diff --git a/beets/util/__init__.py b/beets/util/__init__.py
index 5e7cb8e38..5a36c31bf 100644
--- a/beets/util/__init__.py
+++ b/beets/util/__init__.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from collections import defaultdict
 import traceback
 
 MAX_FILENAME_LENGTH = 200
+WINDOWS_MAGIC_PREFIX = u'\\\\?\\'
 
 class HumanReadableException(Exception):
     """An Exception that can include a human-readable error message to
@@ -108,7 +109,9 @@ def normpath(path):
     """Provide the canonical form of the path suitable for storing in
     the database.
     """
-    return os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(path)))
+    path = syspath(path)
+    path = os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(path)))
+    return bytestring_path(path)
 
 def ancestry(path, pathmod=None):
     """Return a list consisting of path's parent directory, its
@@ -256,14 +259,23 @@ def _fsencoding():
         encoding = 'utf8'
     return encoding
 
-def bytestring_path(path):
+def bytestring_path(path, pathmod=None):
     """Given a path, which is either a str or a unicode, returns a str
     path (ensuring that we never deal with Unicode pathnames).
     """
+    pathmod = pathmod or os.path
+    windows = pathmod.__name__ == 'ntpath'
+
     # Pass through bytestrings.
     if isinstance(path, str):
         return path
 
+    # On Windows, remove the magic prefix added by `syspath`. This makes
+    # ``bytestring_path(syspath(X)) == X``, i.e., we can safely
+    # round-trip through `syspath`.
+    if windows and path.startswith(WINDOWS_MAGIC_PREFIX):
+        path = path[len(WINDOWS_MAGIC_PREFIX):]
+
     # Try to encode with default encodings, but fall back to UTF8.
     try:
         return path.encode(_fsencoding())
@@ -310,8 +322,8 @@ def syspath(path, pathmod=None):
             path = path.decode(encoding, 'replace')
 
     # Add the magic prefix if it isn't already there
-    if not path.startswith(u'\\\\?\\'):
-        path = u'\\\\?\\' + path
+    if not path.startswith(WINDOWS_MAGIC_PREFIX):
+        path = WINDOWS_MAGIC_PREFIX + path
 
     return path
 
diff --git a/test/test_db.py b/test/test_db.py
index fc597b6cd..5df34f45e 100644
--- a/test/test_db.py
+++ b/test/test_db.py
@@ -341,17 +341,6 @@ class DestinationTest(unittest.TestCase):
         ]
         self.assertEqual(self.lib.destination(self.i), np('one/three'))
 
-    def test_syspath_windows_format(self):
-        path = ntpath.join('a', 'b', 'c')
-        outpath = util.syspath(path, ntpath)
-        self.assertTrue(isinstance(outpath, unicode))
-        self.assertTrue(outpath.startswith(u'\\\\?\\'))
-
-    def test_syspath_posix_unchanged(self):
-        path = posixpath.join('a', 'b', 'c')
-        outpath = util.syspath(path, posixpath)
-        self.assertEqual(path, outpath)
-
     def test_sanitize_windows_replaces_trailing_space(self):
         p = util.sanitize_path(u'one/two /three', ntpath)
         self.assertFalse(' ' in p)
@@ -563,6 +552,36 @@ class DisambiguationTest(unittest.TestCase, PathFormattingMixin):
         self._setf(u'foo%aunique{albumartist album,albumtype}/$title')
         self._assert_dest('/base/foo [foo_bar]/the title', self.i1)
 
+class PathConversionTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_syspath_windows_format(self):
+        path = ntpath.join('a', 'b', 'c')
+        outpath = util.syspath(path, ntpath)
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(outpath, unicode))
+        self.assertTrue(outpath.startswith(u'\\\\?\\'))
+
+    def test_syspath_posix_unchanged(self):
+        path = posixpath.join('a', 'b', 'c')
+        outpath = util.syspath(path, posixpath)
+        self.assertEqual(path, outpath)
+
+    def _windows_bytestring_path(self, path):
+        old_gfse = sys.getfilesystemencoding
+        sys.getfilesystemencoding = lambda: 'mbcs'
+        try:
+            return util.bytestring_path(path, ntpath)
+        finally:
+            sys.getfilesystemencoding = old_gfse
+
+    def test_bytestring_path_windows_encodes_utf8(self):
+        path = u'caf\xe9'
+        outpath = self._windows_bytestring_path(path)
+        self.assertEqual(path, outpath.decode('utf8'))
+
+    def test_bytesting_path_windows_removes_magic_prefix(self):
+        path = u'\\\\?\\C:\\caf\xe9'
+        outpath = self._windows_bytestring_path(path)
+        self.assertEqual(outpath, u'C:\\caf\xe9'.encode('utf8'))
+
 class PluginDestinationTest(unittest.TestCase):
     # Mock the plugins.template_values(item) function.
     def _template_values(self, item):