diff --git a/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker.rs b/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker.rs
index b685d6b6..23e76a1d 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
+use fbuild_core::path::NormalizedPath;
 use fbuild_core::subprocess::run_command;
 use fbuild_core::{BuildProfile, Result, SizeInfo};
 
@@ -146,11 +147,11 @@ pub(crate) fn esptool_spawn_failure_message(esptool_bin: Option<&Path>, error: &
 
 /// ESP32-specific linker using RISC-V or Xtensa GCC as the link driver.
 pub struct Esp32Linker {
-    gcc_path: PathBuf,
-    ar_path: PathBuf,
+    gcc_path: NormalizedPath,
+    ar_path: NormalizedPath,
     #[allow(dead_code)] // Used later for esptool elf2image
-    objcopy_path: PathBuf,
-    size_path: PathBuf,
+    objcopy_path: NormalizedPath,
+    size_path: NormalizedPath,
     /// MCU config (used for profile-specific flags as fallback).
     mcu_config: Esp32McuConfig,
     /// SDK linker flags from `flags/ld_flags` (undefined symbols, wrap directives, etc.).
@@ -169,7 +170,7 @@ pub struct Esp32Linker {
     max_ram: Option<u64>,
     /// Path to the provisioned standalone esptool binary, if available. `None`
     /// falls back to an `esptool` on PATH. See FastLED/fbuild#954.
-    esptool_bin: Option<PathBuf>,
+    esptool_bin: Option<NormalizedPath>,
     verbose: bool,
     /// The CLI caller's PATH, so the bare-`esptool` fallback resolves
     /// against the caller's environment instead of the daemon's
@@ -183,10 +184,10 @@ pub struct Esp32Linker {
 impl Esp32Linker {
     #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
     pub fn new(
-        gcc_path: PathBuf,
-        ar_path: PathBuf,
-        objcopy_path: PathBuf,
-        size_path: PathBuf,
+        gcc_path: NormalizedPath,
+        ar_path: NormalizedPath,
+        objcopy_path: NormalizedPath,
+        size_path: NormalizedPath,
         mcu_config: Esp32McuConfig,
         sdk_ld_flags: Vec<String>,
         sdk_lib_flags: Vec<String>,
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ impl Esp32Linker {
         flash_freq: &str,
         max_flash: Option<u64>,
         max_ram: Option<u64>,
-        esptool_bin: Option<PathBuf>,
+        esptool_bin: Option<NormalizedPath>,
         verbose: bool,
     ) -> Self {
         let flash_mode = flash_mode.unwrap_or_else(|| mcu_config.default_flash_mode().to_string());
@@ -574,19 +575,19 @@ impl Linker for Esp32Linker {
     }
 
     fn size_tool_path(&self) -> &Path {
-        &self.size_path
+        self.size_path.as_path()
     }
 
     fn ar_tool_path(&self) -> Option<&Path> {
-        Some(&self.ar_path)
+        Some(self.ar_path.as_path())
     }
 
     fn objcopy_tool_path(&self) -> Option<&Path> {
-        Some(&self.objcopy_path)
+        Some(self.objcopy_path.as_path())
     }
 
     fn link_driver_path(&self) -> Option<&Path> {
-        Some(&self.gcc_path)
+        Some(self.gcc_path.as_path())
     }
 
     async fn report_size(&self, elf_path: &Path) -> Result<SizeInfo> {
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker_tests.rs b/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker_tests.rs
index 9cf29594..4dcce24a 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker_tests.rs
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ fn test_linker(mcu: &str) -> Esp32Linker {
     let config = get_mcu_config(mcu).unwrap();
     let prefix = config.toolchain_prefix();
     Esp32Linker::new(
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
         config,
         vec![
             "-nostartfiles".to_string(),
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ fn pinned_esptool_v4_uses_underscore_elf2image_options() {
     assert!(v5.iter().any(|arg| arg == "--flash-mode"));
 }
 
-fn test_linker_with(esptool_bin: Option<PathBuf>, caller_path: Option<String>) -> Esp32Linker {
+fn test_linker_with(
+    esptool_bin: Option<NormalizedPath>,
+    caller_path: Option<String>,
+) -> Esp32Linker {
     let mut linker = test_linker("esp32c6");
     linker.esptool_bin = esptool_bin;
     linker.caller_path = caller_path;
@@ -121,7 +124,7 @@ fn absolute_esptool_bin_reuse_ignores_caller_path() {
     let elf = tmp.path().join("firmware.elf");
     std::fs::write(&elf, b"elf").unwrap();
 
-    let esptool = PathBuf::from("C:\\tools\\esptool.exe");
+    let esptool = NormalizedPath::new("C:\\tools\\esptool.exe");
     let linker_a = test_linker_with(Some(esptool.clone()), Some("C:\\venv-a".to_string()));
     let flash_size = linker_a.flash_size();
 
@@ -145,10 +148,10 @@ fn test_flash_size_uses_board_max_flash_for_elf2image_and_cache() {
     let config = get_mcu_config("esp32c6").unwrap();
     let prefix = config.toolchain_prefix();
     let linker = Esp32Linker::new(
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
         config,
         vec![],
         vec![],
@@ -182,7 +185,7 @@ fn test_esp32_link_command_emits_linker_map_next_to_elf() {
     let args = linker.build_link_args(
         &[],
         &[],
-        &PathBuf::from("/build/firmware.elf"),
+        Path::new("/build/firmware.elf"),
         &LinkExtraArgs::default(),
     );
     assert!(
@@ -239,10 +242,10 @@ fn test_linker_flags_fallback_to_config() {
     let prefix = config.toolchain_prefix();
     // Empty sdk_ld_flags → falls back to MCU config
     let linker = Esp32Linker::new(
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
         config,
         vec![],
         vec!["-lfreertos".to_string()],
@@ -283,10 +286,10 @@ fn test_xtensa_linker_flags() {
     let config = get_mcu_config("esp32").unwrap();
     let prefix = config.toolchain_prefix();
     let linker = Esp32Linker::new(
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
-        PathBuf::from(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}gcc", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}ar", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}objcopy", prefix)),
+        NormalizedPath::new(format!("/usr/bin/{}size", prefix)),
         config,
         vec!["-mlongcalls".to_string()],
         vec![],
@@ -423,7 +426,7 @@ async fn link_runs_the_linker_under_the_c_locale() {
     fbuild_core::platform::fs::set_executable(&staging).unwrap();
     std::fs::rename(&staging, &fake_gcc).unwrap();
     let mut linker = test_linker("esp32s3");
-    linker.gcc_path = fake_gcc;
+    linker.gcc_path = fake_gcc.into();
 
     linker
         .link(&[], &[], &tmp.path().join("out"), &LinkExtraArgs::default())
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/orchestrator/build.rs b/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/orchestrator/build.rs
index e212b3ce..c7a8d4f0 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/orchestrator/build.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/orchestrator/build.rs
@@ -846,10 +846,10 @@ impl BuildOrchestrator for Esp32Orchestrator {
         all_archives.extend(library_archives);
 
         let linker = Esp32Linker::new(
-            toolchain.get_gcc_path(),
-            toolchain.get_ar_path(),
-            toolchain.get_objcopy_path(),
-            toolchain.get_size_path(),
+            toolchain.get_gcc_path().into(),
+            toolchain.get_ar_path().into(),
+            toolchain.get_objcopy_path().into(),
+            toolchain.get_size_path().into(),
             mcu_config.clone(),
             sdk_ld_flags,
             sdk_lib_flags,
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ impl BuildOrchestrator for Esp32Orchestrator {
             &flash_freq,
             ctx.board.max_flash,
             ctx.board.max_ram,
-            esptool_bin.clone().map(|path| path.into_path_buf()),
+            esptool_bin.clone(),
             params.verbose,
         )
         .with_caller_path(params.caller_path.clone())
diff --git a/dylints/ban_std_pathbuf/src/allowlist.txt b/dylints/ban_std_pathbuf/src/allowlist.txt
index 459e2bd3..d38b3615 100644
--- a/dylints/ban_std_pathbuf/src/allowlist.txt
+++ b/dylints/ban_std_pathbuf/src/allowlist.txt
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ crates/fbuild-build-engine/src/compiler.rs
 crates/fbuild-build-engine/src/compiler_tests.rs
 crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_compiler.rs
 crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker.rs
-# Existing ESP32 linker test fixtures construct raw paths to match the legacy
-# production linker's PathBuf API; migrate together with that API (#1501).
-crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/esp32_linker_tests.rs
 crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/orchestrator/build.rs
 crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/orchestrator/embed.rs
 crates/fbuild-build-esp/src/esp32/orchestrator/embed_stage.rs