diff --git a/crates/call/src/room.rs b/crates/call/src/room.rs
index 4ba8d8effc4831599bb0e358a37fe535b3220f16..8c1b0d9de09f42ecf48e10d67c31b1a6b5508350 100644
--- a/crates/call/src/room.rs
+++ b/crates/call/src/room.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ use gpui::{AsyncAppContext, Entity, ModelContext, ModelHandle, MutableAppContext
 use live_kit_client::{LocalTrackPublication, LocalVideoTrack, RemoteVideoTrackUpdate};
 use postage::stream::Stream;
 use project::Project;
-use std::{mem, os::unix::prelude::OsStrExt, sync::Arc};
+use std::{mem, sync::Arc};
 use util::{post_inc, ResultExt};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ impl Room {
                         id: worktree.id().to_proto(),
                         root_name: worktree.root_name().into(),
                         visible: worktree.is_visible(),
-                        abs_path: worktree.abs_path().as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                        abs_path: worktree.abs_path().to_string_lossy().into(),
                     }
                 })
                 .collect(),
diff --git a/crates/collab/src/db.rs b/crates/collab/src/db.rs
index 6db4ad101b35170554433f2e71f52021fddbf60f..4cd3ce3a7c6317172398e22c38908b4e8334f475 100644
--- a/crates/collab/src/db.rs
+++ b/crates/collab/src/db.rs
@@ -1446,7 +1446,7 @@ where
                 .bind(project_id)
                 .bind(worktree.id as i32)
                 .bind(&worktree.root_name)
-                .bind(&*String::from_utf8_lossy(&worktree.abs_path))
+                .bind(&worktree.abs_path)
                 .bind(worktree.visible)
                 .bind(0)
                 .bind(false)
@@ -1510,7 +1510,7 @@ where
                 .bind(project_id)
                 .bind(worktree.id as i32)
                 .bind(&worktree.root_name)
-                .bind(String::from_utf8_lossy(&worktree.abs_path).as_ref())
+                .bind(&worktree.abs_path)
                 .bind(worktree.visible)
                 .bind(0)
                 .bind(false)
@@ -1687,7 +1687,7 @@ where
                         worktree.entries.push(proto::Entry {
                             id: entry.id as u64,
                             is_dir: entry.is_dir,
-                            path: entry.path.into_bytes(),
+                            path: entry.path,
                             inode: entry.inode as u64,
                             mtime: Some(proto::Timestamp {
                                 seconds: entry.mtime_seconds as u64,
diff --git a/crates/collab/src/rpc.rs b/crates/collab/src/rpc.rs
index 3c7d4ec61b6e07be2bdbd61274d52548afb4cb77..5fcb8d5f9c1e1fcfd797d486652a98ba8c43a3f2 100644
--- a/crates/collab/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/crates/collab/src/rpc.rs
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@ impl Server {
                 id: id.to_proto(),
                 root_name: worktree.root_name.clone(),
                 visible: worktree.visible,
-                abs_path: worktree.abs_path.as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                abs_path: worktree.abs_path.clone(),
             })
             .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
@@ -995,7 +995,7 @@ impl Server {
             let message = proto::UpdateWorktree {
                 project_id: project_id.to_proto(),
                 worktree_id: worktree_id.to_proto(),
-                abs_path: worktree.abs_path.as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                abs_path: worktree.abs_path.clone(),
                 root_name: worktree.root_name,
                 updated_entries: worktree.entries,
                 removed_entries: Default::default(),
diff --git a/crates/project/src/project.rs b/crates/project/src/project.rs
index c59b19de8fe2774a3d9b1c6b80a529e40d850c3b..9ac10d14062edfb556e44c66d79423ab98d12aac 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/project.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/project.rs
@@ -44,12 +44,10 @@ use std::{
     cell::RefCell,
     cmp::{self, Ordering},
     convert::TryInto,
-    ffi::OsString,
     hash::Hash,
     mem,
     num::NonZeroU32,
     ops::Range,
-    os::unix::{ffi::OsStrExt, prelude::OsStringExt},
     path::{Component, Path, PathBuf},
     rc::Rc,
     str,
@@ -837,7 +835,7 @@ impl Project {
                     .request(proto::CreateProjectEntry {
                         worktree_id: project_path.worktree_id.to_proto(),
                         project_id,
-                        path: project_path.path.as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                        path: project_path.path.to_string_lossy().into(),
                         is_directory,
                     })
                     .await?;
@@ -881,7 +879,7 @@ impl Project {
                     .request(proto::CopyProjectEntry {
                         project_id,
                         entry_id: entry_id.to_proto(),
-                        new_path: new_path.as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                        new_path: new_path.to_string_lossy().into(),
                     })
                     .await?;
                 let entry = response
@@ -924,7 +922,7 @@ impl Project {
                     .request(proto::RenameProjectEntry {
                         project_id,
                         entry_id: entry_id.to_proto(),
-                        new_path: new_path.as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                        new_path: new_path.to_string_lossy().into(),
                     })
                     .await?;
                 let entry = response
@@ -4606,7 +4604,7 @@ impl Project {
         let entry = worktree
             .update(&mut cx, |worktree, cx| {
                 let worktree = worktree.as_local_mut().unwrap();
-                let path = PathBuf::from(OsString::from_vec(envelope.payload.path));
+                let path = PathBuf::from(envelope.payload.path);
                 worktree.create_entry(path, envelope.payload.is_directory, cx)
             })
             .await?;
@@ -4630,7 +4628,7 @@ impl Project {
         let worktree_scan_id = worktree.read_with(&cx, |worktree, _| worktree.scan_id());
         let entry = worktree
             .update(&mut cx, |worktree, cx| {
-                let new_path = PathBuf::from(OsString::from_vec(envelope.payload.new_path));
+                let new_path = PathBuf::from(envelope.payload.new_path);
                 worktree
                     .as_local_mut()
                     .unwrap()
@@ -4658,7 +4656,7 @@ impl Project {
         let worktree_scan_id = worktree.read_with(&cx, |worktree, _| worktree.scan_id());
         let entry = worktree
             .update(&mut cx, |worktree, cx| {
-                let new_path = PathBuf::from(OsString::from_vec(envelope.payload.new_path));
+                let new_path = PathBuf::from(envelope.payload.new_path);
                 worktree
                     .as_local_mut()
                     .unwrap()
diff --git a/crates/project/src/project_tests.rs b/crates/project/src/project_tests.rs
index ca274b18b8a37f74d9587470c2a9877d900505e8..77d2a610d5378756ee199097f242ba5a8ec535ad 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/project_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/project_tests.rs
@@ -2166,7 +2166,11 @@ async fn test_rescan_and_remote_updates(
             proto::WorktreeMetadata {
                 id: initial_snapshot.id().to_proto(),
                 root_name: initial_snapshot.root_name().into(),
-                abs_path: initial_snapshot.abs_path().as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                abs_path: initial_snapshot
+                    .abs_path()
+                    .as_os_str()
+                    .to_string_lossy()
+                    .into(),
                 visible: true,
             },
             rpc.clone(),
diff --git a/crates/project/src/worktree.rs b/crates/project/src/worktree.rs
index 9e4ec3ffb9a236e8b9b13c871269833e225fa1b3..ddd4a7a6c847998fec8564e147b9f4ff30fa2177 100644
--- a/crates/project/src/worktree.rs
+++ b/crates/project/src/worktree.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ use std::{
     future::Future,
     mem,
     ops::{Deref, DerefMut},
-    os::unix::prelude::{OsStrExt, OsStringExt},
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
     sync::{atomic::AtomicUsize, Arc},
     task::Poll,
@@ -221,7 +220,7 @@ impl Worktree {
         let root_name = worktree.root_name.clone();
         let visible = worktree.visible;
 
-        let abs_path = PathBuf::from(OsString::from_vec(worktree.abs_path));
+        let abs_path = PathBuf::from(worktree.abs_path);
         let snapshot = Snapshot {
             id: WorktreeId(remote_id as usize),
             abs_path: Arc::from(abs_path.deref()),
@@ -656,7 +655,7 @@ impl LocalWorktree {
             id: self.id().to_proto(),
             root_name: self.root_name().to_string(),
             visible: self.visible,
-            abs_path: self.abs_path().as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+            abs_path: self.abs_path().as_os_str().to_string_lossy().into(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -990,7 +989,7 @@ impl LocalWorktree {
                             let update = proto::UpdateWorktree {
                                 project_id,
                                 worktree_id,
-                                abs_path: snapshot.abs_path().as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+                                abs_path: snapshot.abs_path().to_string_lossy().into(),
                                 root_name: snapshot.root_name().to_string(),
                                 updated_entries: snapshot
                                     .entries_by_path
@@ -1381,7 +1380,7 @@ impl LocalSnapshot {
         proto::UpdateWorktree {
             project_id,
             worktree_id: self.id().to_proto(),
-            abs_path: self.abs_path().as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+            abs_path: self.abs_path().to_string_lossy().into(),
             root_name,
             updated_entries: self.entries_by_path.iter().map(Into::into).collect(),
             removed_entries: Default::default(),
@@ -1449,7 +1448,7 @@ impl LocalSnapshot {
         proto::UpdateWorktree {
             project_id,
             worktree_id,
-            abs_path: self.abs_path().as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+            abs_path: self.abs_path().to_string_lossy().into(),
             root_name: self.root_name().to_string(),
             updated_entries,
             removed_entries,
@@ -2928,7 +2927,7 @@ impl<'a> From<&'a Entry> for proto::Entry {
         Self {
             id: entry.id.to_proto(),
             is_dir: entry.is_dir(),
-            path: entry.path.as_os_str().as_bytes().to_vec(),
+            path: entry.path.to_string_lossy().into(),
             inode: entry.inode,
             mtime: Some(entry.mtime.into()),
             is_symlink: entry.is_symlink,
@@ -2946,14 +2945,10 @@ impl<'a> TryFrom<(&'a CharBag, proto::Entry)> for Entry {
                 EntryKind::Dir
             } else {
                 let mut char_bag = *root_char_bag;
-                char_bag.extend(
-                    String::from_utf8_lossy(&entry.path)
-                        .chars()
-                        .map(|c| c.to_ascii_lowercase()),
-                );
+                char_bag.extend(entry.path.chars().map(|c| c.to_ascii_lowercase()));
                 EntryKind::File(char_bag)
             };
-            let path: Arc<Path> = PathBuf::from(OsString::from_vec(entry.path)).into();
+            let path: Arc<Path> = PathBuf::from(entry.path).into();
             Ok(Entry {
                 id: ProjectEntryId::from_proto(entry.id),
                 kind,
diff --git a/crates/rpc/proto/zed.proto b/crates/rpc/proto/zed.proto
index 8aed5ef5cf5cfc5f5b3e2375e3bd6595edf85801..30c1c89e8f8b393f96e13c96ad9ea42e14ff7a7e 100644
--- a/crates/rpc/proto/zed.proto
+++ b/crates/rpc/proto/zed.proto
@@ -279,26 +279,26 @@ message UpdateWorktree {
     repeated uint64 removed_entries = 5;
     uint64 scan_id = 6;
     bool is_last_update = 7;
-    bytes abs_path = 8;
+    string abs_path = 8;
 }
 
 message CreateProjectEntry {
     uint64 project_id = 1;
     uint64 worktree_id = 2;
-    bytes path = 3;
+    string path = 3;
     bool is_directory = 4;
 }
 
 message RenameProjectEntry {
     uint64 project_id = 1;
     uint64 entry_id = 2;
-    bytes new_path = 3;
+    string new_path = 3;
 }
 
 message CopyProjectEntry {
     uint64 project_id = 1;
     uint64 entry_id = 2;
-    bytes new_path = 3;
+    string new_path = 3;
 }
 
 message DeleteProjectEntry {
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ message File {
 message Entry {
     uint64 id = 1;
     bool is_dir = 2;
-    bytes path = 3;
+    string path = 3;
     uint64 inode = 4;
     Timestamp mtime = 5;
     bool is_symlink = 6;
@@ -1068,7 +1068,7 @@ message WorktreeMetadata {
     uint64 id = 1;
     string root_name = 2;
     bool visible = 3;
-    bytes abs_path = 4;
+    string abs_path = 4;
 }
 
 message UpdateDiffBase {