diff --git a/libtorrent/bindings/python/src/filesystem.cpp b/libtorrent/bindings/python/src/filesystem.cpp
index 3c5badb8e..777294bbf 100755
--- a/libtorrent/bindings/python/src/filesystem.cpp
+++ b/libtorrent/bindings/python/src/filesystem.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/python.hpp>
 #include <boost/filesystem/path.hpp>
+#include "libtorrent/utf8.hpp"
 
 using namespace boost::python;
 
@@ -26,15 +27,33 @@ struct path_from_python
 
     static void* convertible(PyObject* x)
     {
-        return PyString_Check(x) ? x : 0;
+        return PyString_Check(x) ? x : PyUnicode_Check(x) ? x : 0;
     }
 
     static void construct(PyObject* x, converter::rvalue_from_python_stage1_data* data)
     {
+        using libtorrent::wchar_utf8;
         void* storage = ((converter::rvalue_from_python_storage<
             boost::filesystem::path
         >*)data)->storage.bytes;
-        new (storage) boost::filesystem::path(PyString_AsString(x));
+        if (PyUnicode_Check(x))
+        {
+            std::wstring str;
+            str.resize(PyUnicode_GetSize(x) + 1, 0);
+            int len = PyUnicode_AsWideChar((PyUnicodeObject*)x, &str[0], str.size());
+            if (len > -1)
+            {
+               assert(len < str.size());
+               str[len] = 0;
+            }
+            else str[str.size()-1] = 0;
+            std::string utf8 = wchar_utf8(str);
+            new (storage) boost::filesystem::path(utf8);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            new (storage) boost::filesystem::path(PyString_AsString(x));
+        }
         data->convertible = storage;
     }
 };