diff --git a/pyiron_workflow/snippets/files.py b/pyiron_workflow/snippets/files.py
index bb2957a6..b9d6b099 100644
--- a/pyiron_workflow/snippets/files.py
+++ b/pyiron_workflow/snippets/files.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
 from pathlib import Path
 
 
@@ -35,9 +36,48 @@ def categorize_folder_items(folder_path):
     return results
 
 
+def _resolve_directory_and_path(
+    file_name: str,
+    directory: DirectoryObject | str | None = None,
+    default_directory: str = ".",
+):
+    """
+    Internal routine to separate the file name and the directory in case
+    file name is given in absolute path etc.
+    """
+    path = Path(file_name)
+    file_name = path.name
+    if path.is_absolute():
+        if directory is not None:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "You cannot set `directory` when `file_name` is an absolute path"
+            )
+        # If absolute path, take that of new_file_name regardless of the
+        # name of directory
+        directory = str(path.parent)
+    else:
+        if directory is None:
+            # If directory is not given, take default directory
+            directory = default_directory
+        else:
+            # If the directory is given, use it as the main path and append
+            # additional path if given in new_file_name
+            if isinstance(directory, DirectoryObject):
+                directory = directory.path
+        directory = directory / path.parent
+    if not isinstance(directory, DirectoryObject):
+        directory = DirectoryObject(directory)
+    return file_name, directory
+
+
 class DirectoryObject:
-    def __init__(self, directory):
-        self.path = Path(directory)
+    def __init__(self, directory: str | Path | DirectoryObject):
+        if isinstance(directory, str):
+            self.path = Path(directory)
+        elif isinstance(directory, Path):
+            self.path = directory
+        elif isinstance(directory, DirectoryObject):
+            self.path = directory.path
         self.create()
 
     def create(self):
@@ -83,9 +123,10 @@ def remove_files(self, *files: str):
 
 
 class FileObject:
-    def __init__(self, file_name: str, directory: DirectoryObject):
-        self.directory = directory
-        self._file_name = file_name
+    def __init__(self, file_name: str, directory: DirectoryObject = None):
+        self._file_name, self.directory = _resolve_directory_and_path(
+            file_name=file_name, directory=directory, default_directory="."
+        )
 
     @property
     def file_name(self):
diff --git a/tests/unit/snippets/test_files.py b/tests/unit/snippets/test_files.py
index 93d8e90e..32b28ac1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/snippets/test_files.py
+++ b/tests/unit/snippets/test_files.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import unittest
 from pyiron_workflow.snippets.files import DirectoryObject, FileObject
 from pathlib import Path
+import platform
 
 
 class TestFiles(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -10,6 +11,30 @@ def setUp(cls):
     def tearDown(cls):
         cls.directory.delete()
 
+    def test_directory_instantiation(self):
+        directory = DirectoryObject(Path("test"))
+        self.assertEqual(directory.path, self.directory.path)
+        directory = DirectoryObject(self.directory)
+        self.assertEqual(directory.path, self.directory.path)
+
+    def test_file_instantiation(self):
+        self.assertEqual(
+            FileObject("test.txt", self.directory).path,
+            FileObject("test.txt", "test").path,
+            msg="DirectoryObject and str must give the same object"
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            FileObject("test/test.txt").path,
+            FileObject("test.txt", "test").path,
+            msg="File path not same as directory path"
+        )
+
+        if platform.system() == "Windows":
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, FileObject, "C:\\test.txt", "test")
+        else:
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, FileObject, "/test.txt", "test")
+
+
     def test_directory_exists(self):
         self.assertTrue(Path("test").exists() and Path("test").is_dir())