diff --git a/default.py b/default.py
index e6c3e85d..72767a00 100644
--- a/default.py
+++ b/default.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from xbmcplugin import setResolvedUrl
 
 from resources.lib import entrypoint, utils, pickler, pkc_listitem, \
     variables as v, loghandler
-from resources.lib.watchdog.utils import unicode_paths
+from resources.lib.tools import unicode_paths
 
 ###############################################################################
 
diff --git a/resources/lib/path_ops.py b/resources/lib/path_ops.py
index b32915dd..e799cb68 100644
--- a/resources/lib/path_ops.py
+++ b/resources/lib/path_ops.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from distutils import dir_util
 import xbmc
 import xbmcvfs
 
-from .watchdog.utils import unicode_paths
+from .tools import unicode_paths
 
 # Kodi seems to encode in utf-8 in ALL cases (unlike e.g. the OS filesystem)
 KODI_ENCODING = 'utf-8'
diff --git a/resources/lib/tools/__init__.py b/resources/lib/tools/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b93054b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/lib/tools/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# Dummy file to make this directory a package.
diff --git a/resources/lib/tools/platform.py b/resources/lib/tools/platform.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..239c6a25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/lib/tools/platform.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Copyright 2011 Yesudeep Mangalapilly <yesudeep@gmail.com>
+# Copyright 2012 Google, Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+
+import sys
+
+PLATFORM_WINDOWS = 'windows'
+PLATFORM_LINUX = 'linux'
+PLATFORM_BSD = 'bsd'
+PLATFORM_DARWIN = 'darwin'
+PLATFORM_UNKNOWN = 'unknown'
+
+
+def get_platform_name():
+    if sys.platform.startswith("win"):
+        return PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+    elif sys.platform.startswith('darwin'):
+        return PLATFORM_DARWIN
+    elif sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
+        return PLATFORM_LINUX
+    elif sys.platform.startswith(('dragonfly', 'freebsd', 'netbsd', 'openbsd', )):
+        return PLATFORM_BSD
+    else:
+        return PLATFORM_UNKNOWN
+
+__platform__ = get_platform_name()
+
+
+def is_linux():
+    return __platform__ == PLATFORM_LINUX
+
+
+def is_bsd():
+    return __platform__ == PLATFORM_BSD
+
+
+def is_darwin():
+    return __platform__ == PLATFORM_DARWIN
+
+
+def is_windows():
+    return __platform__ == PLATFORM_WINDOWS
diff --git a/resources/lib/tools/unicode_paths.py b/resources/lib/tools/unicode_paths.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1e3ceed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/lib/tools/unicode_paths.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2013 Will Bond <will@wbond.net>
+#
+# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+#
+# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+# all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+#
+# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+# SOFTWARE.
+
+
+import sys
+
+from . import platform
+
+try:
+    # Python 2
+    str_cls = unicode
+    bytes_cls = str
+except NameError:
+    # Python 3
+    str_cls = str
+    bytes_cls = bytes
+
+
+# This is used by Linux when the locale seems to be improperly set. UTF-8 tends
+# to be the encoding used by all distros, so this is a good fallback.
+fs_fallback_encoding = 'utf-8'
+fs_encoding = sys.getfilesystemencoding() or fs_fallback_encoding
+
+
+def encode(path):
+    if isinstance(path, str_cls):
+        try:
+            path = path.encode(fs_encoding, 'strict')
+        except UnicodeEncodeError:
+            if not platform.is_linux():
+                raise
+            path = path.encode(fs_fallback_encoding, 'strict')
+    return path
+
+
+def decode(path):
+    if isinstance(path, bytes_cls):
+        try:
+            path = path.decode(fs_encoding, 'strict')
+        except UnicodeDecodeError:
+            if not platform.is_linux():
+                raise
+            path = path.decode(fs_fallback_encoding, 'strict')
+    return path