diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9628f6a3..07e4015e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 # CheckStyle-IDEA Changelog
 
+* **5.96.0** Fixed: Refactored code to avoid IDEA triggering the wrong constructor (#653).
 * **5.96.0** New: Added Checkstyle 10.18.2.
 * **5.95.0** Fixed: Improved property substitution for code-style importer (#651).
 * **5.95.0** New: Added CheckStyle 10.18.1.
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePaths.java b/src/main/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePaths.java
index c46a4018..71db6fe1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePaths.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePaths.java
@@ -27,15 +27,10 @@ public ProjectFilePaths(@NotNull final Project project) {
         this(project, File.separatorChar, File::getAbsolutePath, project.getService(ProjectPaths.class));
     }
 
-    public ProjectFilePaths(@NotNull final Project project,
-                            @NotNull final ProjectPaths projectPaths) {
-        this(project, File.separatorChar, File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
-    }
-
-    public ProjectFilePaths(@NotNull final Project project,
-                            final char separatorChar,
-                            @NotNull final Function<File, String> absolutePathOf,
-                            @NotNull final ProjectPaths projectPaths) {
+    private ProjectFilePaths(@NotNull final Project project,
+                             final char separatorChar,
+                             @NotNull final Function<File, String> absolutePathOf,
+                             @NotNull final ProjectPaths projectPaths) {
         this.project = project;
         this.separatorChar = separatorChar;
         this.absolutePathOf = absolutePathOf;
@@ -43,6 +38,18 @@ public ProjectFilePaths(@NotNull final Project project,
         this.projectPaths = projectPaths;
     }
 
+    public static ProjectFilePaths testInstanceWith(@NotNull final Project project,
+                                                    @NotNull final ProjectPaths projectPaths) {
+        return new ProjectFilePaths(project, File.separatorChar, File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
+    }
+
+    public static ProjectFilePaths testInstanceWith(@NotNull final Project project,
+                                                    final char separatorChar,
+                                                    @NotNull final Function<File, String> absolutePathOf,
+                                                    @NotNull final ProjectPaths projectPaths) {
+        return new ProjectFilePaths(project, separatorChar, absolutePathOf, projectPaths);
+    }
+
     @Nullable
     public String makeProjectRelative(@Nullable final String path) {
         if (path == null || project.isDefault()) {
diff --git a/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml b/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml
index 1893b26d..055a7d8b 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml
+++ b/src/main/resources/META-INF/plugin.xml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     <change-notes>
         <![CDATA[
 <ul>
+    <li>5.96.0: Fixed: Refactored code to avoid IDEA triggering the wrong constructor (#653).</li>
     <li>5.96.0: New: Added Checkstyle 10.18.2.</li>
     <li>5.95.0: Fixed: Improved property substitution for code-style importer (#651).</li>
     <li>5.95.0: New: Added Checkstyle 10.18.1.</li>
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/DescriptorTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/DescriptorTest.java
index eeaa4671..9d9abd5f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/DescriptorTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/DescriptorTest.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public class DescriptorTest {
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
         when(project.getService(ConfigurationLocationFactory.class)).thenReturn(new ConfigurationLocationFactory());
-        when(project.getService(ProjectFilePaths.class)).thenReturn(new ProjectFilePaths(project, new ProjectPaths()));
+        when(project.getService(ProjectFilePaths.class)).thenReturn(ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, new ProjectPaths()));
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/LegacyProjectConfigurationStateDeserialiserTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/LegacyProjectConfigurationStateDeserialiserTest.java
index 7a28b310..d3751385 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/LegacyProjectConfigurationStateDeserialiserTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/LegacyProjectConfigurationStateDeserialiserTest.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public class LegacyProjectConfigurationStateDeserialiserTest {
     private final Project project = TestHelper.mockProject();
     private final ProjectPaths projectPaths = mock(ProjectPaths.class);
     private final ConfigurationLocationFactory configurationLocationFactory = new ConfigurationLocationFactory();
-    private final ProjectFilePaths projectFilePaths = new ProjectFilePaths(project, File.separatorChar, File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
+    private final ProjectFilePaths projectFilePaths = ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, File.separatorChar, File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
 
     @Before
     public void configureMocks() {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/ModuleConfigurationStateTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/ModuleConfigurationStateTest.java
index 8a862ddf..dfdc23a2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/ModuleConfigurationStateTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/config/ModuleConfigurationStateTest.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class ModuleConfigurationStateTest {
     private final PluginConfigurationManager pluginConfigurationManager = new PluginConfigurationManager(project);
     private final ProjectPaths projectPaths = mock(ProjectPaths.class);
     private final ConfigurationLocationFactory configurationLocationFactory = new ConfigurationLocationFactory();
-    private final ProjectFilePaths projectFilePaths = new ProjectFilePaths(project, File.separatorChar, File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
+    private final ProjectFilePaths projectFilePaths = ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, File.separatorChar, File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
     private final NamedScope allScope = NamedScopeHelper.getScopeByIdWithDefaultFallback(project, "All");
 
     private ConfigurationLocation expectedLocation;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationFactoryTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationFactoryTest.java
index a2da0fb4..a2b0876e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationFactoryTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationFactoryTest.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public class ConfigurationLocationFactoryTest {
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
         when(project.getService(ConfigurationLocationFactory.class)).thenReturn(underTest);
-        when(project.getService(ProjectFilePaths.class)).thenReturn(new ProjectFilePaths(project, new ProjectPaths()));
+        when(project.getService(ProjectFilePaths.class)).thenReturn(ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, new ProjectPaths()));
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationTest.java
index 592939bf..2735f09e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/ConfigurationLocationTest.java
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ public Object clone() {
     @Test
     public void testSorting() {
         final Project project = TestHelper.mockProject();
-        when(project.getService(ProjectFilePaths.class)).thenReturn(new ProjectFilePaths(project, new ProjectPaths()));
+        when(project.getService(ProjectFilePaths.class)).thenReturn(ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, new ProjectPaths()));
 
         List<ConfigurationLocation> list = new ArrayList<>();
         FileConfigurationLocation fcl = new FileConfigurationLocation(project, "id1", ConfigurationType.LOCAL_FILE);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/FileConfigurationLocationTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/FileConfigurationLocationTest.java
index cdc569b3..a89a1efa 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/FileConfigurationLocationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/FileConfigurationLocationTest.java
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ private ProjectFilePaths testProjectFilePaths(final char separatorChar, final Pr
             return FilenameUtils.separatorsToUnix(file.getPath());
         };
 
-        return new ProjectFilePaths(project, separatorChar, absolutePathOf, projectPaths);
+        return ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, separatorChar, absolutePathOf, projectPaths);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/RelativeFileConfigurationLocationTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/RelativeFileConfigurationLocationTest.java
index e5c5ec4c..ccf3725d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/RelativeFileConfigurationLocationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/model/RelativeFileConfigurationLocationTest.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public void setUp() {
         };
 
         final Project project = TestHelper.mockProject();
-        ProjectFilePaths testProjectFilePaths = new ProjectFilePaths(project, '/', absolutePathOf, projectPaths);
+        ProjectFilePaths testProjectFilePaths = ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, '/', absolutePathOf, projectPaths);
         when(project.getService(ProjectFilePaths.class)).thenReturn(testProjectFilePaths);
 
         when(projectBase.getPath()).thenReturn(PROJECT_BASE_PATH);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePathsTest.java b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePathsTest.java
index a098ff0f..d9c3cad5 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePathsTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/infernus/idea/checkstyle/util/ProjectFilePathsTest.java
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ private ProjectFilePaths projectFilePathsForUnix() {
         when(projectBaseFile.getPath()).thenReturn(UNIX_PROJECT_BASE_PATH);
         when(projectPaths.projectPath(project)).thenReturn(projectBaseFile);
 
-        return new ProjectFilePaths(project, '/', File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
+        return ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, '/', File::getAbsolutePath, projectPaths);
     }
 
     private ProjectFilePaths projectFilePathsForWindows() {
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ private ProjectFilePaths projectFilePathsForWindows() {
         when(projectBaseFile.getPath()).thenReturn(WINDOWS_PROJECT_BASE_PATH);
         when(projectPaths.projectPath(project)).thenReturn(projectBaseFile);
 
-        return new ProjectFilePaths(project, '\\',  file -> {
+        return ProjectFilePaths.testInstanceWith(project, '\\',  file -> {
             // a nasty hack to pretend we're on a Windows box when required...
             if (file.getPath().startsWith("c:")) {
                 return file.getPath().replace('/', '\\').replaceAll("\\\\\\\\", "\\\\");