diff --git a/src/util/get_base_name.cpp b/src/util/get_base_name.cpp
index 79d72618a61..5035095ac9d 100644
--- a/src/util/get_base_name.cpp
+++ b/src/util/get_base_name.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ Author: CM Wintersteiger
 
 \*******************************************************************/
 
-
 #include "get_base_name.h"
 
 /// cleans a filename from path and extension
@@ -16,23 +15,24 @@ Author: CM Wintersteiger
 /// \return a new string
 std::string get_base_name(const std::string &in, bool strip_suffix)
 {
-  size_t r=std::string::npos;
-  if(strip_suffix)
-    r=in.rfind('.', in.length()-1);
-  if(r==std::string::npos)
-    r=in.length();
+#ifdef _WIN32
+  // Windows now allows both '/' and '\\'
+  const std::size_t slash_pos = in.find_last_of("\\/");
+#else
+  const std::size_t slash_pos = in.rfind('/');
+#endif
 
-  size_t f=in.rfind('/', in.length()-1);
-  if(f==std::string::npos)
-    f=0;
+  std::size_t start_pos =
+    (slash_pos == std::string::npos) ? 0 : slash_pos + 1;
 
-  size_t fw=in.rfind('\\', in.length()-1);
-  if(fw==std::string::npos)
-    fw=0;
+  std::size_t char_count = std::string::npos;
 
-  f = (fw>f)?fw:f;
+  if(strip_suffix)
+  {
+    std::size_t dot_pos = in.rfind('.');
+    if(dot_pos != std::string::npos && dot_pos >= start_pos)
+      char_count = dot_pos - start_pos;
+  }
 
-  if(in[f]=='/' || in[f]=='\\')
-    f++;
-  return in.substr(f, r-f);
+  return std::string(in, start_pos, char_count);
 }
diff --git a/unit/Makefile b/unit/Makefile
index 1e4dc900bdd..53a17feda52 100644
--- a/unit/Makefile
+++ b/unit/Makefile
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ SRC += unit_tests.cpp \
        solvers/refinement/string_refinement/union_find_replace.cpp \
        util/expr.cpp \
        util/expr_cast/expr_cast.cpp \
+       util/get_base_name.cpp \
        util/graph.cpp \
        util/irep.cpp \
        util/irep_sharing.cpp \
diff --git a/unit/util/get_base_name.cpp b/unit/util/get_base_name.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..43c40c3c03c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unit/util/get_base_name.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*******************************************************************\
+
+Module: Unit test for get_base_name.h
+
+Author: Daniel Kroening
+
+\*******************************************************************/
+
+#include <testing-utils/catch.hpp>
+
+#include <util/get_base_name.h>
+
+TEST_CASE("get_base_name basic functionality", "[core][util][get_base_name]")
+{
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name(".exe", true) == "");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name(".exe", false) == ".exe");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name(".", true) == "");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name(".", false) == ".");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("some.file.ext", true) == "some.file");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("some.file.ext", false) == "some.file.ext");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("/.exe", true) == "");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("/.exe", false) == ".exe");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("/file.exe", true) == "file");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("/file.exe", false) == "file.exe");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("some.dir/file", true) == "file");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("some.dir/file", false) == "file");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("/some.dir/file", true) == "file");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("/some.dir/file", false) == "file");
+#ifdef _WIN32
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("dir\\file", true) == "file");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("some.dir\\file", true) == "file");
+#else
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("dir\\file", true) == "dir\\file");
+  REQUIRE(get_base_name("some.dir\\file", true) == "some");
+#endif
+}