diff --git a/src/Utils.py b/src/Utils.py
index 6c4c01c33..6ccf68ecb 100644
--- a/src/Utils.py
+++ b/src/Utils.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ import random
 import time
 import shutil
 import uuid
+import logging
+LOG = logging.getLogger(".")
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -331,12 +333,23 @@ def get_unicode_path(path):
     :rtype:      unicode
     :returns:     The Unicode version of path.
     """
-    # Don't make unicode of unicode as this does not work
-    # with parameter for encoding.
-    if type(path) == type(u""):
+    # Don't make unicode of unicode
+    if isinstance(path, unicode):
         return path
-    return unicode(path, sys.getfilesystemencoding())
 
+    if constfunc.win():
+      # in windows filechooser returns officially utf-8, not filesystemencoding
+      try:
+         return unicode(path)
+      except:
+         LOG.warn("Problem encountered converting string: %s." % path)
+         return unicode(path, sys.getfilesystemencoding(), errors='replace')
+    else:
+      try:
+         return unicode(path, sys.getfilesystemencoding())
+      except:
+         LOG.warn("Problem encountered converting string: %s." % path)
+         return unicode(path, sys.getfilesystemencoding(), errors='replace')    
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #