diff --git a/Annex/Content.hs b/Annex/Content.hs
index 5a7a89ff10..3f26c0f0a8 100644
--- a/Annex/Content.hs
+++ b/Annex/Content.hs
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ import Utility.HumanTime
 import Utility.TimeStamp
 import Utility.FileMode
 import qualified Utility.RawFilePath as R
+import qualified Utility.FileIO as F
 
 import qualified System.FilePath.ByteString as P
 import System.PosixCompat.Files (isSymbolicLink, linkCount)
@@ -1086,7 +1087,7 @@ writeContentRetentionTimestamp key rt t = do
 readContentRetentionTimestamp :: RawFilePath -> Annex (Maybe POSIXTime)
 readContentRetentionTimestamp rt =
 	liftIO $ join <$> tryWhenExists 
-		(parsePOSIXTime <$> readFile (fromRawFilePath rt))
+		(parsePOSIXTime <$> F.readFile' (toOsPath rt))
 
 {- Checks if the retention timestamp is in the future, if so returns
  - Nothing.
diff --git a/Annex/VectorClock.hs b/Annex/VectorClock.hs
index db2c63c0bd..792f6e6e82 100644
--- a/Annex/VectorClock.hs
+++ b/Annex/VectorClock.hs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import qualified Annex
 import Utility.TimeStamp
 
 import Data.ByteString.Builder
+import qualified Data.ByteString as B
 import qualified Data.Attoparsec.ByteString.Lazy as A
 
 currentVectorClock :: Annex CandidateVectorClock
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ formatVectorClock (VectorClock t) = show t
 buildVectorClock :: VectorClock -> Builder
 buildVectorClock = string7 . formatVectorClock
 
-parseVectorClock :: String -> Maybe VectorClock
+parseVectorClock :: B.ByteString -> Maybe VectorClock
 parseVectorClock t = VectorClock <$> parsePOSIXTime t
 
 vectorClockParser :: A.Parser VectorClock
diff --git a/Annex/VectorClock/Utility.hs b/Annex/VectorClock/Utility.hs
index 76b74d9cd5..2c9f40f16e 100644
--- a/Annex/VectorClock/Utility.hs
+++ b/Annex/VectorClock/Utility.hs
@@ -12,12 +12,13 @@ import Data.Time.Clock.POSIX
 import Types.VectorClock
 import Utility.Env
 import Utility.TimeStamp
+import Utility.FileSystemEncoding
 
 startVectorClock :: IO (IO CandidateVectorClock)
 startVectorClock = go =<< getEnv "GIT_ANNEX_VECTOR_CLOCK"
   where
 	go Nothing = timebased
-	go (Just s) = case parsePOSIXTime s of
+	go (Just s) = case parsePOSIXTime (encodeBS s) of
 		Just t -> return (pure (CandidateVectorClock t))
 		Nothing -> timebased
 	-- Avoid using fractional seconds in the CandidateVectorClock.
diff --git a/Assistant/DaemonStatus.hs b/Assistant/DaemonStatus.hs
index dde5010f8c..eeb40605ea 100644
--- a/Assistant/DaemonStatus.hs
+++ b/Assistant/DaemonStatus.hs
@@ -136,13 +136,13 @@ readDaemonStatusFile file = parse <$> newDaemonStatus <*> readFile file
   where
 	parse status = foldr parseline status . lines
 	parseline line status
-		| key == "lastRunning" = parseval parsePOSIXTime $ \v ->
+		| key == "lastRunning" = parseval (parsePOSIXTime . encodeBS) $ \v ->
 			status { lastRunning = Just v }
 		| key == "scanComplete" = parseval readish $ \v ->
 			status { scanComplete = v }
 		| key == "sanityCheckRunning" = parseval readish $ \v ->
 			status { sanityCheckRunning = v }
-		| key == "lastSanityCheck" = parseval parsePOSIXTime $ \v ->
+		| key == "lastSanityCheck" = parseval (parsePOSIXTime . encodeBS) $ \v ->
 			status { lastSanityCheck = Just v }
 		| otherwise = status -- unparsable line
 	  where
diff --git a/Command/Fsck.hs b/Command/Fsck.hs
index 5924b4d11e..f0f833117d 100644
--- a/Command/Fsck.hs
+++ b/Command/Fsck.hs
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ getStartTime u = do
 	liftIO $ catchDefaultIO Nothing $ do
 		timestamp <- modificationTime <$> R.getFileStatus f
 		let fromstatus = Just (realToFrac timestamp)
-		fromfile <- parsePOSIXTime <$> readFile (fromRawFilePath f)
+		fromfile <- parsePOSIXTime <$> F.readFile' (toOsPath f)
 		return $ if matchingtimestamp fromfile fromstatus
 			then Just timestamp
 			else Nothing
diff --git a/Git/LsFiles.hs b/Git/LsFiles.hs
index 4eea39541a..08c98b7fda 100644
--- a/Git/LsFiles.hs
+++ b/Git/LsFiles.hs
@@ -373,4 +373,4 @@ inodeCaches locs repo = guardSafeForLsFiles repo $ do
 		mkInodeCache
 			<$> (readish =<< M.lookup "ino:" m)
 			<*> (readish =<< M.lookup "size:" m)
-			<*> (parsePOSIXTime =<< (replace ":" "." <$> M.lookup "mtime:" m))
+			<*> (parsePOSIXTime =<< (encodeBS . replace ":" "." <$> M.lookup "mtime:" m))
diff --git a/Logs/AdjustedBranchUpdate.hs b/Logs/AdjustedBranchUpdate.hs
index c7f2822945..5b2ea9648a 100644
--- a/Logs/AdjustedBranchUpdate.hs
+++ b/Logs/AdjustedBranchUpdate.hs
@@ -80,5 +80,5 @@ parseAdjustLog l =
 			"1" -> Just True
 			"0" -> Just False
 			_ -> Nothing
-		t <- parsePOSIXTime ts
+		t <- parsePOSIXTime (encodeBS ts)
 		return (b, t)
diff --git a/Logs/Transfer.hs b/Logs/Transfer.hs
index 098ecb9465..6ddd9350b2 100644
--- a/Logs/Transfer.hs
+++ b/Logs/Transfer.hs
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ readTransferInfo mpid s = TransferInfo
 	bits = splitc ' ' firstline
 	numbits = length bits
 	time = if numbits > 0
-		then Just <$> parsePOSIXTime =<< headMaybe bits
+		then Just <$> parsePOSIXTime . encodeBS =<< headMaybe bits
 		else pure Nothing -- not failure
 	bytes = if numbits > 1
 		then Just <$> readish =<< headMaybe (drop 1 bits)
diff --git a/Logs/Unused.hs b/Logs/Unused.hs
index 5e8416a605..fa2b2ce3cc 100644
--- a/Logs/Unused.hs
+++ b/Logs/Unused.hs
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ readUnusedLog prefix = do
 		, return M.empty
 		)
   where
-	parse line = case (readish sint, deserializeKey skey, parsePOSIXTime ts) of
+	parse line = case (readish sint, deserializeKey skey, parsePOSIXTime (encodeBS ts)) of
 		(Just int, Just key, mtimestamp) -> Just (key, (int, mtimestamp))
 		_ -> Nothing
 	  where
diff --git a/Logs/Upgrade.hs b/Logs/Upgrade.hs
index bdc4f40d90..bc63e0021f 100644
--- a/Logs/Upgrade.hs
+++ b/Logs/Upgrade.hs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ readUpgradeLog = do
 		, return []
 		)
   where
-	parse line = case (readish sint, parsePOSIXTime ts) of
+	parse line = case (readish sint, parsePOSIXTime (encodeBS ts)) of
 		(Just v, Just t) -> Just (RepoVersion v, t)
 		_ -> Nothing
 	  where
diff --git a/Utility/InodeCache.hs b/Utility/InodeCache.hs
index 3828bc645a..6f8008dd5f 100644
--- a/Utility/InodeCache.hs
+++ b/Utility/InodeCache.hs
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ readInodeCache s = case words s of
 	(inode:size:mtime:mtimedecimal:_) -> do
 		i <- readish inode
 		sz <- readish size
-		t <- parsePOSIXTime $ mtime ++ '.' : mtimedecimal
+		t <- parsePOSIXTime $ encodeBS $ mtime ++ '.' : mtimedecimal
 		return $ InodeCache $ InodeCachePrim i sz (MTimeHighRes t)
 	_ -> Nothing
 
diff --git a/Utility/TimeStamp.hs b/Utility/TimeStamp.hs
index 878d6f7299..1175034e91 100644
--- a/Utility/TimeStamp.hs
+++ b/Utility/TimeStamp.hs
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import Data.Time
 import Data.Ratio
 import Control.Applicative
 import qualified Data.ByteString as B
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B8
 import qualified Data.Attoparsec.ByteString as A
 import Data.Attoparsec.ByteString.Char8 (char, decimal, signed, isDigit_w8)
 
@@ -41,9 +40,9 @@ parserPOSIXTime = mkPOSIXTime
 			A.parseOnly (decimal <* A.endOfInput) b
 		return (d, len)
 
-parsePOSIXTime :: String -> Maybe POSIXTime
-parsePOSIXTime s = eitherToMaybe $ 
-	A.parseOnly (parserPOSIXTime <* A.endOfInput) (B8.pack s)
+parsePOSIXTime :: B.ByteString -> Maybe POSIXTime
+parsePOSIXTime b = eitherToMaybe $ 
+	A.parseOnly (parserPOSIXTime <* A.endOfInput) b
 
 {- This implementation allows for higher precision in a POSIXTime than
  - supported by the system's Double, and avoids the complications of
diff --git a/doc/todo/RawFilePath_conversion.mdwn b/doc/todo/RawFilePath_conversion.mdwn
index 6d08e95efd..a452c41dca 100644
--- a/doc/todo/RawFilePath_conversion.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/RawFilePath_conversion.mdwn
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ status.
   readFile, writeFile, and appendFile on FilePaths.
   Note that the FilePath versions do newline translation on windows, 
   which has to be handled when converting to the Utility.FileIO ones.
+* System.Directory.OsPath is available with OsPath build flag, but
+  not yet used, and would eliminate a lot of fromRawFilePaths.
+  Make Utility.SystemDirectory import it when built with OsPath,
+  and the remaining 6 hours or work will explain itself..
 
 [[!tag confirmed]]