diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 96a3d3dca1..3a1a498f8c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
     "docs-compile": "npm run docs-build",
     "docs-vnu": "node build/vnu-jar.mjs",
     "docs-lint": "npm run docs-vnu",
-    "docs-serve": "hugo server --port 9001 --disableFastRender --printUnusedTemplates",
+    "docs-serve": "hugo server --port 9001 --disableFastRender --noHTTPCache --renderToMemory --printPathWarnings --printUnusedTemplates",
     "docs-serve-only": "npx sirv-cli _site --port 9001",
     "lockfile-lint": "lockfile-lint --allowed-hosts npm --allowed-schemes https: --empty-hostname false --type npm --path package-lock.json",
     "update-deps": "ncu -u -x globby,jasmine,karma-browserstack-launcher,karma-rollup-preprocessor && echo Manually update site/assets/js/vendor",
diff --git a/site/layouts/_default/examples.html b/site/layouts/_default/examples.html
index 82e57c1b57..19aad368d6 100644
--- a/site/layouts/_default/examples.html
+++ b/site/layouts/_default/examples.html
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     <meta name="robots" content="{{ . }}">
     {{- end }}
 
-    {{- $colorModeJS := printf "/docs/%s/assets/js/color-modes.js" $.Site.Params.docs_version -}}
+    {{- $colorModeJS := urls.JoinPath "/docs" $.Site.Params.docs_version "assets/js/color-modes.js" -}}
     <script src="{{ $colorModeJS }}"></script>
 
     {{ partial "stylesheet" . }}
diff --git a/site/layouts/partials/docs-sidebar.html b/site/layouts/partials/docs-sidebar.html
index e7b5576874..891a47306a 100644
--- a/site/layouts/partials/docs-sidebar.html
+++ b/site/layouts/partials/docs-sidebar.html
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
           {{- range $doc := $group.pages -}}
             {{- $doc_slug := $doc.title | urlize -}}
             {{- $is_active := and $is_active_group (eq $page_slug $doc_slug) -}}
-            {{- $href := printf "/docs/%s/%s/%s/" $.Site.Params.docs_version $group_slug $doc_slug }}
+            {{- $href := urls.JoinPath "/docs" $.Site.Params.docs_version $group_slug $doc_slug "/" }}
             <li><a href="{{ $href }}" class="bd-links-link d-inline-block rounded{{ if $is_active }} active{{ end }}"{{ if $is_active }} aria-current="page"{{ end }}>{{ $doc.title }}</a></li>
           {{- end }}
         </ul>
diff --git a/site/layouts/partials/docs-versions.html b/site/layouts/partials/docs-versions.html
index 7bb7231ef3..c465d02e90 100644
--- a/site/layouts/partials/docs-versions.html
+++ b/site/layouts/partials/docs-versions.html
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 
 {{- $versions_link := "" -}}
 {{- if and (eq .Layout "docs") (eq $page_version .Site.Params.docs_version) -}}
-  {{- $versions_link = printf "%s/%s/" $group_slug $page_slug -}}
+  {{- $versions_link = urls.JoinPath $group_slug $page_slug "/" -}}
 {{- else if (eq .Layout "single") -}}
-  {{- $versions_link = printf "%s/" $page_slug -}}
+  {{- $versions_link = urls.JoinPath $page_slug "/" -}}
 {{- end -}}
 
 {{- $added_in_51 := eq (string .Page.Params.added.version) "5.1" -}}
diff --git a/site/layouts/partials/header.html b/site/layouts/partials/header.html
index ff080901e2..ba58893286 100644
--- a/site/layouts/partials/header.html
+++ b/site/layouts/partials/header.html
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 <meta name="robots" content="{{ . }}">
 {{- end }}
 
-{{- $colorModeJS := printf "/docs/%s/assets/js/color-modes.js" $.Site.Params.docs_version -}}
+{{- $colorModeJS := urls.JoinPath "/docs" $.Site.Params.docs_version "assets/js/color-modes.js" -}}
 <script src="{{ $colorModeJS }}"></script>
 
 {{ partial "stylesheet" . }}
diff --git a/site/layouts/partials/home/plugins.html b/site/layouts/partials/home/plugins.html
index ab48d9bc60..e28ae1bf1f 100644
--- a/site/layouts/partials/home/plugins.html
+++ b/site/layouts/partials/home/plugins.html
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
       <hr class="my-4">
       <div class="row g-3">
         {{- range $plugin := .Site.Data.plugins -}}
+          {{- /* TODO we should use urls.JoinPath here too, but the links include `#` which gets escaped */ -}}
           {{- $href := printf "/docs/%s/%s" $.Site.Params.docs_version $plugin.link }}
           <div class="col-sm-6 mb-2">
             <a class="d-block pe-lg-4 text-decoration-none lh-sm" href="{{ $href }}">
diff --git a/site/layouts/partials/social.html b/site/layouts/partials/social.html
index f4f556e5a8..03658ea9b1 100644
--- a/site/layouts/partials/social.html
+++ b/site/layouts/partials/social.html
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 {{- $pageTitle := .Title | markdownify -}}
 {{- $pageDescription := .Page.Params.description | default .Site.Params.description | markdownify -}}
-{{- $socialImagePath := printf "/docs/%s/assets" .Site.Params.docs_version -}}
+{{- $socialImagePath := urls.JoinPath "/docs" .Site.Params.docs_version "assets" -}}
 
 {{- if .Page.Params.thumbnail -}}
-  {{- $socialImagePath = path.Join $socialImagePath "img/" .Page.Params.thumbnail -}}
+  {{- $socialImagePath = urls.JoinPath $socialImagePath "img" .Page.Params.thumbnail -}}
 {{- else -}}
-  {{- $socialImagePath = path.Join $socialImagePath "brand/bootstrap-social.png" -}}
+  {{- $socialImagePath = urls.JoinPath $socialImagePath "brand/bootstrap-social.png" -}}
 {{- end -}}
 
 <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
diff --git a/site/layouts/shortcodes/docsref.html b/site/layouts/shortcodes/docsref.html
index 2379de2b12..06523d859d 100644
--- a/site/layouts/shortcodes/docsref.html
+++ b/site/layouts/shortcodes/docsref.html
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-{{- relref . ((path.Join "docs" $.Site.Params.docs_version (.Get 0)) | relURL) -}}
+{{- $pageToReference := path.Join "docs" $.Site.Params.docs_version (.Get 0) -}}
+{{- relref . $pageToReference | relURL -}}