diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
index 3b90f60a0b..268d6a3c28 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.cpp
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@ void OMW::Engine::setScriptConsoleMode(bool enabled)
     mScriptConsoleMode = enabled;
 }
 
-void OMW::Engine::setStartupScript(const std::string& path)
+void OMW::Engine::setStartupScript(const std::filesystem::path& path)
 {
     mStartupScript = path;
 }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
index cf7169bf6d..e9713560f6 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/engine.hpp
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ namespace OMW
         int mWarningsMode;
         std::string mFocusName;
         bool mScriptConsoleMode;
-        std::string mStartupScript;
+        std::filesystem::path mStartupScript;
         int mActivationDistanceOverride;
         std::filesystem::path mSaveGameFile;
         // Grab mouse?
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ namespace OMW
         void setScriptConsoleMode(bool enabled);
 
         /// Set path for a script that is run on startup in the console.
-        void setStartupScript(const std::string& path);
+        void setStartupScript(const std::filesystem::path& path);
 
         /// Override the game setting specified activation distance.
         void setActivationDistanceOverride(int distance);
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
index 198be0fdcf..463562a38a 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwbase/windowmanager.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define GAME_MWBASE_WINDOWMANAGER_H
 
 #include <cstdint>
+#include <filesystem>
 #include <map>
 #include <memory>
 #include <set>
@@ -275,7 +276,7 @@ namespace MWBase
 
         virtual void processChangedSettings(const std::set<std::pair<std::string, std::string>>& changed) = 0;
 
-        virtual void executeInConsole(const std::string& path) = 0;
+        virtual void executeInConsole(const std::filesystem::path& path) = 0;
 
         virtual void enableRest() = 0;
         virtual bool getRestEnabled() = 0;
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp
index c376ab87f4..1ac090b379 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <components/compiler/lineparser.hpp>
 #include <components/compiler/locals.hpp>
 #include <components/compiler/scanner.hpp>
+#include <components/files/conversion.hpp>
 #include <components/interpreter/interpreter.hpp>
 #include <components/misc/utf8stream.hpp>
 #include <components/settings/settings.hpp>
@@ -239,19 +240,20 @@ namespace MWGui
         }
     }
 
-    void Console::executeFile(const std::string& path)
+    void Console::executeFile(const std::filesystem::path& path)
     {
-        std::ifstream stream((std::filesystem::path(path)));
+        std::ifstream stream(path);
 
         if (!stream.is_open())
-            printError("failed to open file: " + path);
-        else
         {
-            std::string line;
-
-            while (std::getline(stream, line))
-                execute(line);
+            printError("Failed to open script file \"" + Files::pathToUnicodeString(path)
+                + "\": " + std::generic_category().message(errno));
+            return;
         }
+
+        std::string line;
+        while (std::getline(stream, line))
+            execute(line);
     }
 
     void Console::clear()
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.hpp
index 611b9577e4..fb31d7477e 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ namespace MWGui
 
         void execute(const std::string& command);
 
-        void executeFile(const std::string& path);
+        void executeFile(const std::filesystem::path& path);
 
         void updateSelectedObjectPtr(const MWWorld::Ptr& currentPtr, const MWWorld::Ptr& newPtr);
 
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
index 9ed822a1f3..2d4bffdfb9 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.cpp
@@ -1459,7 +1459,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         return mScalingFactor;
     }
 
-    void WindowManager::executeInConsole(const std::string& path)
+    void WindowManager::executeInConsole(const std::filesystem::path& path)
     {
         mConsole->executeFile(path);
     }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
index dd5ca85547..74fad4b64f 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/windowmanagerimp.hpp
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ namespace MWGui
         void watchActor(const MWWorld::Ptr& ptr) override;
         MWWorld::Ptr getWatchedActor() const override;
 
-        void executeInConsole(const std::string& path) override;
+        void executeInConsole(const std::filesystem::path& path) override;
 
         void enableRest() override { mRestAllowed = true; }
         bool getRestEnabled() override;