diff --git a/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp b/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
index f2af8e1..59610b8 100644
--- a/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
+++ b/include/ghc/filesystem.hpp
@@ -292,12 +292,14 @@ bool has_executable_extension(const path& p);
 class GHC_FS_API_CLASS path
 #if defined(GHC_OS_WINDOWS) && defined(GHC_WIN_WSTRING_STRING_TYPE)
 #define GHC_USE_WCHAR_T
+#define GHC_NATIVEWP(p) p.c_str()
 #define GHC_PLATFORM_LITERAL(str) L##str
     : private path_helper_base<std::wstring::value_type>
 {
 public:
     using path_helper_base<std::wstring::value_type>::value_type;
 #else
+#define GHC_NATIVEWP(p) p.wstring().c_str()
 #define GHC_PLATFORM_LITERAL(str) str
     : private path_helper_base<std::string::value_type>
 {
@@ -1821,7 +1823,7 @@ GHC_INLINE void create_hardlink(const path& target_name, const path& new_hardlin
 #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 #endif
     if (api_call) {
-        if (api_call(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(new_hardlink.u8string()).c_str(), detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(target_name.u8string()).c_str(), NULL) == 0) {
+        if (api_call(GHC_NATIVEWP(new_hardlink), GHC_NATIVEWP(target_name), NULL) == 0) {
             ec = detail::make_system_error();
         }
     }
@@ -1945,7 +1947,7 @@ GHC_INLINE path resolveSymlink(const path& p, std::error_code& ec)
 #endif
 #endif
 
-    std::shared_ptr<void> file(CreateFileW(p.wstring().c_str(), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_OPEN_REPARSE_POINT | FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
+    std::shared_ptr<void> file(CreateFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_OPEN_REPARSE_POINT | FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
     if (file.get() == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
         return path();
@@ -2078,7 +2080,7 @@ GHC_INLINE file_status symlink_status_ex(const path& p, std::error_code& ec, uin
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
     file_status fs;
     WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA attr;
-    if (!GetFileAttributesExW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string()).c_str(), GetFileExInfoStandard, &attr)) {
+    if (!GetFileAttributesExW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), GetFileExInfoStandard, &attr)) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
     }
     else {
@@ -2123,7 +2125,7 @@ GHC_INLINE file_status status_ex(const path& p, std::error_code& ec, file_status
         return file_status(file_type::unknown);
     }
     WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA attr;
-    if (!::GetFileAttributesExW(p.wstring().c_str(), GetFileExInfoStandard, &attr)) {
+    if (!::GetFileAttributesExW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), GetFileExInfoStandard, &attr)) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
     }
     else if (attr.dwFileAttributes & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_REPARSE_POINT) {
@@ -3396,10 +3398,10 @@ GHC_INLINE path absolute(const path& p, std::error_code& ec)
     if (p.empty()) {
         return absolute(current_path(ec), ec) / "";
     }
-    ULONG size = ::GetFullPathNameW(p.wstring().c_str(), 0, 0, 0);
+    ULONG size = ::GetFullPathNameW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), 0, 0, 0);
     if (size) {
         std::vector<wchar_t> buf(size, 0);
-        ULONG s2 = GetFullPathNameW(p.wstring().c_str(), size, buf.data(), nullptr);
+        ULONG s2 = GetFullPathNameW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), size, buf.data(), nullptr);
         if (s2 && s2 < size) {
             path result = path(std::wstring(buf.data(), s2));
             if (p.filename() == ".") {
@@ -3668,7 +3670,7 @@ GHC_INLINE bool copy_file(const path& from, const path& to, copy_options options
         overwrite = true;
     }
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
-    if (!::CopyFileW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(from.u8string()).c_str(), detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(to.u8string()).c_str(), !overwrite)) {
+    if (!::CopyFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP(from), GHC_NATIVEWP(to), !overwrite)) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
         return false;
     }
@@ -3831,12 +3833,12 @@ GHC_INLINE bool create_directory(const path& p, const path& attributes, std::err
 #endif
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
     if (!attributes.empty()) {
-        if (!::CreateDirectoryExW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(attributes.u8string()).c_str(), detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string()).c_str(), NULL)) {
+        if (!::CreateDirectoryExW(GHC_NATIVEWP(attributes), GHC_NATIVEWP(p), NULL)) {
             ec = detail::make_system_error();
             return false;
         }
     }
-    else if (!::CreateDirectoryW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string()).c_str(), NULL)) {
+    else if (!::CreateDirectoryW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), NULL)) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
         return false;
     }
@@ -3957,7 +3959,7 @@ GHC_INLINE void current_path(const path& p, std::error_code& ec) noexcept
 {
     ec.clear();
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
-    if (!::SetCurrentDirectoryW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string()).c_str())) {
+    if (!::SetCurrentDirectoryW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p))) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
     }
 #else
@@ -4004,9 +4006,9 @@ GHC_INLINE bool equivalent(const path& p1, const path& p2, std::error_code& ec)
 {
     ec.clear();
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
-    std::shared_ptr<void> file1(::CreateFileW(p1.wstring().c_str(), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
+    std::shared_ptr<void> file1(::CreateFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p1), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
     auto e1 = ::GetLastError();
-    std::shared_ptr<void> file2(::CreateFileW(p2.wstring().c_str(), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
+    std::shared_ptr<void> file2(::CreateFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p2), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
     if (file1.get() == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE || file2.get() == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
 #ifdef LWG_2937_BEHAVIOUR
         ec = detail::make_system_error(e1 ? e1 : ::GetLastError());
@@ -4064,7 +4066,7 @@ GHC_INLINE uintmax_t file_size(const path& p, std::error_code& ec) noexcept
     ec.clear();
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
     WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA attr;
-    if (!GetFileAttributesExW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string()).c_str(), GetFileExInfoStandard, &attr)) {
+    if (!GetFileAttributesExW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), GetFileExInfoStandard, &attr)) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
         return static_cast<uintmax_t>(-1);
     }
@@ -4097,7 +4099,7 @@ GHC_INLINE uintmax_t hard_link_count(const path& p, std::error_code& ec) noexcep
     ec.clear();
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
     uintmax_t result = static_cast<uintmax_t>(-1);
-    std::shared_ptr<void> file(::CreateFileW(p.wstring().c_str(), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
+    std::shared_ptr<void> file(::CreateFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), 0, FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE | FILE_SHARE_DELETE, 0, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, 0), CloseHandle);
     BY_HANDLE_FILE_INFORMATION inf;
     if (file.get() == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
@@ -4328,7 +4330,7 @@ GHC_INLINE void last_write_time(const path& p, file_time_type new_time, std::err
     ec.clear();
     auto d = new_time.time_since_epoch();
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
-    std::shared_ptr<void> file(::CreateFileW(p.wstring().c_str(), FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES, FILE_SHARE_DELETE | FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, NULL), ::CloseHandle);
+    std::shared_ptr<void> file(::CreateFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), FILE_WRITE_ATTRIBUTES, FILE_SHARE_DELETE | FILE_SHARE_READ | FILE_SHARE_WRITE, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, FILE_FLAG_BACKUP_SEMANTICS, NULL), ::CloseHandle);
     FILETIME ft;
     auto tt = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::microseconds>(d).count() * 10 + 116444736000000000;
     ft.dwLowDateTime = static_cast<DWORD>(tt);
@@ -4417,10 +4419,10 @@ GHC_INLINE void permissions(const path& p, perms prms, perm_options opts, std::e
     }
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
 #ifdef __GNUC__
-    auto oldAttr = GetFileAttributesW(p.wstring().c_str());
+    auto oldAttr = GetFileAttributesW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p));
     if (oldAttr != INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES) {
         DWORD newAttr = ((prms & perms::owner_write) == perms::owner_write) ? oldAttr & ~(static_cast<DWORD>(FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY)) : oldAttr | FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY;
-        if (oldAttr == newAttr || SetFileAttributesW(p.wstring().c_str(), newAttr)) {
+        if (oldAttr == newAttr || SetFileAttributesW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), newAttr)) {
             return;
         }
     }
@@ -4525,8 +4527,13 @@ GHC_INLINE bool remove(const path& p, std::error_code& ec) noexcept
 {
     ec.clear();
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
+#ifdef GHC_USE_WCHAR_T
+    auto cstr = p.c_str();
+#else
     std::wstring np = detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string());
-    DWORD attr = GetFileAttributesW(np.c_str());
+    auto cstr = np.c_str();
+#endif
+    DWORD attr = GetFileAttributesW(cstr);
     if (attr == INVALID_FILE_ATTRIBUTES) {
         auto error = ::GetLastError();
         if (error == ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND || error == ERROR_PATH_NOT_FOUND) {
@@ -4536,12 +4543,12 @@ GHC_INLINE bool remove(const path& p, std::error_code& ec) noexcept
     }
     if (!ec) {
         if (attr & FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY) {
-            if (!RemoveDirectoryW(np.c_str())) {
+            if (!RemoveDirectoryW(cstr)) {
                 ec = detail::make_system_error();
             }
         }
         else {
-            if (!DeleteFileW(np.c_str())) {
+            if (!DeleteFileW(cstr)) {
                 ec = detail::make_system_error();
             }
         }
@@ -4633,7 +4640,7 @@ GHC_INLINE void rename(const path& from, const path& to, std::error_code& ec) no
     ec.clear();
 #ifdef GHC_OS_WINDOWS
     if (from != to) {
-        if (!MoveFileExW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(from.u8string()).c_str(), detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(to.u8string()).c_str(), (DWORD)MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING)) {
+        if (!MoveFileExW(GHC_NATIVEWP(from), GHC_NATIVEWP(to), (DWORD)MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING)) {
             ec = detail::make_system_error();
         }
     }
@@ -4671,7 +4678,7 @@ GHC_INLINE void resize_file(const path& p, uintmax_t size, std::error_code& ec)
 #endif
         return;
     }
-    std::shared_ptr<void> file(CreateFileW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string()).c_str(), GENERIC_WRITE, 0, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL), CloseHandle);
+    std::shared_ptr<void> file(CreateFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), GENERIC_WRITE, 0, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL), CloseHandle);
     if (file.get() == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
     }
@@ -4704,7 +4711,7 @@ GHC_INLINE space_info space(const path& p, std::error_code& ec) noexcept
     ULARGE_INTEGER freeBytesAvailableToCaller = {{ 0, 0 }};
     ULARGE_INTEGER totalNumberOfBytes = {{ 0, 0 }};
     ULARGE_INTEGER totalNumberOfFreeBytes = {{ 0, 0 }};
-    if (!GetDiskFreeSpaceExW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>(p.u8string()).c_str(), &freeBytesAvailableToCaller, &totalNumberOfBytes, &totalNumberOfFreeBytes)) {
+    if (!GetDiskFreeSpaceExW(GHC_NATIVEWP(p), &freeBytesAvailableToCaller, &totalNumberOfBytes, &totalNumberOfFreeBytes)) {
         ec = detail::make_system_error();
         return {static_cast<uintmax_t>(-1), static_cast<uintmax_t>(-1), static_cast<uintmax_t>(-1)};
     }
@@ -5265,7 +5272,7 @@ public:
     {
         if (!_base.empty()) {
             ZeroMemory(&_findData, sizeof(WIN32_FIND_DATAW));
-            if ((_dirHandle = FindFirstFileW(detail::fromUtf8<std::wstring>((_base / "*").u8string()).c_str(), &_findData)) != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+            if ((_dirHandle = FindFirstFileW(GHC_NATIVEWP((_base / "*")), &_findData)) != INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
                 if (std::wstring(_findData.cFileName) == L"." || std::wstring(_findData.cFileName) == L"..") {
                     increment(_ec);
                 }