Here is a new version with Alan suggestions.

FTR, the gain is much less interesting.  Here is the new timing with
same benchmark (see below):
(4.381739669 1 0.1034133749999997)

> My simple limited benchmark:
> 
>           - M-: (clear-image-cache)
>           - Open an image in folder with some large enough pictures in
>             it (4000x3000 here)
>           - M-: (benchmark-run 10 (image-next-file 1))
> 
> Here are the results I get:
> 
> without this path: (5.415405491 1 0.09232176400000025)
> with: (3.079911418 1 0.0751190459999993)