diff --git a/include/SDL3/SDL_filesystem.h b/include/SDL3/SDL_filesystem.h
index 031feaf98e..e428258218 100644
--- a/include/SDL3/SDL_filesystem.h
+++ b/include/SDL3/SDL_filesystem.h
@@ -134,6 +134,12 @@ extern SDL_DECLSPEC const char * SDLCALL SDL_GetBasePath(void);
  * - ...only use letters, numbers, and spaces. Avoid punctuation like "Game
  *   Name 2: Bad Guy's Revenge!" ... "Game Name 2" is sufficient.
  *
+ * Due to historical mistakes, `org` is allowed to be NULL or "". In such
+ * cases, SDL will omit the org subdirectory, including on platforms where it
+ * shouldn't, and including on platforms where this would make your app fail
+ * certification for an app store. New apps should definitely specify a real
+ * string for `org`.
+ *
  * The returned path is guaranteed to end with a path separator ('\\' on
  * Windows, '/' on most other platforms).
  *
diff --git a/src/filesystem/SDL_filesystem.c b/src/filesystem/SDL_filesystem.c
index b115019ba5..8bd7980aaa 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/SDL_filesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/SDL_filesystem.c
@@ -502,6 +502,16 @@ const char *SDL_GetUserFolder(SDL_Folder folder)
 
 char *SDL_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
 {
+    if (!app) {
+        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    // if org is NULL, just make it "" so backends don't have to check both.
+    if (!org) {
+        org = "";
+    }
+
     return SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(org, app);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m b/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m
index 6ecef5dfc2..d0b4ba9553 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m
+++ b/src/filesystem/cocoa/SDL_sysfilesystem.m
@@ -69,14 +69,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         char *result = NULL;
         NSArray *array;
 
-        if (!app) {
-            SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        if (!org) {
-            org = "";
-        }
-
 #ifndef SDL_PLATFORM_TVOS
         array = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSApplicationSupportDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
 #else
@@ -106,13 +98,12 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
                 const size_t len = SDL_strlen(base) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 4;
                 result = (char *)SDL_malloc(len);
                 if (result != NULL) {
-                    char *ptr;
                     if (*org) {
                         SDL_snprintf(result, len, "%s/%s/%s/", base, org, app);
                     } else {
                         SDL_snprintf(result, len, "%s/%s/", base, app);
                     }
-                    for (ptr = result + 1; *ptr; ptr++) {
+                    for (char *ptr = result + 1; *ptr; ptr++) {
                         if (*ptr == '/') {
                             *ptr = '\0';
                             mkdir(result, 0700);
diff --git a/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 29dc053511..afb9705b47 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/emscripten/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -42,17 +42,7 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     const char *append = "/libsdl/";
     char *result;
     char *ptr = NULL;
-    size_t len = 0;
-
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
-
-    len = SDL_strlen(append) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 3;
+    const size_t len = SDL_strlen(append) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 3;
     result = (char *)SDL_malloc(len);
     if (!result) {
         return NULL;
diff --git a/src/filesystem/gdk/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp b/src/filesystem/gdk/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp
index 9a97f1873b..17baafb720 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/gdk/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp
+++ b/src/filesystem/gdk/SDL_sysfilesystem.cpp
@@ -90,11 +90,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     HRESULT result;
     const char *csid = SDL_GetHint("SDL_GDK_SERVICE_CONFIGURATION_ID");
 
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     // This should be set before calling SDL_GetPrefPath!
     if (!csid) {
         SDL_LogWarn(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_SYSTEM, "Set SDL_GDK_SERVICE_CONFIGURATION_ID before calling SDL_GetPrefPath!");
diff --git a/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc b/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc
index af8b5ab4d3..1c8a0acc4d 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc
+++ b/src/filesystem/haiku/SDL_sysfilesystem.cc
@@ -72,14 +72,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     const char *append = "/config/settings/";
     size_t len = SDL_strlen(home);
 
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
-
     if (!len || (home[len - 1] == '/')) {
         ++append; // home empty or ends with separator, skip the one from append
     }
diff --git a/src/filesystem/n3ds/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/n3ds/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 8386a91c5c..36b8c23126 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/n3ds/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/n3ds/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -43,11 +43,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetBasePath(void)
 char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
 {
     char *pref_path = NULL;
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     pref_path = MakePrefPath(app);
     if (!pref_path) {
         return NULL;
diff --git a/src/filesystem/ps2/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/ps2/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index ca69c2bd0a..8b4644e79a 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/ps2/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/ps2/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -80,15 +80,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     char *result = NULL;
     size_t len;
 
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
-
     const char *base = SDL_GetBasePath();
     if (!base) {
         return NULL;
@@ -102,7 +93,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         } else {
             SDL_snprintf(result, len, "%s%s/", base, app);
         }
-
         recursive_mkdir(result);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/filesystem/psp/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/psp/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 4b40055b35..eb9356a988 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/psp/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/psp/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -49,22 +49,12 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetBasePath(void)
 char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
 {
     char *result = NULL;
-    size_t len;
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
     const char *base = SDL_GetBasePath();
     if (!base) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
-
-    len = SDL_strlen(base) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 4;
+    const size_t len = SDL_strlen(base) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 4;
     result = (char *)SDL_malloc(len);
     if (result) {
         if (*org) {
@@ -72,7 +62,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         } else {
             SDL_snprintf(result, len, "%s%s/", base, app);
         }
-
         mkdir(result, 0755);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/filesystem/riscos/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/riscos/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 95ed80fda9..d394a6473b 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/riscos/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/riscos/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -155,23 +155,14 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetBasePath(void)
 char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
 {
     char *canon, *dir, *result;
-    size_t len;
     _kernel_oserror *error;
 
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
-
     canon = canonicalisePath("<Choices$Write>", "Run$Path");
     if (!canon) {
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    len = SDL_strlen(canon) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 4;
+    const size_t len = SDL_strlen(canon) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 4;
     dir = (char *)SDL_malloc(len);
     if (!dir) {
         SDL_free(canon);
diff --git a/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 858aaa2c54..751cc8a45a 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/unix/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -269,15 +269,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     const char *append;
     char *result = NULL;
     char *ptr = NULL;
-    size_t len = 0;
-
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
 
     if (!envr) {
         // You end up with "$HOME/.local/share/Game Name 2"
@@ -292,7 +283,7 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
         append = "/";
     }
 
-    len = SDL_strlen(envr);
+    size_t len = SDL_strlen(envr);
     if (envr[len - 1] == '/') {
         append += 1;
     }
diff --git a/src/filesystem/vita/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/vita/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index 8b65e8ae41..d99a83d125 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/vita/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/vita/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -46,19 +46,7 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     const char *envr = "ux0:/data/";
     char *result = NULL;
     char *ptr = NULL;
-    size_t len = 0;
-
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
-
-    len = SDL_strlen(envr);
-
-    len += SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 3;
+    size_t len = SDL_strlen(envr) + SDL_strlen(org) + SDL_strlen(app) + 3;
     result = (char *)SDL_malloc(len);
     if (!result) {
         return NULL;
diff --git a/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c b/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
index a4c033f068..85bf1ceb96 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
+++ b/src/filesystem/windows/SDL_sysfilesystem.c
@@ -110,14 +110,6 @@ char *SDL_SYS_GetPrefPath(const char *org, const char *app)
     size_t new_wpath_len = 0;
     BOOL api_result = FALSE;
 
-    if (!app) {
-        SDL_InvalidParamError("app");
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    if (!org) {
-        org = "";
-    }
-
     hr = SHGetFolderPathW(NULL, CSIDL_APPDATA | CSIDL_FLAG_CREATE, NULL, 0, path);
     if (!SUCCEEDED(hr)) {
         WIN_SetErrorFromHRESULT("Couldn't locate our prefpath", hr);