diff --git a/testing/path/conftest.py b/testing/path/conftest.py
index b961f9ca5..283be578b 100644
--- a/testing/path/conftest.py
+++ b/testing/path/conftest.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ def pytest_funcarg__repowc1(request):
 
     modname = request.module.__name__
     tmpdir = request.getfuncargvalue("tmpdir")
-    repo, wc = request.cached_setup(
+    repo, repourl, wc = request.cached_setup(
         setup=lambda: getrepowc(tmpdir, "repo-"+modname, "wc-" + modname), 
         scope="module", 
     )
@@ -19,12 +19,13 @@ def pytest_funcarg__repowc1(request):
         if request.function.__name__.startswith(x):
             _savedrepowc = save_repowc(repo, wc) 
             request.addfinalizer(lambda: restore_repowc(_savedrepowc))
-    return repo, wc
+    return repo, repourl, wc
 
 def pytest_funcarg__repowc2(request):
     tmpdir = request.getfuncargvalue("tmpdir")
     name = request.function.__name__
-    return getrepowc(tmpdir, "%s-repo-2" % name, "%s-wc-2" % name)
+    repo, url, wc = getrepowc(tmpdir, "%s-repo-2" % name, "%s-wc-2" % name)
+    return repo, url, wc 
 
 def getsvnbin():
     if svnbin is None:
@@ -46,14 +47,16 @@ def getrepowc(tmpdir, reponame='basetestrepo', wcname='wc'):
     wcdir.ensure(dir=1)
     wc = py.path.svnwc(wcdir)
     if py.std.sys.platform == 'win32':
-        repo = '/' + str(repo).replace('\\', '/')
-    wc.checkout(url='file://%s' % repo)
+        repourl = "file://" + '/' + str(repo).replace('\\', '/')
+    else:
+        repourl = "file://%s" % repo
+    wc.checkout(repourl)
     print_("checked out new repo into", wc)
-    return ("file://%s" % repo, wc)
+    return (repo, repourl, wc)
 
 
 def save_repowc(repo, wc):
-    repo = py.path.local(repo[len("file://"):])
+    assert not str(repo).startswith("file://"), repo
     assert repo.check() 
     savedrepo = repo.dirpath(repo.basename+".1")
     savedwc = wc.dirpath(wc.basename+".1")
diff --git a/testing/path/test_svnurl.py b/testing/path/test_svnurl.py
index b99a93eeb..0a608ab9d 100644
--- a/testing/path/test_svnurl.py
+++ b/testing/path/test_svnurl.py
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ import time
 from testing.path.svntestbase import CommonSvnTests
 
 def pytest_funcarg__path1(request):
-    repo, wc = request.getfuncargvalue("repowc1")
-    return py.path.svnurl(repo)
+    repo, repourl, wc = request.getfuncargvalue("repowc1")
+    return py.path.svnurl(repourl)
 
 class TestSvnURLCommandPath(CommonSvnTests):
     @py.test.mark.xfail
diff --git a/testing/path/test_svnwc.py b/testing/path/test_svnwc.py
index 6fe68bb5e..032649700 100644
--- a/testing/path/test_svnwc.py
+++ b/testing/path/test_svnwc.py
@@ -1,17 +1,9 @@
 import py
-import sys
+import os, sys
 from py.impl.path.svnwc import InfoSvnWCCommand, XMLWCStatus, parse_wcinfotime
 from py.impl.path import svnwc as svncommon
 from testing.path.svntestbase import CommonSvnTests
 
-if sys.platform == 'win32':
-    def normpath(p):
-        return p
-else:
-    def normpath(p):
-        p = py.test.importorskip("win32").GetShortPathName(p)
-        return os.path.normpath(os.path.normcase(p))
-
 def test_make_repo(path1, tmpdir):
     repo = tmpdir.join("repo")
     py.process.cmdexec('svnadmin create %s' % repo)
@@ -32,7 +24,7 @@ def test_make_repo(path1, tmpdir):
     assert rev is None
 
 def pytest_funcarg__path1(request):
-    repo, wc = request.getfuncargvalue("repowc1")
+    repo, repourl, wc = request.getfuncargvalue("repowc1")
     return wc
 
 class TestWCSvnCommandPath(CommonSvnTests):
@@ -181,7 +173,7 @@ class TestWCSvnCommandPath(CommonSvnTests):
         assert [x.basename for x in s.conflict] == ['conflictsamplefile']
 
     def test_status_external(self, path1, repowc2):
-        otherrepo, otherwc = repowc2
+        otherrepo, otherrepourl, otherwc = repowc2
         d = path1.ensure('sampledir', dir=1)
         try:
             d.remove()
@@ -366,7 +358,8 @@ class TestWCSvnCommandPath(CommonSvnTests):
         try:
             locked = root.status().locked
             assert len(locked) == 1
-            assert normpath(str(locked[0])) == normpath(str(somefile))
+            assert locked[0].basename == somefile.basename
+            assert locked[0].dirpath().basename == somefile.dirpath().basename
             #assert somefile.locked()
             py.test.raises(Exception, 'somefile.lock()')
         finally: