diff --git a/dvc/ignore.py b/dvc/ignore.py
index d989d9a8e..ce2bcefce 100644
--- a/dvc/ignore.py
+++ b/dvc/ignore.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import os
 
 from dulwich.ignore import match_pattern, read_ignore_patterns
diff --git a/dvc/utils/__init__.py b/dvc/utils/__init__.py
index 85ee5b68a..4bf2ab2c6 100644
--- a/dvc/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/utils/__init__.py
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ def dvc_walk(
 
 def walk_files(directory, ignore_file_handler=None):
     for root, _, files in dvc_walk(
-        str(directory), ignore_file_handler=ignore_file_handler
+        directory, ignore_file_handler=ignore_file_handler
     ):
         for f in files:
             yield os.path.join(root, f)
diff --git a/dvc/utils/fs.py b/dvc/utils/fs.py
index 9a7bd9e73..8538aee1b 100644
--- a/dvc/utils/fs.py
+++ b/dvc/utils/fs.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def get_mtime_and_size(path):
     mtime = stat.st_mtime
 
     if os.path.isdir(path):
-        for root, dirs, files in dvc_walk(str(path)):
+        for root, dirs, files in dvc_walk(path):
             for name in dirs + files:
                 entry = os.path.join(root, name)
                 try: