        if (psvOutput)
+        {
+            *psvOutput = mh[0].str();
+        }
         return true;
     }
     return false;
diff --git a/r5dev/public/utility/utility.h b/r5dev/public/utility/utility.h
index 46abdb6d..0a263166 100644
--- a/r5dev/public/utility/utility.h
+++ b/r5dev/public/utility/utility.h
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ string GetFileName(const string& svInput, bool bRemoveExtension = false, bool bW
 string RemoveFileName(const string& svInput, bool bWindows = false);
 
 string CreateTimedFileName();
-string CreateDirectories(string svInput, bool bWindows = false);
+void CreateDirectories(string svInput, string* pszOutput = nullptr, bool bWindows = false);
 
 string ConvertToWinPath(const string& svInput);
 string ConvertToUnixPath(const string& svInput);
 
-bool IsValidBase64(string& svInput);
+bool IsValidBase64(const string& svInput, string* psvOutput = nullptr);
 string Base64Encode(const string& svInput);
 string Base64Decode(const string& svInput);
 
diff --git a/r5dev/vpklib/packedstore.cpp b/r5dev/vpklib/packedstore.cpp
index 7aec09b7..32ae5a6b 100644
--- a/r5dev/vpklib/packedstore.cpp
+++ b/r5dev/vpklib/packedstore.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ vector<VPKKeyValues_t> CPackedStore::GetEntryValues(const string& svWorkspace, K
 
 	if (!pManifestKV)
 	{
-		Warning(eDLL_T::FS, "Invalid VPK manifest KV; unable to build entry list\n");
+		Warning(eDLL_T::FS, "Invalid VPK build manifest KV; unable to parse entry list\n");
 		return vEntryValues;
 	}
 
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ void CPackedStore::BuildManifest(const vector<VPKEntryBlock_t>& vBlock, const st
 
 	kv.RecursiveSaveToFile(uBuf, 0);
 
-	FileSystem()->CreateDirHierarchy(string(svWorkspace + "manifest/").c_str(), "GAME");
+	FileSystem()->CreateDirHierarchy(fmt::format("{:s}{:s}", svWorkspace, "manifest/").c_str(), "GAME");
 	FileSystem()->WriteFile(svPathOut.c_str(), "GAME", uBuf);
 }
 
@@ -510,7 +510,8 @@ void CPackedStore::UnpackWorkspace(const VPKDir_t& vDirectory, const string& svW
 			}
 			else // Chunk belongs to this block.
 			{
-				const string svFilePath = CreateDirectories(svWorkspace + vEntryBlock.m_svEntryPath);
+				string svFilePath;
+				CreateDirectories(svWorkspace + vEntryBlock.m_svEntryPath, &svFilePath);
 				FileHandle_t hAsset = FileSystem()->Open(svFilePath.c_str(), "wb", "GAME");
 
 				if (!hAsset)
@@ -597,13 +598,12 @@ VPKEntryBlock_t::VPKEntryBlock_t(FileHandle_t hDirectoryFile, const string& svEn
 {
 	m_svEntryPath = svEntryPath; // Set the entry path.
 	StringReplace(m_svEntryPath, "\\", "/"); // Flip windows-style backslash to forward slash.
-	StringReplace(m_svEntryPath, " /", ""); // Remove space character representing VPK root.
+	StringReplace(m_svEntryPath, " /", "");  // Remove space character representing VPK root.
 
 	FileSystem()->Read(&m_nFileCRC, sizeof(uint32_t), hDirectoryFile);       //
 	FileSystem()->Read(&m_iPreloadSize, sizeof(uint16_t), hDirectoryFile);   //
 	FileSystem()->Read(&m_iPackFileIndex, sizeof(uint16_t), hDirectoryFile); //
 
-
 	uint16_t nMarker = 0;
 	do // Loop through all chunks in the entry and add to list.
 	{