diff --git a/Lib/ntpath.py b/Lib/ntpath.py
index 37f32f0..02d8584 100644
--- a/Lib/ntpath.py
+++ b/Lib/ntpath.py
@@ -397,6 +397,8 @@
 
 def normpath(path):
     """Normalize path, eliminating double slashes, etc."""
+    # Preserve unicode (if path is unicode)
+    backslash, dot = (u'\\', u'.') if isinstance(path, unicode) else ('\\', '.')
     path = path.replace("/", "\\")
     prefix, path = splitdrive(path)
     # We need to be careful here. If the prefix is empty, and the path starts
@@ -411,12 +413,12 @@
     if prefix == '':
         # No drive letter - preserve initial backslashes
         while path[:1] == "\\":
-            prefix = prefix + "\\"
+            prefix = prefix + backslash
             path = path[1:]
     else:
         # We have a drive letter - collapse initial backslashes
         if path.startswith("\\"):
-            prefix = prefix + "\\"
+            prefix = prefix + backslash
             path = path.lstrip("\\")
     comps = path.split("\\")
     i = 0
@@ -435,8 +437,8 @@
             i += 1
     # If the path is now empty, substitute '.'
     if not prefix and not comps:
-        comps.append('.')
-    return prefix + "\\".join(comps)
+        comps.append(dot)
+    return prefix + backslash.join(comps)
 
 
 # Return an absolute path.