diff --git a/src/fmu/dataio/_filedata_provider.py b/src/fmu/dataio/_filedata_provider.py
index feb38cb69..9cd527c70 100644
--- a/src/fmu/dataio/_filedata_provider.py
+++ b/src/fmu/dataio/_filedata_provider.py
@@ -42,10 +42,12 @@ class FileDataProvider:
     realname: str = ""
 
     # storing results in these variables
-    relative_path: Optional[str] = field(default="", init=False)
+    relative_path: str = field(default="", init=False)
     relative_path_symlink: Optional[str] = field(default="", init=False)
-    absolute_path: Optional[str] = field(default="", init=False)
+
+    absolute_path: str = field(default="", init=False)
     absolute_path_symlink: Optional[str] = field(default="", init=False)
+
     checksum_md5: Optional[str] = field(default="", init=False)
 
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
diff --git a/src/fmu/dataio/_metadata.py b/src/fmu/dataio/_metadata.py
index 1502640ed..d3d0ee7c7 100644
--- a/src/fmu/dataio/_metadata.py
+++ b/src/fmu/dataio/_metadata.py
@@ -342,12 +342,6 @@ def _populate_meta_file(self) -> None:
         )
         fdata.derive_filedata()
 
-        self.meta_file["relative_path"] = fdata.relative_path
-        self.meta_file["absolute_path"] = fdata.absolute_path
-        if fdata.absolute_path_symlink:
-            self.meta_file["relative_path_symlink"] = fdata.relative_path_symlink
-            self.meta_file["absolute_path_symlink"] = fdata.absolute_path_symlink
-
         if self.compute_md5:
             if not self.objdata.extension.startswith("."):
                 raise ValueError("A extension must start with '.'")
@@ -356,14 +350,30 @@ def _populate_meta_file(self) -> None:
                 suffix=self.objdata.extension,
             ) as tf:
                 logger.info("Compute MD5 sum for tmp file...: %s", tf.name)
-                self.meta_file["checksum_md5"] = export_file_compute_checksum_md5(
+                checksum_md5 = export_file_compute_checksum_md5(
                     self.obj,
                     Path(tf.name),
                     flag=self.dataio._usefmtflag,
                 )
         else:
             logger.info("Do not compute MD5 sum at this stage!")
-            self.meta_file["checksum_md5"] = None
+            checksum_md5 = None
+
+        self.meta_file = meta.File(
+            absolute_path=Path(fdata.absolute_path),
+            relative_path=Path(fdata.relative_path),
+            checksum_md5=checksum_md5,
+            relative_path_symlink=Path(fdata.relative_path_symlink)
+            if fdata.relative_path_symlink
+            else None,
+            absolute_path_symlink=Path(fdata.absolute_path_symlink)
+            if fdata.absolute_path_symlink
+            else None,
+        ).model_dump(
+            mode="json",
+            exclude_none=True,
+            by_alias=True,
+        )
 
     def _populate_meta_class(self) -> None:
         """Get the general class which is a simple string."""