diff --git a/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.test.ts b/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.test.ts
index a74e347b..32a3aebf 100644
--- a/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.test.ts
+++ b/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,28 @@
-import { asAbsolutePaths } from './path';
+import { asAbsolutePaths, fromFsPath } from './path';
 
 describe('path utils', () => {
+  describe('fromFsPath', () => {
+    it('should normalize backslashes in relative paths', () => {
+      const [path] = fromFsPath('areas\\dailies\\2024\\file.md');
+      expect(path).toBe('areas/dailies/2024/file.md');
+    });
+
+    it('should handle mixed separators in relative paths', () => {
+      const [path] = fromFsPath('areas/dailies\\2024/file.md');
+      expect(path).toBe('areas/dailies/2024/file.md');
+    });
+
+    it('should preserve forward slashes in relative paths', () => {
+      const [path] = fromFsPath('areas/dailies/2024/file.md');
+      expect(path).toBe('areas/dailies/2024/file.md');
+    });
+
+    it('should normalize backslashes in Windows absolute paths', () => {
+      const [path] = fromFsPath('C:\\workspace\\file.md');
+      expect(path).toBe('/C:/workspace/file.md');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('asAbsolutePaths', () => {
     it('returns the path if already absolute', () => {
       const paths = asAbsolutePaths('/path/to/test', [
diff --git a/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.ts b/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.ts
index 615dc10e..72ec5f5d 100644
--- a/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.ts
+++ b/packages/foam-vscode/src/core/utils/path.ts
@@ -16,13 +16,16 @@ export function fromFsPath(path: string): [string, string] {
   let authority: string;
   if (isUNCShare(path)) {
     [path, authority] = parseUNCShare(path);
-    path = path.replace(/\\/g, '/');
   } else if (hasDrive(path)) {
-    path = '/' + path[0].toUpperCase() + path.substr(1).replace(/\\/g, '/');
+    path = '/' + path[0].toUpperCase() + path.substr(1);
   } else if (path[0] === '/' && hasDrive(path, 1)) {
     // POSIX representation of a Windows path: just normalize drive letter case
     path = '/' + path[1].toUpperCase() + path.substr(2);
   }
+
+  // Always normalize backslashes to forward slashes (filesystem → POSIX)
+  path = path.replace(/\\/g, '/');
+
   return [path, authority];
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.test.ts b/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.test.ts
index b2562daf..f3e834cd 100644
--- a/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.test.ts
+++ b/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.test.ts
@@ -493,17 +493,17 @@ foam_template:
         'foam-vscode.create-note'
       );
 
-      // Title with many invalid characters (excluding / which is preserved for directories): \#%&{}<>?*$!'":@+`|=
+      // Title with many invalid characters
       const resolver = new Resolver(new Map(), new Date());
-      resolver.define('FOAM_TITLE', 'Test\\#%&{}<>?*$!\'"Title:@+`|=');
+      resolver.define('FOAM_TITLE', 'Test#%&{}<>?*$!\'"Title@+`|=');
 
       const result = await engine.processTemplate(trigger, template, resolver);
 
-      // All invalid characters should become dashes: Test + 14 invalid chars + Title + : + @+`|= (6 more total)
-      expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('Test--------------Title------.md');
+      // All invalid characters should become dashes
+      expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('Test-------------Title-----.md');
 
       // Content should remain unchanged
-      expect(result.content).toContain('# Test\\#%&{}<>?*$!\'"Title:@+`|=');
+      expect(result.content).toContain('# Test#%&{}<>?*$!\'"Title@+`|=');
     });
 
     it('should not affect FOAM_TITLE when not used in filepath', async () => {
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@ Date and title combination.`,
       const result = await engine.processTemplate(trigger, template, resolver);
 
       // Entire resolved filepath should be sanitized
-      expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('2024/03/Note-With-Invalid-Chars.md');
+      expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('2024/03/Note:With-Invalid-Chars.md');
 
       // Content should use original FOAM_TITLE
       expect(result.content).toContain('# Note:With|Invalid*Chars');
@@ -601,5 +601,78 @@ foam_template:
       expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('notes/ValidTitle123.md');
       expect(result.content).toContain('# ValidTitle123');
     });
+
+    it('should preserve backslashes as directory separators (Windows-style paths)', async () => {
+      const { engine } = await setupFoamEngine();
+
+      // Simulate a resolved filepath with Windows-style backslash separators
+      const template: Template = {
+        type: 'markdown',
+        content: `# MyNote`,
+        metadata: new Map([
+          ['filepath', 'areas\\dailies\\2024\\MyNote.md'], // Already resolved, has backslashes
+        ]),
+      };
+
+      const trigger = TriggerFactory.createCommandTrigger(
+        'foam-vscode.create-note'
+      );
+
+      const resolver = new Resolver(new Map(), new Date());
+
+      const result = await engine.processTemplate(trigger, template, resolver);
+
+      // Backslashes should be normalized to forward slashes
+      expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('areas/dailies/2024/MyNote.md');
+      expect(result.content).toContain('# MyNote');
+    });
+
+    it('should normalize mixed forward and backslashes', async () => {
+      const { engine } = await setupFoamEngine();
+
+      // Simulate a resolved filepath with mixed separators
+      const template: Template = {
+        type: 'markdown',
+        content: `# MyNote`,
+        metadata: new Map([
+          ['filepath', 'areas/dailies\\2024/MyNote.md'], // Mixed separators
+        ]),
+      };
+
+      const trigger = TriggerFactory.createCommandTrigger(
+        'foam-vscode.create-note'
+      );
+
+      const resolver = new Resolver(new Map(), new Date());
+
+      const result = await engine.processTemplate(trigger, template, resolver);
+
+      // Both separators should be normalized to forward slashes
+      expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('areas/dailies/2024/MyNote.md');
+      expect(result.content).toContain('# MyNote');
+    });
+
+    it('should sanitize invalid characters while normalizing backslash separators', async () => {
+      const { engine } = await setupFoamEngine();
+
+      // Simulate a resolved filepath with backslash separator and invalid chars
+      const template: Template = {
+        type: 'markdown',
+        content: `# Note:With*Invalid`,
+        metadata: new Map([['filepath', 'areas\\Note:With*Invalid.md']]), // Backslash + invalid chars
+      };
+
+      const trigger = TriggerFactory.createCommandTrigger(
+        'foam-vscode.create-note'
+      );
+
+      const resolver = new Resolver(new Map(), new Date());
+
+      const result = await engine.processTemplate(trigger, template, resolver);
+
+      // Backslash normalized to forward slash, invalid chars sanitized
+      expect(result.filepath.path).toBe('areas/Note:With-Invalid.md');
+      expect(result.content).toContain('# Note:With*Invalid');
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.ts b/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.ts
index 72811e31..967dcce2 100644
--- a/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.ts
+++ b/packages/foam-vscode/src/services/note-creation-engine.ts
@@ -14,14 +14,13 @@ import { URI } from '../core/model/uri';
 
 /**
  * Characters that are invalid in file names
- * Based on UNALLOWED_CHARS from variable-resolver.ts but excluding forward slash
- * which is needed for directory separators in filepaths
+ * Based on UNALLOWED_CHARS from variable-resolver.ts but excluding filepaths
+ * related chars
  */
-const FILEPATH_UNALLOWED_CHARS = '\\#%&{}<>?*$!\'":@+`|=';
+const FILEPATH_UNALLOWED_CHARS = '#%&{}<>?*$!\'"@+`|=';
 
 /**
  * Sanitizes a filepath by replacing invalid characters with dashes
- * Note: Forward slashes (/) are preserved for directory separators
  * @param filepath The filepath to sanitize
  * @returns The sanitized filepath
  */