diff --git a/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/Modules/ModuleIntrinsics.cs b/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/Modules/ModuleIntrinsics.cs
index 9a0511a93cc..feb511d109e 100644
--- a/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/Modules/ModuleIntrinsics.cs
+++ b/src/System.Management.Automation/engine/Modules/ModuleIntrinsics.cs
@@ -1152,6 +1152,11 @@ private static string AddToPath(string basePath, string pathToAdd, int insertPos
                             else
                                 result.Append(Path.PathSeparator + subPathToAdd);
                         }
+                        else if (insertPosition > result.Length)
+                        {
+                            // handle case where path is a singleton with no path seperator already
+                            result.Append(Path.PathSeparator).Append(subPathToAdd);
+                        }
                         else // insert at the requested location (this is used by DSC (<Program Files> location) and by 'user-specific location' (SpecialFolder.MyDocuments or EVT.User))
                         {
                             result.Insert(insertPosition, subPathToAdd + Path.PathSeparator);
@@ -1164,9 +1169,7 @@ private static string AddToPath(string basePath, string pathToAdd, int insertPos
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Checks the various PSModulePath environment string and returns PSModulePath string as appropriate. Note - because these
-        /// strings go through the provider, we need to escape any wildcards before passing them
-        /// along.
+        /// Checks the various PSModulePath environment string and returns PSModulePath string as appropriate.
         /// </summary>
         public static string GetModulePath(string currentProcessModulePath, string hklmMachineModulePath, string hkcuUserModulePath)
         {
@@ -1196,11 +1199,6 @@ public static string GetModulePath(string currentProcessModulePath, string hklmM
                 {
                     currentProcessModulePath += hklmMachineModulePath; // += EVT.Machine
                 }
-
-#if !UNIX
-                // Add Windows Modules path
-                currentProcessModulePath = $"{currentProcessModulePath}{Path.PathSeparator}{s_windowsPowerShellPSHomeModulePath}";
-#endif
             }
             // EVT.Process exists
             // Now handle the case where the environment variable is already set.
@@ -1281,9 +1279,16 @@ internal static string GetWindowsPowerShellModulePath()
         private static string SetModulePath()
         {
             string currentModulePath = GetExpandedEnvironmentVariable(Constants.PSModulePathEnvVar, EnvironmentVariableTarget.Process);
+#if !UNIX
+            // if the current process and user env vars are the same, it means we need to append the machine one as it's incomplete
+            // otherwise, the user modified it and we should use the process one
+            if (string.CompareOrdinal(GetExpandedEnvironmentVariable(Constants.PSModulePathEnvVar, EnvironmentVariableTarget.User), currentModulePath) == 0)
+            {
+                currentModulePath = currentModulePath + Path.PathSeparator + GetExpandedEnvironmentVariable(Constants.PSModulePathEnvVar, EnvironmentVariableTarget.Machine);
+            }
+#endif
             string allUsersModulePath = PowerShellConfig.Instance.GetModulePath(ConfigScope.AllUsers);
             string personalModulePath = PowerShellConfig.Instance.GetModulePath(ConfigScope.CurrentUser);
-
             string newModulePathString = GetModulePath(currentModulePath, allUsersModulePath, personalModulePath);
 
             if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(newModulePathString))
diff --git a/test/powershell/engine/Module/ModulePath.Tests.ps1 b/test/powershell/engine/Module/ModulePath.Tests.ps1
index c124a8ed17b..ccd7a04f00f 100644
--- a/test/powershell/engine/Module/ModulePath.Tests.ps1
+++ b/test/powershell/engine/Module/ModulePath.Tests.ps1
@@ -70,12 +70,19 @@ Describe "SxS Module Path Basic Tests" -tags "CI" {
 
         $env:PSModulePath = ""
         $defaultModulePath = & $powershell -nopro -c '$env:PSModulePath'
+        $pathSeparator = [System.IO.Path]::PathSeparator
 
-        $paths = $defaultModulePath -split [System.IO.Path]::PathSeparator
+        $paths = $defaultModulePath.Replace("$pathSeparator$pathSeparator", "$pathSeparator") -split $pathSeparator
 
         if ($IsWindows)
         {
-            $paths.Count | Should -Be 4
+            $expectedPaths = 3 # user, shared, pshome
+            $userPaths = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("PSModulePath", [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)
+            $expectedPaths += $userPaths ? $userPaths.Split($pathSeparator).Count : 0
+            $machinePaths = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("PSModulePath", [System.EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)
+            $expectedPaths += $machinePaths ? $machinePaths.Split($pathSeparator).Count : 0
+
+            $paths.Count | Should -Be $expectedPaths
         }
         else
         {
@@ -85,10 +92,7 @@ Describe "SxS Module Path Basic Tests" -tags "CI" {
         $paths[0].TrimEnd([System.IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar) | Should -Be $expectedUserPath
         $paths[1].TrimEnd([System.IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar) | Should -Be $expectedSharedPath
         $paths[2].TrimEnd([System.IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar) | Should -Be $expectedSystemPath
-        if ($IsWindows)
-        {
-            $paths[3].TrimEnd([System.IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar) | Should -Be $expectedWindowsPowerShellPSHomePath
-        }
+        $defaultModulePath | Should -BeLike "*$expectedWindowsPowerShellPSHomePath*"
     }
 
     It "Works with pshome module path derived from a different PowerShell instance" -Skip:(!$IsCoreCLR -or $skipNoPwsh) {
@@ -104,18 +108,11 @@ Describe "SxS Module Path Basic Tests" -tags "CI" {
             $env:PSModulePath = $fakePSHomeModuleDir
             $newModulePath = & $powershell -nopro -c '$env:PSModulePath'
             $paths = $newModulePath -split [System.IO.Path]::PathSeparator
-
             $paths.Count | Should -Be 4
-
             $paths[0] | Should -Be $expectedUserPath
             $paths[1] | Should -Be $expectedSharedPath
             $paths[2] | Should -Be $expectedSystemPath
             $paths[3] | Should -Be $fakePSHomeModuleDir
-            if ($IsWindows)
-            {
-                $expectedWindowsPowerShellPSHomePath | Should -Not -BeIn $paths
-            }
-
         } finally {
 
             ## Remove 'powershell' and 'pwsh.deps.json' from the fake PSHome folder
@@ -180,9 +177,14 @@ Describe "SxS Module Path Basic Tests" -tags "CI" {
     }
 
     It 'Windows PowerShell does not inherit path defined in powershell.config.json' -Skip:(!$IsWindows) {
-        $userConfig = '{ "PSModulePath": "myUserPath" }'
-        Set-Content -Path $userConfigPath -Value $userConfig -Force
-        $out = pwsh -noprofile -command 'powershell.exe -noprofile -command $env:PSModulePath'
-        $out | Should -Not -BeLike 'myUserPath;*'
+        try {
+            $userConfig = '{ "PSModulePath": "myUserPath" }'
+            Set-Content -Path $userConfigPath -Value $userConfig -Force
+            $out = pwsh -noprofile -command 'powershell.exe -noprofile -command $env:PSModulePath'
+            $out | Should -Not -BeLike 'myUserPath;*'
+        }
+        finally {
+            Remove-Item -Path $userConfigPath -Force
+        }
     }
 }