diff --git a/gramps/plugins/docgen/cairodoc.py b/gramps/plugins/docgen/cairodoc.py
index 55d9a78e8..778d7ab67 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/docgen/cairodoc.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/docgen/cairodoc.py
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
 # Python modules
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
-from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
-_ = glocale.translation.gettext
 import sys
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -40,7 +38,9 @@ import sys
 import gramps.plugins.lib.libcairodoc as libcairodoc
 from gramps.gen.plug.docgen import INDEX_TYPE_ALP, INDEX_TYPE_TOC
 from gramps.gen.errors import ReportError
-
+from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
+_ = glocale.translation.gettext
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import lin
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
 # Set up logging
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ class CairoDocgen(libcairodoc.CairoDoc):
 
         # create cairo context and pango layout
         filename = self._backend.filename
+        # Work around a bug in pycairo 1.8.10 and earlier. OSX and
+        # Win32 AIOs use pycairo 1.10.0, in which the bug is fixed.
+        if (sys.version_info[0] < 3 and lin()):
+            filename = filename.encode(glocale.getfilesystemencoding())
         try:
             surface = self.create_cairo_surface(filename, paper_width, paper_height)
         except IOError as msg:
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/view/pedigreeview.py b/gramps/plugins/view/pedigreeview.py
index 515c92c12..050b55c54 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/view/pedigreeview.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/view/pedigreeview.py
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from __future__ import unicode_literals, division
 
-from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
-_ = glocale.translation.sgettext
 from cgi import escape
 import math
 import sys
@@ -75,7 +73,9 @@ from gramps.gen.const import CUSTOM_FILTERS
 from gramps.gen.constfunc import is_quartz, win
 from gramps.gui.dialog import RunDatabaseRepair, ErrorDialog
 from gramps.gui.utils import color_graph_box, hex_to_rgb_float, is_right_click
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE, lin
+from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
+_ = glocale.translation.sgettext
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -207,6 +207,10 @@ class PersonBoxWidgetCairo(_PersonWidgetBase):
         if image:
             image_path = self.get_image(dbstate, person)
             if image_path and os.path.exists(image_path):
+                # Work around a bug in pycairo 1.8.10 and earlier. OSX and
+                # Win32 AIOs use pycairo 1.10.0, in which the bug is fixed.
+                if (sys.version_info[0] < 3 and lin()):
+                    image_path = image_path.encode(glocale.getfilesystemencoding())
                 self.img_surf = cairo.ImageSurface.create_from_png(image_path)
 
         # enable mouse-over