diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/helpers.py b/src/ocrmypdf/helpers.py
index 6f66cac8..4d3d1349 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/helpers.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/helpers.py
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ def re_symlink(input_file, soft_link_name, log=None):
     """
     Helper function: relinks soft symbolic link if necessary
     """
-    input_file = str(input_file)  # For Py3.5
-    soft_link_name = str(soft_link_name)
+    input_file = fspath(input_file)  # For Py3.5
+    soft_link_name = fspath(soft_link_name)
     if log is None:
         prdebug = partial(print, file=sys.stderr)
     else:
@@ -108,14 +108,14 @@ def is_file_writable(test_file):
         # defaults to strict=False. This implements strict=False like behavior
         # for Python 3.5.
         if sys.version_info[0:2] <= (3, 5):
-            p = Path(os.path.realpath(str(p)))
+            p = Path(os.path.realpath(fspath(p)))
         else:
             p = p.resolve(strict=False)
 
     # p.is_file() throws an exception in some cases
     if p.exists() and p.is_file():
         return os.access(
-            str(p), os.W_OK,
+            fspath(p), os.W_OK,
             effective_ids=(os.access in os.supports_effective_ids))
     else:
         try:
diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/optimize.py b/src/ocrmypdf/optimize.py
index 6bad2d7a..6747ecd4 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/optimize.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/optimize.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ PNG_QUALITY = (65, 75)
 
 
 def img_name(root, xref, ext):
-    return str(root / '{:08d}{}'.format(xref, ext))
+    return fspath(root / '{:08d}{}'.format(xref, ext))
 
 
 def png_name(root, xref):
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ def convert_to_jbig2(pike, jbig2_groups, root, log, options):
             prefix = 'group{:08d}'.format(group)
             future = executor.submit(
                 jbig2enc.convert_group,
-                cwd=str(root),
+                cwd=fspath(root),
                 infiles=(img_name(root, xref, ext) for xref, ext in xref_exts),
                 out_prefix=prefix
             )
@@ -229,8 +229,8 @@ def transcode_jpegs(pike, jpegs, root, log, options):
         # DEBUG:PIL.Image:Error closing: 'NoneType' object has no attribute
         # 'close'.  Seems to be mostly harmless
         # https://github.com/python-pillow/Pillow/issues/1144
-        with Image.open(str(in_jpg)) as im:
-            im.save(str(opt_jpg),
+        with Image.open(fspath(in_jpg)) as im:
+            im.save(fspath(opt_jpg),
                     optimize=True,
                     quality=JPEG_QUALITY)
         if opt_jpg.stat().st_size > in_jpg.stat().st_size:
diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo.py b/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo.py
index 6d692763..18f18670 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/pdfinfo.py
@@ -575,7 +575,7 @@ def _pdf_get_pageinfo(pdf, pageno: int, infile):
 
     page = pdf.pages[pageno]
 
-    pageinfo['textinfo'] = _page_get_textblocks(str(infile), pageno)
+    pageinfo['textinfo'] = _page_get_textblocks(fspath(infile), pageno)
 
     mediabox = [Decimal(d) for d in page.MediaBox.as_list()]
     width_pt = mediabox[2] - mediabox[0]
diff --git a/tests/test_hocrtransform.py b/tests/test_hocrtransform.py
index 21386e98..d90bc4e4 100644
--- a/tests/test_hocrtransform.py
+++ b/tests/test_hocrtransform.py
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ import sys
 @pytest.fixture
 def blank_hocr(tmpdir):
     filename = Path(str(tmpdir)) / "blank.hocr"
-    with open(str(filename), 'w') as f:
-        f.write(HOCR_TEMPLATE)
+    filename.write_text(HOCR_TEMPLATE)
     return filename
 
 
@@ -50,6 +49,3 @@ def test_mono_image(blank_hocr, outdir):
         str(outdir / 'mono.pdf'), imageFileName=str(outdir / 'mono.tif'))
 
     qpdf.check(str(outdir / 'mono.pdf'))
-
-
-
diff --git a/tests/test_rotation.py b/tests/test_rotation.py
index ac67cd10..e0095cc5 100644
--- a/tests/test_rotation.py
+++ b/tests/test_rotation.py
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ def check_monochrome_correlation(
     rasterize(reference_pdf, reference_pageno, reference_png)
     rasterize(test_pdf, test_pageno, test_png)
 
-    pix_ref = leptonica.Pix.read(str(reference_png))
-    pix_test = leptonica.Pix.read(str(test_png))
+    pix_ref = leptonica.Pix.open(reference_png)
+    pix_test = leptonica.Pix.open(test_png)
 
     return leptonica.Pix.correlation_binary(pix_ref, pix_test)
 
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def test_rotated_skew_timeout(resources, outpdf):
     timeout produced a page whose dimensions did not match the original's.
     """
 
-    input_file = str(resources / 'rotated_skew.pdf')
+    input_file = resources / 'rotated_skew.pdf'
     in_pageinfo = PdfInfo(input_file)[0]
 
     assert in_pageinfo.height_pixels < in_pageinfo.width_pixels, \