diff --git a/lua/gp/helper.lua b/lua/gp/helper.lua
index b3f1c39c..ab7cae55 100644
--- a/lua/gp/helper.lua
+++ b/lua/gp/helper.lua
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@ end
 ---@param str string # string to check
 ---@param start string # string to check for
 _H.starts_with = function(str, start)
+	if vim.fn.has("win32") then
+		str = str:gsub("\\", "/")
+		start = start:gsub("\\", "/")
+	end
 	return str:sub(1, #start) == start
 end
 
diff --git a/lua/gp/init.lua b/lua/gp/init.lua
index 82ef6190..eec0bda6 100644
--- a/lua/gp/init.lua
+++ b/lua/gp/init.lua
@@ -404,10 +404,6 @@ end
 M.not_chat = function(buf, file_name)
 	file_name = vim.fn.resolve(file_name)
 	local chat_dir = vim.fn.resolve(M.config.chat_dir)
-	if vim.fn.has("win32") == 1 then
-		file_name = file_name:gsub("\\", "/")
-		chat_dir = chat_dir:gsub("\\", "/")
-	end
 	if not M.helpers.starts_with(file_name, chat_dir) then
 		return "resolved file (" .. file_name .. ") not in chat dir (" .. chat_dir .. ")"
 	end
@@ -812,7 +808,7 @@ M.cmd.ChatToggle = function(params, system_prompt, agent)
 	if params.range ~= 2 then
 		-- check if last.md chat file exists and open it
 		local last = M.config.chat_dir .. "/last.md"
-		if vim.fn.filereadable(last) == 1 then
+		if vim.fn.filereadable(last) == 1 and last ~= vim.fn.resolve(last) then
 			-- resolve symlink
 			last = vim.fn.resolve(last)
 			M.open_buf(last, M.resolve_buf_target(params), M._toggle_kind.chat, true)
diff --git a/lua/gp/tasker.lua b/lua/gp/tasker.lua
index df630e3c..b0867312 100644
--- a/lua/gp/tasker.lua
+++ b/lua/gp/tasker.lua
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ M.grep_directory = function(buf, directory, pattern, callback)
 	-- strip leading and trailing non alphanumeric characters
 	local re = pattern:gsub("^%W*(.-)%W*$", "%1")
 
-	M.run(buf, "grep", { "-irEn", "--null", pattern, directory }, function(c, _, stdout, _)
+	M.run(buf, "grep", { "-irEn", "--null", "--exclude=last.md", pattern, directory }, function(c, _, stdout, _)
 		local results = {}
 		if c ~= 0 then
 			callback(results, re)