diff --git a/vlib/v/embed_file/embed_file.v b/vlib/v/embed_file/embed_file.v
index 3c556d343c..22ea45807e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/embed_file/embed_file.v
+++ b/vlib/v/embed_file/embed_file.v
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@ module embed_file
 
 import os
 
+pub const (
+	is_used = 1
+)
+
 // https://github.com/vlang/rfcs/blob/master/embedding_resources.md
 // EmbedFileData encapsulates functionality for the `$embed_file()` compile time call.
 pub struct EmbedFileData {
-	path  string
 	apath string
 mut:
 	compressed        &byte
@@ -13,11 +16,12 @@ mut:
 	free_compressed   bool
 	free_uncompressed bool
 pub:
-	len int
+	len  int
+	path string
 }
 
 pub fn (ed EmbedFileData) str() string {
-	return 'embed_file.EmbedFileData{ len: $ed.len, path: "$ed.path", path: "$ed.apath", uncompressed: ${ptr_str(ed.uncompressed)} }'
+	return 'embed_file.EmbedFileData{ len: $ed.len, path: "$ed.path", apath: "$ed.apath", uncompressed: ${ptr_str(ed.uncompressed)} }'
 }
 
 [unsafe]
diff --git a/vlib/v/embed_file/embed_file_test.v b/vlib/v/embed_file/tests/embed_file_test.v
similarity index 95%
rename from vlib/v/embed_file/embed_file_test.v
rename to vlib/v/embed_file/tests/embed_file_test.v
index 2af4459ea4..f3cc8223af 100644
--- a/vlib/v/embed_file/embed_file_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/embed_file/tests/embed_file_test.v
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ fn test_const_embed_file() {
 	assert file.len == 603
 	fdata := file.data()
 	eprintln('file after .data() call: $file')
+	assert file.path == 'v.png'
 	assert file.len == 603
 	unsafe {
 		assert fdata.vbytes(4) == [byte(0x89), `P`, `N`, `G`]
diff --git a/vlib/v/embed_file/tests/embed_file_test_with_import.v b/vlib/v/embed_file/tests/embed_file_test_with_import.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1db2ff6f18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/embed_file/tests/embed_file_test_with_import.v
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import v.embed_file
+
+fn test_embed_file_with_import() {
+	mut file := $embed_file('v.png')
+	eprintln('file: $file')
+	assert file.len == 603
+	fdata := file.data()
+	eprintln('file after .data() call: $file')
+	assert file.len == 603
+	unsafe {
+		assert fdata.vbytes(4) == [byte(0x89), `P`, `N`, `G`]
+	}
+	assert check_file(file)
+}
+
+fn check_file(file embed_file.EmbedFileData) bool {
+	return file.len == 603
+}
diff --git a/vlib/v/embed_file/v.png b/vlib/v/embed_file/tests/v.png
similarity index 100%
rename from vlib/v/embed_file/v.png
rename to vlib/v/embed_file/tests/v.png
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt_keep_test.v b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt_keep_test.v
index be00fa9750..a26897d2df 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt_keep_test.v
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt_keep_test.v
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ fn prepare_bin2v_file(mut fmt_bench benchmark.Benchmark) {
 }
 
 fn write_bin2v_keep_content() ? {
-	img0 := os.join_path('vlib', 'v', 'embed_file', 'v.png')
+	img0 := os.join_path('vlib', 'v', 'embed_file', 'tests', 'v.png')
 	img1 := os.join_path('tutorials', 'building_a_simple_web_blog_with_vweb', 'img', 'time.png')
 	os.rm(b2v_keep_path) ?
 	res := os.execute('$vexe bin2v -w $b2v_keep_path $img0 $img1')
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/embed.v b/vlib/v/gen/c/embed.v
index 635563f7ad..9ecb9bc415 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/embed.v
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/embed.v
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@ fn (mut g Gen) embed_file_is_prod_mode() bool {
 fn (mut g Gen) gen_embed_file_init(node ast.ComptimeCall) {
 	g.writeln('(v__embed_file__EmbedFileData){')
 	g.writeln('\t\t.path = ${ctoslit(node.embed_file.rpath)},')
-	g.writeln('\t\t.apath = ${ctoslit(node.embed_file.apath)},')
+	if g.embed_file_is_prod_mode() {
+		// apath is not needed in production and may leak information
+		g.writeln('\t\t.apath = ${ctoslit('')},')
+	} else {
+		g.writeln('\t\t.apath = ${ctoslit(node.embed_file.apath)},')
+	}
 	file_size := os.file_size(node.embed_file.apath)
 	if file_size > 5242880 {
 		eprintln('Warning: embedding of files >= ~5MB is currently not supported')
diff --git a/vlib/v/gen/c/testdata/embed_with_prod.c.must_have b/vlib/v/gen/c/testdata/embed_with_prod.c.must_have
index 276917108e..8c96f2a788 100644
--- a/vlib/v/gen/c/testdata/embed_with_prod.c.must_have
+++ b/vlib/v/gen/c/testdata/embed_with_prod.c.must_have
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ v__embed_file__EmbedFileIndexEntry* v__embed_file__find_index_entry_by_path(void
 
 v__embed_file__EmbedFileData my_source = (v__embed_file__EmbedFileData){
 .path = _SLIT("embed.vv"),
+.apath = _SLIT(""),
 .compressed = v__embed_file__find_index_entry_by_path((voidptr)_v_embed_file_index, _SLIT("embed.vv"))->data,
 
 // Initializations for module v.embed_file :
diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/comptime.v b/vlib/v/parser/comptime.v
index af2659fc9f..3c6a0a8574 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/comptime.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/comptime.v
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ fn (mut p Parser) comptime_call() ast.ComptimeCall {
 				epath = abs_path
 			}
 		}
-		p.register_auto_import('v.embed_file')
+		p.register_auto_import('v.preludes.embed_file')
 		return ast.ComptimeCall{
 			scope: 0
 			is_embed: true
diff --git a/vlib/v/preludes/embed_file/embed_file.v b/vlib/v/preludes/embed_file/embed_file.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..afe0eb10bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/v/preludes/embed_file/embed_file.v
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+module embed_file
+
+// This prelude is loaded in every v program that uses `$embed_file`,
+// in both the main executable, and in the shared library.
+import v.embed_file
+
+const (
+	no_warning_embed_file_is_used = embed_file.is_used
+)