diff --git a/doc/oper.xml b/doc/oper.xml
index a7f5ba7ad..f0650d219 100644
--- a/doc/oper.xml
+++ b/doc/oper.xml
@@ -1208,10 +1208,7 @@ fail
   <Oper Name="DigraphShortestPath" Arg="digraph, u, v"/>
   <Returns>A pair of lists, or <K>fail</K>.</Returns>
   <Description>
-    If there exists a non-trivial directed path (or a non-trivial cycle, in the
-    case that <A>u</A> <C>=</C> <A>v</A>) from vertex <A>u</A> to vertex
-    <A>v</A> in the digraph <A>digraph</A>, then this operation returns such a
-    directed path (or directed cycle) of minimum length. Otherwise, this operation returns
+    Returns the shortest directed path in the digraph digraph from the vertex u to the vertex v, if such a path exists. If u = v, then the shortest non-trivial cycle is returned, again, if it exists. Otherwise, this operation returns
     <K>fail</K>.  See Section <Ref Subsect="Definitions" Style="Text"/> for the
     definition of a directed path and a directed cycle.
     <P/>
diff --git a/gap/oper.gi b/gap/oper.gi
index 77b699b6a..5975008ec 100644
--- a/gap/oper.gi
+++ b/gap/oper.gi
@@ -1244,38 +1244,49 @@ end);
 InstallMethod(DigraphShortestPath, "for a digraph and two pos ints",
 [IsDigraph, IsPosInt, IsPosInt],
 function(digraph, u, v)
-  local current, next, parent, distance, falselist, verts, nbs, n, a, b, i, path;
+  local current, next, parent, distance, falselist, verts, nbs, path, edge,
+  n, a, b, i;
 
-  verts    := DigraphVertices(digraph);
-  nbs      := OutNeighbors(digraph);
-  distance := [];
+  verts := DigraphVertices(digraph);
+  if not (u in verts and v in verts) then
+    ErrorNoReturn("Digraphs: DigraphPath: usage,\n",
+                  "the second and third arguments <u> and <v> must be\n",
+                  "vertices of the first argument <digraph>,");
+  fi;
 
-  if u = v and v in nbs[v] then  # Considers the trivial path from v to v
-    return [[v, v], [Position(nbs[v], v)]];
+  if IsDigraphEdge(digraph, [u, v]) then
+    return [[u, v], [Position(OutNeighboursOfVertex(digraph, u), v)]];
+  elif HasIsTransitiveDigraph(digraph) and IsTransitiveDigraph(digraph) then
+    # If it's a known transitive digraph, just check whether the edge exists
+    return fail;
+    # Glean information from WCC if we have it
+  elif HasDigraphConnectedComponents(digraph)
+      and DigraphConnectedComponents(digraph).id[u] <>
+          DigraphConnectedComponents(digraph).id[v] then
+    return fail;
   fi;
 
+  nbs      := OutNeighbors(digraph);
+  distance := ListWithIdenticalEntries(Length(verts), -1);
+
   #  Setting up objects useful in the function.
-  for i in verts do
-    Add(distance, -1);
-  od;
-  parent  := [];
-  current := [u];
-  next      := [];
-  falselist := [];
-  for i in verts do
-    Add(next, false);
-    Add(falselist, false);
-  od;
+  parent    := [];
+  current   := [u];
+  edge      := [];
+  next      := BlistList([1 .. Length(verts)], []);
+  falselist := BlistList([1 .. Length(verts)], []);
 
-  n := 0;  # Counts the loops
+  n := 0;
   while current <> [] do
-    n    := n + 1;
+    n := n + 1;
     for a in current do
-        for b in nbs[a] do
+        for i in [1 .. Length(nbs[a])] do
+          b := nbs[a][i];
           if distance[b] = -1 then
             distance[b] := n;
             next[b]     := true;
             parent[b]   := a;
+            edge[b]     := i;
           fi;
 
           if b = v then
@@ -1283,21 +1294,18 @@ function(digraph, u, v)
             # Finds the path
             for i in [1 .. n] do
               Add(path[1], b);
-              Add(path[2], Position(nbs[parent[b]], b));
+              Add(path[2], edge[b]);
               b := parent[b];
             od;
             Add(path[1], u);  # Adds the starting vertex to the list of vertices.
             return [Reversed(path[1]), Reversed(path[2])];
           fi;
-
         od;
       od;
-
       current := ListBlist(verts, next);
-      next    := IntersectionBlist(next, falselist);
-
+      IntersectBlist(next, falselist);
     od;
-      return fail;
+    return fail;
 end);
 
 # IteratorOfPaths: for a digraph and two pos ints