diff --git a/gramps/gen/constfunc.py b/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
index 28e50b703..df2e6972d 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
@@ -178,6 +178,11 @@ def mod_key():
 
 
 def get_env_var(name, default=None):
+    '''
+    Python2 on Windows can't directly read unicode values from
+    environment variables. This routine does so using the native C
+    wide-character function.
+    '''
     if not name or not name in os.environ:
         return default
 
@@ -192,4 +197,22 @@ def get_env_var(name, default=None):
         return buf.value
 
     return os.environ[name]
-    
+
+def get_curr_dir():
+    '''
+    In Python2 on Windows, os.getcwd() returns a string encoded with
+    the current code page, which may not be able to correctly handle
+    an arbitrary unicode character in a path. This function uses the
+    native GetCurrentDirectory function to return a unicode cwd.
+    '''
+    if not sys.version_info[0] < 3 and win():
+        return os.getcwd()
+
+    n = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GetCurrentDirectoryW(0, None)
+    if n == 0:
+        return None
+    buf = ctypes.create_unicode_buffer(n+1)
+    ctypes.windll.kernel32.GetCurrentDirectoryW(n, buf)
+    return buf.value
+
+
diff --git a/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py b/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py
index 01266d2a7..1413e98d1 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@ from __future__ import unicode_literals
 # python modules
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
-from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
-_ = glocale.translation.gettext
 import os
 import sys
 
@@ -63,7 +61,9 @@ from ..dialog import OptionDialog
 from ..selectors import SelectorFactory
 from gramps.gen.display.name import displayer as _nd
 from gramps.gen.filters import GenericFilterFactory, GenericFilter, rules
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import cuni, STRTYPE
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import conv_to_unicode, uni_to_gui, get_curr_dir
+from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
+_ = glocale.translation.gettext
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -1695,7 +1695,7 @@ class GuiDestinationOption(Gtk.HBox):
                 name, tail = os.path.split(name)
                 if not name:
                     # Avoid infinite loops
-                    name = os.getcwd()
+                    name = get_curr_dir
             fcd.set_current_folder(name)
         else:
             fcd.set_current_name(name)
diff --git a/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py b/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py
index 9c85d1080..1007d287b 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@
 import os
 from gi.repository import Gtk
 from gi.repository import GObject
-from gramps.gen.utils.file import get_unicode_path_from_file_chooser
-
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import conv_to_unicode, get_curr_dir, uni_to_gui
 class FileEntry(Gtk.HBox):
     """ A widget that allows the user to select a file from the file system """
     def __init__(self, defname, title):
@@ -86,7 +85,7 @@ class FileEntry(Gtk.HBox):
             self.__base_path = os.path.dirname(path)
             self.__file_name = os.path.basename(path)
         else:
-            self.__base_path = os.getcwd()
+            self.__base_path = get_curr_dir()
             self.__file_name = path
         self.entry.set_text(os.path.join(self.__base_path, self.__file_name))
 
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py b/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py
index 6c3d1e5b9..e6c71595b 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.translation.sgettext
 from gramps.gui.glade import Glade
 from gramps.gui.editors import FilterEditor
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import conv_to_unicode, uni_to_gui, get_curr_dir
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -397,7 +398,7 @@ class DisplayChart(ManagedWindow):
                                            Gtk.STOCK_SAVE,
                                            Gtk.ResponseType.OK))
 
-        f.set_current_folder(os.getcwd())
+        f.set_current_folder(get_curr_dir())
         status = f.run()
         f.hide()
 
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/webreport/narrativeweb.py b/gramps/plugins/webreport/narrativeweb.py
index cb4ac28fa..0838b1cfa 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/webreport/narrativeweb.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/webreport/narrativeweb.py
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ from gramps.gen.utils.string import conf_strings
 from gramps.gen.utils.file import media_path_full
 from gramps.gen.utils.alive import probably_alive
 from gramps.gen.utils.db import get_source_and_citation_referents
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import win, cuni, conv_to_unicode, UNITYPE
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import win, cuni, conv_to_unicode, UNITYPE, get_curr_dir
 from gramps.gen.config import config
 from gramps.gui.thumbnails import get_thumbnail_path, run_thumbnailer
 from gramps.gen.utils.image import image_size, resize_to_jpeg_buffer
@@ -6965,7 +6965,7 @@ class NavWebReport(Report):
         if not self.use_archive:
             dir_name = self.target_path
             if dir_name is None:
-                dir_name = os.getcwd()
+                dir_name = get_curr_dir()
             elif not os.path.isdir(dir_name):
                 parent_dir = os.path.dirname(dir_name)
                 if not os.path.isdir(parent_dir):