diff --git a/compiler/docgen.nim b/compiler/docgen.nim
index 2f7415241eac2..0fd6a017ab985 100644
--- a/compiler/docgen.nim
+++ b/compiler/docgen.nim
@@ -63,21 +63,6 @@ proc prettyString(a: object): string =
   for k, v in fieldPairs(a):
     result.add k & ": " & $v & "\n"
 
-proc canonicalImport*(conf: ConfigRef, file: AbsoluteFile): string =
-  ##[
-  Shows the canonical module import, e.g.:
-  system, std/tables, fusion/pointers, system/assertions, std/private/asciitables
-  ]##
-  var ret = getRelativePathFromConfigPath(conf, file, isTitle = true)
-  let dir = getNimbleFile(conf, $file).parentDir.AbsoluteDir
-  if not dir.isEmpty:
-    let relPath = relativeTo(file, dir)
-    if not relPath.isEmpty and (ret.isEmpty or relPath.string.len < ret.string.len):
-      ret = relPath
-  if ret.isEmpty:
-    ret = relativeTo(file, conf.projectPath)
-  result = ret.string.nativeToUnixPath.changeFileExt("")
-
 proc presentationPath*(conf: ConfigRef, file: AbsoluteFile): RelativeFile =
   ## returns a relative file that will be appended to outDir
   let file2 = $file
diff --git a/compiler/msgs.nim b/compiler/msgs.nim
index 452b1cd89681e..e9b37e27d5272 100644
--- a/compiler/msgs.nim
+++ b/compiler/msgs.nim
@@ -253,15 +253,15 @@ proc toFilenameOption*(conf: ConfigRef, fileIdx: FileIndex, opt: FilenameOption)
   of foAbs: result = toFullPath(conf, fileIdx)
   of foRelProject: result = toProjPath(conf, fileIdx)
   of foMagicSauce:
-    let
-      absPath = toFullPath(conf, fileIdx)
-      relPath = toProjPath(conf, fileIdx)
-    result = if (optListFullPaths in conf.globalOptions) or
-                (relPath.len > absPath.len) or
-                (relPath.count("..") > 2):
-               absPath
-             else:
-               relPath
+    let absPath = toFullPath(conf, fileIdx)
+    result = canonicalImport(conf, absPath.AbsoluteFile)
+    #   relPath = toProjPath(conf, fileIdx)
+    # result = if (optListFullPaths in conf.globalOptions) or
+    #             (relPath.len > absPath.len) or
+    #             (relPath.count("..") > 2):
+    #            absPath
+    #          else:
+    #            relPath
   of foName: result = toProjPath(conf, fileIdx).lastPathPart
   of foStacktrace:
     if optExcessiveStackTrace in conf.globalOptions:
diff --git a/compiler/options.nim b/compiler/options.nim
index 9ba4d62e4bc1a..c81469e87a901 100644
--- a/compiler/options.nim
+++ b/compiler/options.nim
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import
 
 from terminal import isatty
 from times import utc, fromUnix, local, getTime, format, DateTime
-
+from std/private/globs import nativeToUnixPath
 const
   hasTinyCBackend* = defined(tinyc)
   useEffectSystem* = true
@@ -876,6 +876,21 @@ proc findProjectNimFile*(conf: ConfigRef; pkg: string): string =
     if dir == "": break
   return ""
 
+proc canonicalImport*(conf: ConfigRef, file: AbsoluteFile): string =
+  ##[
+  Shows the canonical module import, e.g.:
+  system, std/tables, fusion/pointers, system/assertions, std/private/asciitables
+  ]##
+  var ret = getRelativePathFromConfigPath(conf, file, isTitle = true)
+  let dir = getNimbleFile(conf, $file).parentDir.AbsoluteDir
+  if not dir.isEmpty:
+    let relPath = relativeTo(file, dir)
+    if not relPath.isEmpty and (ret.isEmpty or relPath.string.len < ret.string.len):
+      ret = relPath
+  if ret.isEmpty:
+    ret = relativeTo(file, conf.projectPath)
+  result = ret.string.nativeToUnixPath.changeFileExt("")
+
 proc canonDynlibName(s: string): string =
   let start = if s.startsWith("lib"): 3 else: 0
   let ende = strutils.find(s, {'(', ')', '.'})