diff --git a/db/durop.cpp b/db/durop.cpp
index 8509ea20315..241146290f8 100644
--- a/db/durop.cpp
+++ b/db/durop.cpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ namespace mongo {
             log.read(_len); // size of file, not length of name
             string s;
             log.readStr(s);
-            _p._p = path(s);
+            _p._p = s;
         }
 
         void FileCreatedOp::_serialize(AlignedBuilder& ab) {
diff --git a/dbtests/basictests.cpp b/dbtests/basictests.cpp
index abefe1a0225..82db47adcad 100644
--- a/dbtests/basictests.cpp
+++ b/dbtests/basictests.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "../util/array.h"
 #include "../util/text.h"
 #include "../util/queue.h"
+#include "../util/paths.h"
 
 namespace BasicTests {
 
@@ -552,6 +553,22 @@ namespace BasicTests {
         }
     };
 
+    class RelativePathTest {
+    public:
+        void run(){
+            RelativePath a = RelativePath::fromRelativePath( "a" );
+            RelativePath b = RelativePath::fromRelativePath( "a" );
+            RelativePath c = RelativePath::fromRelativePath( "b" );
+            RelativePath d = RelativePath::fromRelativePath( "a/b" );
+
+
+            ASSERT( a == b );
+            ASSERT( a != c );
+            ASSERT( a != d );
+            ASSERT( c != d );
+        }
+    };
+
     class All : public Suite {
     public:
         All() : Suite( "basic" ){
@@ -585,6 +602,7 @@ namespace BasicTests {
             add< StrTests >();
             
             add< HostAndPortTests >();
+            add< RelativePathTest >();
         }
     } myall;
     
diff --git a/util/paths.h b/util/paths.h
index 01c37490719..98fb33c1bb5 100644
--- a/util/paths.h
+++ b/util/paths.h
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ namespace mongo {
         checking.  if you want to say 'my param MUST be a relative path", use this.
     */
     struct RelativePath { 
-        path _p;
+        string _p;
 
-        static RelativePath fromRelativePath(path f) { 
-           RelativePath rp;
+        static RelativePath fromRelativePath(string f) { 
+            RelativePath rp;
             rp._p = f;
             return rp;
         }
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ namespace mongo {
             if( str::startsWith(relative, "/") || str::startsWith(relative, "\\") ) { 
                 relative.erase(0, 1);
             }
-           RelativePath rp;
+            RelativePath rp;
             rp._p = relative;
             return rp;
         }
 
-        string toString() const { return _p.string(); }
+        string toString() const { return _p; }
 
         inline bool operator!=(const RelativePath& r) const { return _p != r._p; }
         inline bool operator==(const RelativePath& r) const { return _p == r._p; }