diff --git a/apps/launcher/unshieldthread.cpp b/apps/launcher/unshieldthread.cpp
index 52f935710..26010faf3 100644
--- a/apps/launcher/unshieldthread.cpp
+++ b/apps/launcher/unshieldthread.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #include "unshieldthread.hpp"
 
-#include <fstream>
+#include <boost/filesystem/fstream.hpp>
 #include <components/misc/stringops.hpp>
    
 namespace bfs = boost::filesystem;
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ namespace
 
     std::string read_to_string(const bfs::path& path)
     {
-        std::ifstream strstream(path.c_str(), std::ios::in | std::ios::binary);
+        bfs::ifstream strstream(path, std::ios::in | std::ios::binary);
         std::string str;
 
         strstream.seekg(0, std::ios::end);
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ namespace
             add_setting("Archives", "Archive 1", "Bloodmoon.bsa", ini);
         }
 
-        std::ofstream inistream(ini_path.c_str());
+        bfs::ofstream inistream(ini_path)
         inistream << ini;
         inistream.close();
     }
diff --git a/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp b/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp
index d51d4298f..dd3a67e94 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/mwgui/console.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 #include "console.hpp"
 
+#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem/fstream.hpp>
+
 #include <components/compiler/exception.hpp>
 #include <components/compiler/extensions0.hpp>
 
@@ -194,7 +197,8 @@ namespace MWGui
 
     void Console::executeFile (const std::string& path)
     {
-        std::ifstream stream (path.c_str());
+        namespace bfs = boost::filesystem;
+        bfs::ifstream stream (bfs::path(path));
 
         if (!stream.is_open())
             printError ("failed to open file: " + path);
diff --git a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
index 761b7ca5a..ffa911b44 100644
--- a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
+++ b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 #include "configurationmanager.hpp"
 
 #include <string>
-#include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <algorithm>
 
 #include <boost/bind.hpp>
 #include <boost/algorithm/string/erase.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem/fstream.hpp>
 
 /**
  * \namespace Files
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ void ConfigurationManager::loadConfig(const boost::filesystem::path& path,
     {
         std::cout << "Loading config file: " << cfgFile.string() << "... ";
 
-        std::ifstream configFileStream(cfgFile.string().c_str());
+        boost::filesystem::ifstream configFileStream(cfgFile);
         if (configFileStream.is_open())
         {
             boost::program_options::store(boost::program_options::parse_config_file(