diff --git a/gramps/gen/constfunc.py b/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
index 39fa08170..fae5aa75c 100644
--- a/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
+++ b/gramps/gen/constfunc.py
@@ -58,13 +58,6 @@ cuni = conv_to_unicode_direct
 def conv_to_unicode(x, y='utf8'):
     return x if x is None or isinstance(x, UNITYPE) else cuni(x, y) if y else cuni(x)
 
-def uni_to_gui(x):
-    '''
-    In Py2 we need to convert strings to utf8 before passing them to
-    Gtk functions.
-    '''
-    return x
-
 # handle in database is bytes, while internally Gramps wants unicode for py3
 handle2internal = lambda x: conv_to_unicode(x, 'utf-8')
 
diff --git a/gramps/gui/glade.py b/gramps/gui/glade.py
index 90a1a09a9..ff4f7a2c3 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/glade.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/glade.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ from gi.repository import Gtk
 #
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from gramps.gen.const import GLADE_DIR, GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE, uni_to_gui
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import STRTYPE
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class Glade(Gtk.Builder):
         
         # try to build Gtk objects from glade file.  Let exceptions happen
         
-        self.add_from_file(uni_to_gui(path))
+        self.add_from_file(path)
         self.__dirname, self.__filename = os.path.split(path)
         
         # try to find the toplevel widget
diff --git a/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py b/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py
index b24325d67..5c0804034 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/plug/_guioptions.py
@@ -59,8 +59,7 @@ from ..selectors import SelectorFactory
 from gramps.gen.display.name import displayer as _nd
 from gramps.gen.display.place import displayer as _pd
 from gramps.gen.filters import GenericFilterFactory, GenericFilter, rules
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import (conv_to_unicode, uni_to_gui, get_curr_dir,
-                                  STRTYPE, cuni)
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import (conv_to_unicode, get_curr_dir, STRTYPE, cuni)
 from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.translation.gettext
 
@@ -1708,7 +1707,7 @@ class GuiDestinationOption(Gtk.Box):
                 if not self.__option.get_directory_entry() and \
                    not path.endswith(self.__option.get_extension()):
                     path = path + self.__option.get_extension()
-                self.__entry.set_text(uni_to_gui(path))
+                self.__entry.set_text(path)
                 self.__option.set_value(path)
         fcd.destroy()
         
diff --git a/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py b/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py
index 0a7f215ad..42902bf05 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/plug/report/_fileentry.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 import os
 from gi.repository import Gtk
 from gi.repository import GObject
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import conv_to_unicode, get_curr_dir, uni_to_gui
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import conv_to_unicode, get_curr_dir
 class FileEntry(Gtk.Box):
     """ A widget that allows the user to select a file from the file system """
     def __init__(self, defname, title):
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@ class FileEntry(Gtk.Box):
         else:
             self.__base_path = get_curr_dir()
             self.__file_name = path
-        self.entry.set_text(uni_to_gui(os.path.join(self.__base_path,
-                                                    self.__file_name)))
+        self.entry.set_text(os.path.join(self.__base_path, self.__file_name))
 
     def get_full_path(self, val):
         """ Get the full path of the currently selected file. """
diff --git a/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py b/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
index 7210b5482..38a977442 100644
--- a/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
+++ b/gramps/gui/viewmanager.py
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ from .displaystate import DisplayState, RecentDocsMenu
 from gramps.gen.const import (HOME_DIR, ICON, URL_BUGTRACKER, URL_HOMEPAGE, 
                               URL_MAILINGLIST, URL_MANUAL_PAGE, URL_WIKISTRING, 
                               WIKI_EXTRAPLUGINS, URL_BUGHOME)
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import is_quartz, conv_to_unicode, uni_to_gui
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import is_quartz, conv_to_unicode
 from gramps.gen.config import config
 from gramps.gen.errors import WindowActiveError
 from .dialog import ErrorDialog, WarningDialog, QuestionDialog2, InfoDialog
@@ -1341,7 +1341,7 @@ class ViewManager(CLIManager):
         if not mpath:
             mpath = HOME_DIR
         f.set_current_folder(os.path.dirname(mpath))
-        f.set_filename(uni_to_gui(os.path.join(mpath, ".")))
+        f.set_filename(os.path.join(mpath, "."))
         status = f.run()
         if status == Gtk.ResponseType.OK:
             filename = f.get_filename()
diff --git a/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py b/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py
index 7fe45d747..2b649c006 100644
--- a/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py
+++ b/gramps/plugins/tool/eventcmp.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ from gramps.gen.const import GRAMPS_LOCALE as glocale
 _ = glocale.translation.sgettext
 from gramps.gui.glade import Glade
 from gramps.gui.editors import FilterEditor
-from gramps.gen.constfunc import conv_to_unicode, uni_to_gui, get_curr_dir
+from gramps.gen.constfunc import conv_to_unicode, get_curr_dir
 
 #-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #