diff --git a/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.cc b/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.cc
index a53e957660e..d8e79171f87 100644
--- a/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.cc
+++ b/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.cc
@@ -655,11 +655,11 @@ void App::OnGpuProcessCrashed(base::TerminationStatus status) {
     status == base::TERMINATION_STATUS_PROCESS_WAS_KILLED);
 }
 
-std::string App::GetAppPath() {
+base::FilePath App::GetAppPath() {
   return app_path_;
 }
 
-void App::SetAppPath(const std::string& app_path) {
+void App::SetAppPath(const base::FilePath& app_path) {
   app_path_ = app_path;
 }
 
diff --git a/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.h b/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.h
index 4b09d770310..78871f6920e 100644
--- a/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.h
+++ b/atom/browser/api/atom_api_app.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class App : public AtomBrowserClient::Delegate,
       std::unique_ptr<CertificateManagerModel> model);
 #endif
 
-  std::string GetAppPath();
+  base::FilePath GetAppPath();
 
  protected:
   explicit App(v8::Isolate* isolate);
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class App : public AtomBrowserClient::Delegate,
   void OnGpuProcessCrashed(base::TerminationStatus status) override;
 
  private:
-  void SetAppPath(const std::string& app_path);
+  void SetAppPath(const base::FilePath& app_path);
 
   // Get/Set the pre-defined path in PathService.
   base::FilePath GetPath(mate::Arguments* args, const std::string& name);
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ class App : public AtomBrowserClient::Delegate,
   // Tracks tasks requesting file icons.
   base::CancelableTaskTracker cancelable_task_tracker_;
 
-  std::string app_path_;
+  base::FilePath app_path_;
 
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(App);
 };
diff --git a/atom/browser/atom_browser_client.cc b/atom/browser/atom_browser_client.cc
index 3908c9613a0..db33e2e38fd 100644
--- a/atom/browser/atom_browser_client.cc
+++ b/atom/browser/atom_browser_client.cc
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ void AtomBrowserClient::AppendExtraCommandLineSwitches(
 
   if (delegate_) {
     auto app_path = static_cast<api::App*>(delegate_)->GetAppPath();
-    command_line->AppendSwitchASCII(switches::kAppPath, app_path);
+    command_line->AppendSwitchPath(switches::kAppPath, app_path);
   }
 
   content::WebContents* web_contents = GetWebContentsFromProcessID(process_id);