diff --git a/src/addrdb.cpp b/src/addrdb.cpp
index 5f203c8f75..a3743cd0d4 100644
--- a/src/addrdb.cpp
+++ b/src/addrdb.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ bool CBanDB::Write(const banmap_t& banSet)
 
     // open temp output file, and associate with CAutoFile
     fs::path pathTmp = GetDataDir() / tmpfn;
-    FILE *file = fopen(pathTmp.string().c_str(), "wb");
+    FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(pathTmp, "wb");
     CAutoFile fileout(file, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
     if (fileout.IsNull())
         return error("%s: Failed to open file %s", __func__, pathTmp.string());
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ bool CBanDB::Write(const banmap_t& banSet)
 bool CBanDB::Read(banmap_t& banSet)
 {
     // open input file, and associate with CAutoFile
-    FILE *file = fopen(pathBanlist.string().c_str(), "rb");
+    FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(pathBanlist, "rb");
     CAutoFile filein(file, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
     if (filein.IsNull())
         return error("%s: Failed to open file %s", __func__, pathBanlist.string());
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ bool CAddrDB::Write(const CAddrMan& addr)
 
     // open temp output file, and associate with CAutoFile
     fs::path pathTmp = GetDataDir() / tmpfn;
-    FILE *file = fopen(pathTmp.string().c_str(), "wb");
+    FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(pathTmp, "wb");
     CAutoFile fileout(file, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
     if (fileout.IsNull())
         return error("%s: Failed to open file %s", __func__, pathTmp.string());
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ bool CAddrDB::Write(const CAddrMan& addr)
 bool CAddrDB::Read(CAddrMan& addr)
 {
     // open input file, and associate with CAutoFile
-    FILE *file = fopen(pathAddr.string().c_str(), "rb");
+    FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(pathAddr, "rb");
     CAutoFile filein(file, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
     if (filein.IsNull())
         return error("%s: Failed to open file %s", __func__, pathAddr.string());
diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 808cc64f70..06e657abee 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ void Shutdown()
     if (fFeeEstimatesInitialized)
     {
         fs::path est_path = GetDataDir() / FEE_ESTIMATES_FILENAME;
-        CAutoFile est_fileout(fopen(est_path.string().c_str(), "wb"), SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
+        CAutoFile est_fileout(fsbridge::fopen(est_path, "wb"), SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
         if (!est_fileout.IsNull())
             mempool.WriteFeeEstimates(est_fileout);
         else
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ void ThreadImport(std::vector<fs::path> vImportFiles)
     // hardcoded $DATADIR/bootstrap.dat
     fs::path pathBootstrap = GetDataDir() / "bootstrap.dat";
     if (fs::exists(pathBootstrap)) {
-        FILE *file = fopen(pathBootstrap.string().c_str(), "rb");
+        FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(pathBootstrap, "rb");
         if (file) {
             fs::path pathBootstrapOld = GetDataDir() / "bootstrap.dat.old";
             LogPrintf("Importing bootstrap.dat...\n");
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ void ThreadImport(std::vector<fs::path> vImportFiles)
 
     // -loadblock=
     BOOST_FOREACH(const fs::path& path, vImportFiles) {
-        FILE *file = fopen(path.string().c_str(), "rb");
+        FILE *file = fsbridge::fopen(path, "rb");
         if (file) {
             LogPrintf("Importing blocks file %s...\n", path.string());
             LoadExternalBlockFile(chainparams, file);
@@ -1124,7 +1124,7 @@ static bool LockDataDirectory(bool probeOnly)
 
     // Make sure only a single Bitcoin process is using the data directory.
     fs::path pathLockFile = GetDataDir() / ".lock";
-    FILE* file = fopen(pathLockFile.string().c_str(), "a"); // empty lock file; created if it doesn't exist.
+    FILE* file = fsbridge::fopen(pathLockFile, "a"); // empty lock file; created if it doesn't exist.
     if (file) fclose(file);
 
     try {
@@ -1535,7 +1535,7 @@ bool AppInitMain(boost::thread_group& threadGroup, CScheduler& scheduler)
     LogPrintf(" block index %15dms\n", GetTimeMillis() - nStart);
 
     fs::path est_path = GetDataDir() / FEE_ESTIMATES_FILENAME;
-    CAutoFile est_filein(fopen(est_path.string().c_str(), "rb"), SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
+    CAutoFile est_filein(fsbridge::fopen(est_path, "rb"), SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
     // Allowed to fail as this file IS missing on first startup.
     if (!est_filein.IsNull())
         mempool.ReadFeeEstimates(est_filein);
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index 49f4c2bc9a..aa5d57c413 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ void OpenDebugLog()
     assert(fileout == NULL);
     assert(vMsgsBeforeOpenLog);
     fs::path pathDebug = GetDataDir() / "debug.log";
-    fileout = fopen(pathDebug.string().c_str(), "a");
+    fileout = fsbridge::fopen(pathDebug, "a");
     if (fileout) {
         setbuf(fileout, NULL); // unbuffered
         // dump buffered messages from before we opened the log
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ int LogPrintStr(const std::string &str)
             if (fReopenDebugLog) {
                 fReopenDebugLog = false;
                 fs::path pathDebug = GetDataDir() / "debug.log";
-                if (freopen(pathDebug.string().c_str(),"a",fileout) != NULL)
+                if (fsbridge::freopen(pathDebug,"a",fileout) != NULL)
                     setbuf(fileout, NULL); // unbuffered
             }
 
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ fs::path GetPidFile()
 
 void CreatePidFile(const fs::path &path, pid_t pid)
 {
-    FILE* file = fopen(path.string().c_str(), "w");
+    FILE* file = fsbridge::fopen(path, "w");
     if (file)
     {
         fprintf(file, "%d\n", pid);
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ void ShrinkDebugFile()
     constexpr size_t RECENT_DEBUG_HISTORY_SIZE = 10 * 1000000;
     // Scroll debug.log if it's getting too big
     fs::path pathLog = GetDataDir() / "debug.log";
-    FILE* file = fopen(pathLog.string().c_str(), "r");
+    FILE* file = fsbridge::fopen(pathLog, "r");
     // If debug.log file is more than 10% bigger the RECENT_DEBUG_HISTORY_SIZE
     // trim it down by saving only the last RECENT_DEBUG_HISTORY_SIZE bytes
     if (file && fs::file_size(pathLog) > 11 * (RECENT_DEBUG_HISTORY_SIZE / 10))
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ void ShrinkDebugFile()
         int nBytes = fread(vch.data(), 1, vch.size(), file);
         fclose(file);
 
-        file = fopen(pathLog.string().c_str(), "w");
+        file = fsbridge::fopen(pathLog, "w");
         if (file)
         {
             fwrite(vch.data(), 1, nBytes, file);
diff --git a/src/validation.cpp b/src/validation.cpp
index 0b55e1db1b..03bae31d9e 100644
--- a/src/validation.cpp
+++ b/src/validation.cpp
@@ -3414,9 +3414,9 @@ FILE* OpenDiskFile(const CDiskBlockPos &pos, const char *prefix, bool fReadOnly)
         return NULL;
     fs::path path = GetBlockPosFilename(pos, prefix);
     fs::create_directories(path.parent_path());
-    FILE* file = fopen(path.string().c_str(), "rb+");
+    FILE* file = fsbridge::fopen(path, "rb+");
     if (!file && !fReadOnly)
-        file = fopen(path.string().c_str(), "wb+");
+        file = fsbridge::fopen(path, "wb+");
     if (!file) {
         LogPrintf("Unable to open file %s\n", path.string());
         return NULL;
@@ -4164,7 +4164,7 @@ static const uint64_t MEMPOOL_DUMP_VERSION = 1;
 bool LoadMempool(void)
 {
     int64_t nExpiryTimeout = GetArg("-mempoolexpiry", DEFAULT_MEMPOOL_EXPIRY) * 60 * 60;
-    FILE* filestr = fopen((GetDataDir() / "mempool.dat").string().c_str(), "rb");
+    FILE* filestr = fsbridge::fopen(GetDataDir() / "mempool.dat", "rb");
     CAutoFile file(filestr, SER_DISK, CLIENT_VERSION);
     if (file.IsNull()) {
         LogPrintf("Failed to open mempool file from disk. Continuing anyway.\n");
@@ -4244,7 +4244,7 @@ void DumpMempool(void)
     int64_t mid = GetTimeMicros();
 
     try {
-        FILE* filestr = fopen((GetDataDir() / "mempool.dat.new").string().c_str(), "wb");
+        FILE* filestr = fsbridge::fopen(GetDataDir() / "mempool.dat.new", "wb");
         if (!filestr) {
             return;
         }
diff --git a/src/wallet/db.cpp b/src/wallet/db.cpp
index 050450247f..f47fc92b57 100644
--- a/src/wallet/db.cpp
+++ b/src/wallet/db.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ bool CDBEnv::Open(const fs::path& pathIn)
     dbenv->set_lg_max(1048576);
     dbenv->set_lk_max_locks(40000);
     dbenv->set_lk_max_objects(40000);
-    dbenv->set_errfile(fopen(pathErrorFile.string().c_str(), "a")); /// debug
+    dbenv->set_errfile(fsbridge::fopen(pathErrorFile, "a")); /// debug
     dbenv->set_flags(DB_AUTO_COMMIT, 1);
     dbenv->set_flags(DB_TXN_WRITE_NOSYNC, 1);
     dbenv->log_set_config(DB_LOG_AUTO_REMOVE, 1);