diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3452c0ef..f5908f4e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 * **[Clompress]** corrected Turkish translation
 * increase run callbacks background thread polling time to `~200ms`
 * changed the overlay title to give proper credits to its author
+* set these env vars for a more accurate emulation:
+  - `SteamAppUser`
+  - `SteamUser`
+  - `SteamClientLaunch`
+  - `SteamEnv`
+  - `SteamPath`
 
  ---
  
diff --git a/dll/steam_client.cpp b/dll/steam_client.cpp
index 73bdeffc..b96aca26 100644
--- a/dll/steam_client.cpp
+++ b/dll/steam_client.cpp
@@ -83,7 +83,25 @@ Steam_Client::Steam_Client()
         auto appid_str = std::to_string(appid);
         set_env_variable("SteamAppId", appid_str);
         set_env_variable("SteamGameId", appid_str);
-		set_env_variable("SteamOverlayGameId", appid_str);
+        set_env_variable("SteamOverlayGameId", appid_str);
+    }
+
+    {
+        const char *user_name = settings_client->get_local_name();
+        if (user_name) {
+            set_env_variable("SteamAppUser", user_name);
+            set_env_variable("SteamUser", user_name);
+        }
+    }
+
+    set_env_variable("SteamClientLaunch", "1");
+    set_env_variable("SteamEnv", "1");
+    
+    {
+        std::string steam_path(get_env_variable("SteamPath"));
+        if (steam_path.empty()) {
+            set_env_variable("SteamPath", get_full_program_path());
+        }
     }
 
     // client
diff --git a/dll/steam_http.cpp b/dll/steam_http.cpp
index 349d12ed..59ad4cfc 100644
--- a/dll/steam_http.cpp
+++ b/dll/steam_http.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ HTTPRequestHandle Steam_HTTP::CreateHTTPRequest( EHTTPMethod eHTTPRequestMethod,
     request.url = url;
     if (url_index) {
         if (url.back() == '/') url += "index.html";
-        std::string file_path = Local_Storage::get_game_settings_path() + "http/" + Local_Storage::sanitize_string(url.substr(url_index));
+        std::string file_path = Local_Storage::get_game_settings_path() + "http" + PATH_SEPARATOR + Local_Storage::sanitize_string(url.substr(url_index));
         request.target_filepath = file_path;
         unsigned long long file_size = file_size_(file_path);
         if (file_size) {
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ void Steam_HTTP::online_http_request(Steam_Http_Request *request, SteamAPICall_t
     fclose(hfile);
     headers.clear();
 
-    PRINT_DEBUG("CURL for '%s' error code (0 == OK 0): [%i]", request->url.c_str(), (int)res_curl);
+    PRINT_DEBUG("CURL error code for '%s' [%i] (OK == 0)", request->url.c_str(), (int)res_curl);
     
     unsigned int file_size = file_size_(request->target_filepath);
     if (file_size) {
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ bool Steam_HTTP::DeferHTTPRequest( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest )
 // the specified request to the head of the queue.  Returns false on invalid handle, or if the request is not yet sent.
 bool Steam_HTTP::PrioritizeHTTPRequest( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest )
 {
-    PRINT_DEBUG("Steam_HTTP::PrioritizeHTTPRequest");
+    PRINT_DEBUG("%u", hRequest);
     std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(global_mutex);
 
     Steam_Http_Request *request = get_request(hRequest);
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ bool Steam_HTTP::GetHTTPResponseHeaderSize( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, const ch
 // BGetHTTPResponseHeaderSize to check for the presence of the header and to find out the size buffer needed.
 bool Steam_HTTP::GetHTTPResponseHeaderValue( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, const char *pchHeaderName, uint8 *pHeaderValueBuffer, uint32 unBufferSize )
 {
-    PRINT_DEBUG_ENTRY();
+    PRINT_DEBUG("'%s'", pchHeaderName);
     std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(global_mutex);
 
     if (!pchHeaderName) return false;
@@ -464,7 +464,7 @@ bool Steam_HTTP::GetHTTPResponseHeaderValue( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, const c
 // handle is invalid.
 bool Steam_HTTP::GetHTTPResponseBodySize( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, uint32 *unBodySize )
 {
-    PRINT_DEBUG_ENTRY();
+    PRINT_DEBUG("%u", hRequest);
     std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(global_mutex);
 
     Steam_Http_Request *request = get_request(hRequest);
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ bool Steam_HTTP::GetHTTPStreamingResponseBodyData( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, u
 // callback and finishing using the response.
 bool Steam_HTTP::ReleaseHTTPRequest( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest )
 {
-    PRINT_DEBUG_ENTRY();
+    PRINT_DEBUG("%u", hRequest);
     std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(global_mutex);
 
     auto c = std::begin(requests);
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ bool Steam_HTTP::ReleaseHTTPRequest( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest )
 // zero for the duration of the request as the size is unknown until the connection closes.
 bool Steam_HTTP::GetHTTPDownloadProgressPct( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, float *pflPercentOut )
 {
-    PRINT_DEBUG_ENTRY();
+    PRINT_DEBUG("%u", hRequest);
     std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(global_mutex);
     
     Steam_Http_Request *request = get_request(hRequest);
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ bool Steam_HTTP::GetHTTPDownloadProgressPct( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, float *
 // parameter will set the content-type header for the request so the server may know how to interpret the body.
 bool Steam_HTTP::SetHTTPRequestRawPostBody( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, const char *pchContentType, uint8 *pubBody, uint32 unBodyLen )
 {
-    PRINT_DEBUG("%s", pchContentType);
+    PRINT_DEBUG("%u '%s'", hRequest, pchContentType);
     std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(global_mutex);
     
     Steam_Http_Request *request = get_request(hRequest);
@@ -635,7 +635,7 @@ bool Steam_HTTP::SetHTTPRequestCookieContainer( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, HTTP
 // Set the extra user agent info for a request, this doesn't clobber the normal user agent, it just adds the extra info on the end
 bool Steam_HTTP::SetHTTPRequestUserAgentInfo( HTTPRequestHandle hRequest, const char *pchUserAgentInfo )
 {
-    PRINT_DEBUG_ENTRY();
+    PRINT_DEBUG("%u '%s'", hRequest, pchUserAgentInfo);
     std::lock_guard<std::recursive_mutex> lock(global_mutex);
     
     Steam_Http_Request *request = get_request(hRequest);
diff --git a/helpers/pe_helpers.cpp b/helpers/pe_helpers.cpp
index 5bc31875..efb79c4f 100644
--- a/helpers/pe_helpers.cpp
+++ b/helpers/pe_helpers.cpp
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ size_t pe_helpers::get_pe_size(HMODULE hModule)
 
 static std::wstring path_w{};
 static std::string path_a{};
-const std::string pe_helpers::get_current_exe_path()
+const std::string& pe_helpers::get_current_exe_path()
 {
     if (path_a.empty()) {
         get_current_exe_path_w();
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ const std::string pe_helpers::get_current_exe_path()
     return path_a;
 }
 
-const std::wstring pe_helpers::get_current_exe_path_w()
+const std::wstring& pe_helpers::get_current_exe_path_w()
 {
     static std::recursive_mutex path_mtx{};
     if (path_w.empty()) {
diff --git a/helpers/pe_helpers/pe_helpers.hpp b/helpers/pe_helpers/pe_helpers.hpp
index 66a1339f..649702e2 100644
--- a/helpers/pe_helpers/pe_helpers.hpp
+++ b/helpers/pe_helpers/pe_helpers.hpp
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ DWORD loadlib_remote(HANDLE hProcess, const std::wstring &lib_fullpath, const ch
 
 size_t get_pe_size(HMODULE hModule);
 
-const std::string get_current_exe_path();
+const std::string& get_current_exe_path();
 
-const std::wstring get_current_exe_path_w();
+const std::wstring& get_current_exe_path_w();
 
 bool ends_with_i(PUNICODE_STRING target, const std::wstring &query);
 
diff --git a/tools/steamclient_loader/linux/steamclient_loader.sh b/tools/steamclient_loader/linux/steamclient_loader.sh
index bd740ab3..73b42077 100644
--- a/tools/steamclient_loader/linux/steamclient_loader.sh
+++ b/tools/steamclient_loader/linux/steamclient_loader.sh
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ if [ ! -z "${STEAM_RUNTIME}" ]; then
   )
 fi
 
-SteamAppPath="${EXE_RUN_DIR}" SteamAppId=$APP_ID SteamGameId=$APP_ID SteamOverlayGameId=$APP_ID "$TARGET_EXE" "${EXE_COMMAND_LINE[@]}"
+SteamAppPath="${EXE_RUN_DIR}" SteamAppId=$APP_ID SteamGameId=$APP_ID SteamOverlayGameId=$APP_ID SteamAppUser='client_player' SteamUser='client_player' SteamClientLaunch='1' SteamEnv='1' SteamPath="$script_dir" "$TARGET_EXE" "${EXE_COMMAND_LINE[@]}"
 
 popd
 
diff --git a/tools/steamclient_loader/win/ColdClientLoader.cpp b/tools/steamclient_loader/win/ColdClientLoader.cpp
index bb85314b..87c93601 100644
--- a/tools/steamclient_loader/win/ColdClientLoader.cpp
+++ b/tools/steamclient_loader/win/ColdClientLoader.cpp
@@ -326,6 +326,14 @@ void set_steam_env_vars(const std::wstring &AppId)
     SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamAppId", AppId.c_str());
     SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamGameId", AppId.c_str());
     SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamOverlayGameId", AppId.c_str());
+
+    // these 2 wil be overridden by the emu
+    SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamAppUser", L"cold_player");
+    SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamUser", L"cold_player");
+
+    SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamClientLaunch", L"1");
+    SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamEnv", L"1");
+    SetEnvironmentVariableW(L"SteamPath", pe_helpers::get_current_exe_path_w().c_str());
 }