diff --git a/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el b/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el
index 5f9a3fa352..9f0ac38ec7 100644
--- a/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el
+++ b/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el
@@ -168,7 +168,8 @@ semantic-symref-perform-search
       (erase-buffer)
       (setq default-directory rootdir)
       (let ((cmd (semantic-symref-grep-use-template
-                  (file-local-name rootdir) filepattern grepflags greppat)))
+                  (file-name-as-directory (file-local-name rootdir))
+                  filepattern grepflags greppat)))
         (process-file semantic-symref-grep-shell nil b nil
                       shell-command-switch cmd)))
     (setq ans (semantic-symref-parse-tool-output tool b))
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/project.el b/lisp/progmodes/project.el
index d417382c0d..f91246a885 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/project.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/project.el
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ project--files-in-directory
          (localdir (file-local-name (expand-file-name dir)))
          (command (format "%s %s %s -type f %s -print0"
                           find-program
-                          localdir
+                          (file-name-as-directory localdir)
                           (xref--find-ignores-arguments ignores localdir)
                           (if files
                               (concat (shell-quote-argument "(")
diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/xref.el b/lisp/progmodes/xref.el
index d2b5acd555..bacc5e6f1c 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/xref.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/xref.el
@@ -161,11 +161,13 @@ xref--project-root-memo
   "Cons mapping `default-directory' value to the search root.")
 
 (cl-defmethod xref-location-group ((l xref-file-location))
+  (let ((file (oref l file)))
+    (unless (eq xref-file-name-display 'abs)
+      (setq file (replace-regexp-in-string "//" "/" file t t)))
   (cl-ecase xref-file-name-display
-    (abs
-     (oref l file))
+    (abs file)
     (nondirectory
-     (file-name-nondirectory (oref l file)))
+     (file-name-nondirectory file))
     (project-relative
      (unless (and xref--project-root-memo
                   (equal (car xref--project-root-memo)
@@ -176,12 +178,12 @@ xref-location-group
                           (let ((pr (project-current)))
                             (and pr (xref--project-root pr)))))
                      (and root (expand-file-name root))))))
-     (let ((file (oref l file))
+     (let ((file file)
            (search-root (cdr xref--project-root-memo)))
        (if (and search-root
                 (string-prefix-p search-root file))
            (substring file (length search-root))
-         file)))))
+         file))))))
 
 (defclass xref-buffer-location (xref-location)
   ((buffer :type buffer :initarg :buffer)
@@ -1374,7 +1376,8 @@ xref-matches-in-directory
        ;; do that reliably enough, without creating false negatives?
        (command (xref--rgrep-command (xref--regexp-to-extended regexp)
                                      files
-                                     (file-local-name (expand-file-name dir))
+                                     (file-name-as-directory
+                                      (file-local-name (expand-file-name dir)))
                                      ignores))
        (def default-directory)
        (buf (get-buffer-create " *xref-grep*"))