diff --git a/Lib/test/test_macfs.py b/Lib/test/test_macfs.py
index c9ca06b..d02d9e1 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_macfs.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_macfs.py
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@
     def test_fsref(self):
         fsr = macfs.FSRef(test_support.TESTFN)
         self.assertEqual(os.path.realpath(test_support.TESTFN), fsr.as_pathname())
+        
+    def test_fsref_unicode(self):
+        testfn_unicode = unicode(test_support.TESTFN)
+        fsr = macfs.FSRef(testfn_unicode)
+        self.assertEqual(os.path.realpath(test_support.TESTFN), fsr.as_pathname())
 
     def test_coercion(self):
         fss = macfs.FSSpec(test_support.TESTFN)
diff --git a/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c b/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c
index 8939437..d61172e 100644
--- a/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c
+++ b/Mac/Modules/file/_Filemodule.c
@@ -3222,8 +3222,11 @@
 
 #if TARGET_API_MAC_OSX
 	/* On OSX we now try a pathname */
-	if ( PyString_Check(v) ) {
-		if ( (err=FSPathMakeRef(PyString_AsString(v), fsr, NULL)) ) {
+	if ( PyString_Check(v) || PyUnicode_Check(v)) {
+		char *path = NULL;
+		if (!PyArg_Parse(v, "et", Py_FileSystemDefaultEncoding, &path))
+			return NULL;
+		if ( (err=FSPathMakeRef(path, fsr, NULL)) ) {
 			PyMac_Error(err);
 			return 0;
 		}
diff --git a/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py b/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py
index 9d6005c..1237d22 100644
--- a/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py
+++ b/Mac/Modules/file/filesupport.py
@@ -280,8 +280,11 @@
 
 #if TARGET_API_MAC_OSX
 	/* On OSX we now try a pathname */
-	if ( PyString_Check(v) ) {
-		if ( (err=FSPathMakeRef(PyString_AsString(v), fsr, NULL)) ) {
+	if ( PyString_Check(v) || PyUnicode_Check(v)) {
+		char *path = NULL;
+		if (!PyArg_Parse(v, "et", Py_FileSystemDefaultEncoding, &path))
+			return NULL;
+		if ( (err=FSPathMakeRef(path, fsr, NULL)) ) {
 			PyMac_Error(err);
 			return 0;
 		}