diff --git a/src/pymatgen/io/vasp/outputs.py b/src/pymatgen/io/vasp/outputs.py
index 2df543c879a..7439c1a2bf7 100644
--- a/src/pymatgen/io/vasp/outputs.py
+++ b/src/pymatgen/io/vasp/outputs.py
@@ -5807,7 +5807,10 @@ def reset(self):
         changed.
         """
         # Note that py3.12 has Path.walk(). But we need to use os.walk to ensure backwards compatibility for now.
-        self.files = [str(Path(d) / f).lstrip(str(self.path)) for d, _, fnames in os.walk(self.path) for f in fnames]
+        self.files = [
+            str(Path(d) / f)[len(str(self.path)) + 1 :] for d, _, fnames in os.walk(self.path) for f in fnames
+        ]
+
         self._parsed_files: dict[str, Any] = {}
 
     def __contains__(self, item):
@@ -5851,3 +5854,6 @@ def get_files_by_name(self, name: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
             {filename: object from VaspDir[filename]}
         """
         return {f: self[f] for f in self.files if name in f}
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return f"VaspDir({self.path})"
diff --git a/tests/io/vasp/test_outputs.py b/tests/io/vasp/test_outputs.py
index 84f8521fa6b..5e26bda532e 100644
--- a/tests/io/vasp/test_outputs.py
+++ b/tests/io/vasp/test_outputs.py
@@ -2194,6 +2194,8 @@ def test_getitem(self):
 
         d = VaspDir(f"{TEST_FILES_DIR}/io/vasp/fixtures/scan_relaxation")
         assert len(d) == 2
+        assert "vasprun.xml.gz" in d.files
+        assert "OUTCAR" in d
         assert d["vasprun.xml.gz"].incar["METAGGA"] == "R2scan"
 
         with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="hello not found"):