diff --git a/resources/lib/path_ops.py b/resources/lib/path_ops.py
index 669aaebb..f6f62b16 100644
--- a/resources/lib/path_ops.py
+++ b/resources/lib/path_ops.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ from os import path  # allows to use path_ops.path.join, for example
 from distutils import dir_util
 import re
 
-import xbmc
 import xbmcvfs
 
 from .tools import unicode_paths
@@ -56,8 +55,7 @@ def translate_path(path):
     e.g. Converts 'special://masterprofile/script_data'
     -> '/home/user/XBMC/UserData/script_data' on Linux.
     """
-    translated = xbmc.translatePath(path.encode(KODI_ENCODING, 'strict'))
-    return translated.decode(KODI_ENCODING, 'strict')
+    return xbmcvfs.translatePath(path)
 
 
 def exists(path):
@@ -65,7 +63,7 @@ def exists(path):
     Returns True if the path [unicode] exists. Folders NEED a trailing slash or
     backslash!!
     """
-    return xbmcvfs.exists(path.encode(KODI_ENCODING, 'strict')) == 1
+    return xbmcvfs.exists(path) == 1
 
 
 def rmtree(path, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -79,12 +77,12 @@ def rmtree(path, *args, **kwargs):
     is false and onerror is None, an exception is raised.
 
     """
-    return shutil.rmtree(encode_path(path), *args, **kwargs)
+    return shutil.rmtree(path, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
 def copyfile(src, dst):
     """Copy data from src to dst"""
-    return shutil.copyfile(encode_path(src), encode_path(dst))
+    return shutil.copyfile(src, dst)
 
 
 def makedirs(path, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -94,7 +92,7 @@ def makedirs(path, *args, **kwargs):
     mkdir, except that any intermediate path segment (not just the rightmost)
     will be created if it does not exist.  This is recursive.
     """
-    return os.makedirs(encode_path(path), *args, **kwargs)
+    return os.makedirs(path, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
 def remove(path):
@@ -106,7 +104,7 @@ def remove(path):
     removed but the storage allocated to the file is not made available until
     the original file is no longer in use.
     """
-    return os.remove(encode_path(path))
+    return os.remove(path)
 
 
 def walk(top, topdown=True, onerror=None, followlinks=False):
@@ -169,14 +167,14 @@ def walk(top, topdown=True, onerror=None, followlinks=False):
 
     """
     # Get all the results from os.walk and store them in a list
-    walker = list(os.walk(encode_path(top),
+    walker = list(os.walk(top,
                           topdown,
                           onerror,
                           followlinks))
     for top, dirs, nondirs in walker:
-        yield (decode_path(top),
-               [decode_path(x) for x in dirs],
-               [decode_path(x) for x in nondirs])
+        yield (top,
+               [x for x in dirs],
+               [x for x in nondirs])
 
 
 def copy_tree(src, dst, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -200,8 +198,6 @@ def copy_tree(src, dst, *args, **kwargs):
     (the default), the destination of the symlink will be copied.
     'update' and 'verbose' are the same as for 'copy_file'.
     """
-    src = encode_path(src)
-    dst = encode_path(dst)
     return dir_util.copy_tree(src, dst, *args, **kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/resources/lib/service_entry.py b/resources/lib/service_entry.py
index 129a398d..6791aead 100644
--- a/resources/lib/service_entry.py
+++ b/resources/lib/service_entry.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import logging
 import sys
 import xbmc
+import xbmcvfs
 
 from . import utils, clientinfo
 from . import initialsetup
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ class Service(object):
     def __init__(self):
         self._init_done = False
         # Detect switch of Kodi profile - a second instance of PKC is started
-        self.profile = xbmc.translatePath('special://profile')
+        self.profile = xbmcvfs.translatePath('special://profile')
         utils.window('plex_kodi_profilepath', value=self.profile)
 
         # Kodi Version supported by PKC?
diff --git a/resources/lib/variables.py b/resources/lib/variables.py
index c8d2e4aa..72db3b51 100644
--- a/resources/lib/variables.py
+++ b/resources/lib/variables.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import sys
 import platform
 
 import xbmc
+import xbmcvfs
 from xbmcaddon import Addon
 
 from . import path_ops
@@ -41,13 +42,13 @@ ADDON_NAME = 'PlexKodiConnect'
 ADDON_ID = 'plugin.video.plexkodiconnect'
 ADDON_VERSION = _ADDON.getAddonInfo('version')
 ADDON_PATH = try_decode(_ADDON.getAddonInfo('path'))
-ADDON_FOLDER = try_decode(xbmc.translatePath('special://home'))
-ADDON_PROFILE = try_decode(xbmc.translatePath(_ADDON.getAddonInfo('profile')))
+ADDON_FOLDER = try_decode(xbmcvfs.translatePath('special://home'))
+ADDON_PROFILE = try_decode(xbmcvfs.translatePath(_ADDON.getAddonInfo('profile')))
 
 KODILANGUAGE = xbmc.getLanguage(xbmc.ISO_639_1)
 KODIVERSION = int(xbmc.getInfoLabel("System.BuildVersion")[:2])
 KODILONGVERSION = xbmc.getInfoLabel('System.BuildVersion')
-KODI_PROFILE = try_decode(xbmc.translatePath("special://profile"))
+KODI_PROFILE = try_decode(xbmcvfs.translatePath("special://profile"))
 
 if xbmc.getCondVisibility('system.platform.osx'):
     DEVICE = "MacOSX"
@@ -120,10 +121,10 @@ DB_MUSIC_VERSION = None
 DB_MUSIC_PATH = None
 DB_TEXTURE_VERSION = None
 DB_TEXTURE_PATH = None
-DB_PLEX_PATH = try_decode(xbmc.translatePath("special://database/plex.db"))
-DB_PLEX_COPY_PATH = try_decode(xbmc.translatePath("special://database/plex-copy.db"))
+DB_PLEX_PATH = try_decode(xbmcvfs.translatePath("special://database/plex.db"))
+DB_PLEX_COPY_PATH = try_decode(xbmcvfs.translatePath("special://database/plex-copy.db"))
 
-EXTERNAL_SUBTITLE_TEMP_PATH = try_decode(xbmc.translatePath(
+EXTERNAL_SUBTITLE_TEMP_PATH = try_decode(xbmcvfs.translatePath(
     "special://profile/addon_data/%s/temp/" % ADDON_ID))
 
 
@@ -698,7 +699,7 @@ def database_paths():
     if KODIVERSION not in (19, ):
         raise RuntimeError('Kodiversion %s not supported by PKC' % KODIVERSION)
 
-    database_path = try_decode(xbmc.translatePath('special://database'))
+    database_path = try_decode(xbmcvfs.translatePath('special://database'))
     thismodule = sys.modules[__name__]
     types = (('MyVideos%s.db', SUPPORTED_VIDEO_DB,
               'DB_VIDEO_VERSION', 'DB_VIDEO_PATH'),