diff --git a/source/blender/python/BPY_interface.c b/source/blender/python/BPY_interface.c
index fa38aa8c4c1..261af51873e 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/BPY_interface.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/BPY_interface.c
@@ -306,18 +306,28 @@ that dir info is available.
 ****************************************************************************/
 void BPY_post_start_python( void )
 {
-	PyObject *result, *dict;
 	char dirpath[FILE_MAXDIR];
 	char *sdir = NULL;
 
 	if(U.pythondir[0] != '\0' ) {
 		char modpath[FILE_MAXDIR];
+		int upyslen = strlen(U.pythondir);
+
+		/* check if user pydir ends with a slash and, if so, remove the slash
+		 * (for eventual implementations of c library's stat function that might
+		 * not like it) */
+		if (upyslen > 2) { /* avoids doing anything if dir == '//' */
+			char ending = U.pythondir[upyslen - 1];
+
+			if (ending == '/' || ending == '\\')
+				U.pythondir[upyslen - 1] = '\0';
+		}
 
 		BLI_strncpy(dirpath, U.pythondir, FILE_MAXDIR);
 		BLI_convertstringcode(dirpath, G.sce, 0);
 		syspath_append(dirpath);	/* append to module search path */
 
-		BLI_make_file_string("/", modpath, dirpath, "bpymodules/");
+		BLI_make_file_string("/", modpath, dirpath, "bpymodules");
 		if (BLI_exists(modpath)) syspath_append(modpath);
 	}
 
@@ -326,25 +336,13 @@ void BPY_post_start_python( void )
 
 		syspath_append(sdir);
 
-		BLI_make_file_string("/", dirpath, sdir, "bpymodules/");
+		BLI_make_file_string("/", dirpath, sdir, "bpymodules");
 		if (BLI_exists(dirpath)) syspath_append(dirpath);
 	}
 
 	BPyMenu_Init( 0 );	/* get dynamic menus (registered scripts) data */
 
-	dict = PyDict_New(  );
-
-	/* here we check if the user has (some of) the expected modules */
-	if( dict ) {
-		char *s = "import chunk, gzip, math, os, struct, string";
-		result = PyRun_String( s, Py_eval_input, dict, dict );
-		if( !result ) {
-			PyErr_Clear(  );
-			/*XXX print msg about this, point to readme.html */
-		} else
-			Py_DECREF( result );
-		Py_DECREF( dict );
-	}
+	return;
 }
 
 /****************************************************************************
diff --git a/source/blender/python/BPY_menus.c b/source/blender/python/BPY_menus.c
index a35c7470841..40dd8543762 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/BPY_menus.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/BPY_menus.c
@@ -946,9 +946,18 @@ int BPyMenu_Init( int usedir )
 	for( i = 0; i < PYMENU_TOTAL; i++ )
 		BPyMenuTable[i] = NULL;
 
-	if( U.pythondir[0] == '\0' ||
-			strcmp(U.pythondir, "/") == 0 || strcmp(U.pythondir, "//") == 0)
-	{
+	if( DEBUG )
+		fprintf(stdout, "\nRegistering scripts in Blender menus ...\n\n" );
+
+	if( U.pythondir[0] == '\0') {
+		upydir = NULL;
+	}
+	else if (strcmp(U.pythondir, "/") == 0 || strcmp(U.pythondir, "//") == 0) {
+		/* these are not accepted to prevent possible slight slowdowns on startup;
+		 * they should not be used as user defined scripts dir, anyway, also from
+		 * speed considerations, since they'd not be dedicated scripts dirs */
+		if (DEBUG) fprintf(stderr,
+			"BPyMenus: invalid user defined Python scripts dir: \"/\" or \"//\".\n");
 		upydir = NULL;
 	}
 	else {
@@ -968,7 +977,7 @@ int BPyMenu_Init( int usedir )
 				fprintf(stderr,
 					"\nDefault scripts dir: %s:\n%s\n", dirname, strerror(errno));
 				if( upydir )
-					fprintf(stderr,
+					fprintf(stdout,
 						"Getting scripts menu data from user defined dir: %s.\n",
 						upythondir );
 			}
@@ -981,6 +990,7 @@ int BPyMenu_Init( int usedir )
 
 		if( stat_dir2 < 0 ) {
 			time_dir2 = 0;
+			upydir = NULL;
 			if( DEBUG )
 				fprintf(stderr, "\nUser defined scripts dir: %s:\n%s.\n",
 					upythondir, strerror( errno ) );
@@ -990,7 +1000,7 @@ int BPyMenu_Init( int usedir )
 To have scripts in menus, please add them to the default scripts dir:\n\
 %s\n\
 and / or go to 'Info window -> File Paths tab' and set a valid path for\n\
-the user defined scripts dir.\n", dirname );
+the user defined Python scripts dir.\n", dirname );
 				return -1;
 			}
 		}
@@ -1005,9 +1015,6 @@ the user defined scripts dir.\n", dirname );
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	if( DEBUG )
-		fprintf(stderr, "\nRegistering scripts in Blender menus ...\n\n" );
-
 	if (usedir) stat_file = -1;
 	else { /* if we're not forced to use the dir */
 		char *homedir = bpy_gethome(0);
@@ -1025,8 +1032,8 @@ the user defined scripts dir.\n", dirname );
 			{	/* file is newer */
 				stat_file = bpymenu_CreateFromFile(  );	/* -1 if an error occurred */
 				if( !stat_file && DEBUG )
-					fprintf(stderr,
-						"Getting menu data for scripts from file: %s\n\n", fname );
+					fprintf(stdout,
+						"Getting menu data for scripts from file:\n%s\n\n", fname );
 			}
 			else stat_file = -1;
 		}
@@ -1035,11 +1042,11 @@ the user defined scripts dir.\n", dirname );
 
 	if( stat_file == -1 ) {	/* use dirs */
 		if( DEBUG ) {
-			fprintf(stderr,
+			fprintf(stdout,
 				"Getting menu data for scripts from dir(s):\ndefault: %s\n", dirname );
 			if( upydir )
-				fprintf(stderr, "user defined: %s", upythondir );
-			fprintf(stderr, "\n");
+				fprintf(stdout, "user defined: %s\n", upythondir );
+			fprintf(stdout, "\n");
 		}
 		if( stat_dir1 == 0 ) {
 			i = bpymenu_ParseDir( dirname, NULL, 0 );
diff --git a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Blender.c b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Blender.c
index 017ede81b80..988e9ac67bd 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Blender.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/Blender.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ static PyObject *Blender_Get( PyObject * self, PyObject * args )
 		char *sdir = bpy_gethome(1);
 
 		if (sdir) {
-			BLI_make_file_string( "/", datadir, sdir, "bpydata/" );
+			BLI_make_file_string( "/", datadir, sdir, "bpydata" );
 			if( BLI_exists( datadir ) )
 				ret = PyString_FromString( datadir );
 		}
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ static PyObject *Blender_Get( PyObject * self, PyObject * args )
 			if (BLI_exists(upydir)) {
 				char udatadir[FILE_MAXDIR];
 
-				BLI_make_file_string("/", udatadir, upydir, "bpydata/");
+				BLI_make_file_string("/", udatadir, upydir, "bpydata");
 
 				if (BLI_exists(udatadir))
 					ret = PyString_FromString(udatadir);
diff --git a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/EXPP_interface.c b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/EXPP_interface.c
index 0dd363146e7..4be155db944 100644
--- a/source/blender/python/api2_2x/EXPP_interface.c
+++ b/source/blender/python/api2_2x/EXPP_interface.c
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ char *bpy_gethome(int append_scriptsdir)
 	if( strstr( s, ".blender" ) )
 		PyOS_snprintf( homedir, FILE_MAXDIR, s );
 	else
-		BLI_make_file_string( "/", homedir, s, ".blender/" );
+		BLI_make_file_string( "/", homedir, s, ".blender" );
 
 	/* if userhome/.blender/ exists, return it */
 	if( BLI_exists( homedir ) ) {
 		if (append_scriptsdir) {
-			BLI_make_file_string("/", scriptsdir, homedir, "scripts/");
+			BLI_make_file_string("/", scriptsdir, homedir, "scripts");
 			if (BLI_exists (scriptsdir)) return scriptsdir;
 		}
 		else return homedir;
@@ -99,11 +99,11 @@ char *bpy_gethome(int append_scriptsdir)
 	i = s - bprogname + 1;
 
 	PyOS_snprintf( bprogdir, i, bprogname );
-	BLI_make_file_string( "/", homedir, bprogdir, ".blender/" );
+	BLI_make_file_string( "/", homedir, bprogdir, ".blender" );
 
 	if (BLI_exists(homedir)) {
 		if (append_scriptsdir) {
-			BLI_make_file_string("/", scriptsdir, homedir, "scripts/");
+			BLI_make_file_string("/", scriptsdir, homedir, "scripts");
 			if (BLI_exists(scriptsdir)) return scriptsdir;
 		}
 		else return homedir;
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ char *bpy_gethome(int append_scriptsdir)
 
 	/* last try for scripts dir: blender in cvs dir, scripts/ inside release/: */
 	if (append_scriptsdir) {
-		BLI_make_file_string("/", scriptsdir, bprogdir, "release/scripts/");
+		BLI_make_file_string("/", scriptsdir, bprogdir, "release/scripts");
 		if (BLI_exists(scriptsdir)) return scriptsdir;
 	}
 
diff --git a/source/blender/src/header_script.c b/source/blender/src/header_script.c
index fc6a0b45545..f29c8f848d7 100644
--- a/source/blender/src/header_script.c
+++ b/source/blender/src/header_script.c
@@ -138,6 +138,8 @@ static uiBlock *script_scriptsmenu(void *arg_unused)
 		uiDefIconTextBlockBut(block, script_scripts_submenus, (void *)i, ICON_RIGHTARROW_THIN, BPyMenu_group_itoa(i), 0, yco-=20, menuwidth, 19, "");
 	}
 
+	uiDefBut(block, SEPR, 0, "", 0, yco-=6, menuwidth, 6, NULL, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, "");
+
 	uiDefIconTextBut(block, BUTM, 1, ICON_BLANK1, "Update Menus", 0, yco-=20, menuwidth, 19, NULL, 0.0, 0.0, 1, 0, "Use when a scripts folder or its contents are modified");
 
 	if(curarea->headertype==HEADERTOP) {