diff --git a/src/fileops.c b/src/fileops.c
index d62158db7..cf77ad164 100644
--- a/src/fileops.c
+++ b/src/fileops.c
@@ -58,9 +58,9 @@ int git_futils_creat_locked(const char *path, const mode_t mode)
 	int fd;
 
 #ifdef GIT_WIN32
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
+	git_win32_path buf;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 	fd = _wopen(buf, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC |
 		O_EXCL | O_BINARY | O_CLOEXEC, mode);
 #else
diff --git a/src/path.c b/src/path.c
index d0cecc070..cf9a3776a 100644
--- a/src/path.c
+++ b/src/path.c
@@ -486,14 +486,14 @@ bool git_path_is_empty_dir(const char *path)
 {
 	git_buf pathbuf = GIT_BUF_INIT;
 	HANDLE hFind = INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 wbuf;
+	git_win32_path wbuf;
 	WIN32_FIND_DATAW ffd;
 	bool retval = true;
 
 	if (!git_path_isdir(path)) return false;
 
 	git_buf_printf(&pathbuf, "%s\\*", path);
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(wbuf, git_buf_cstr(&pathbuf));
+	git__win32_path_from_c(wbuf, git_buf_cstr(&pathbuf));
 
 	hFind = FindFirstFileW(wbuf, &ffd);
 	if (INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE == hFind) {
diff --git a/src/transports/winhttp.c b/src/transports/winhttp.c
index 5c55c10f1..6f182c94c 100644
--- a/src/transports/winhttp.c
+++ b/src/transports/winhttp.c
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ static int winhttp_connect(
 	const char *url)
 {
 	wchar_t *ua = L"git/1.0 (libgit2 " WIDEN(LIBGIT2_VERSION) L")";
-	git_win32_path_utf16 host;
+	git_win32_path host;
 	int32_t port;
 	const char *default_port = "80";
 	int ret;
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ static int winhttp_connect(
 		return -1;
 
 	/* Prepare host */
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(host, t->host);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(host, t->host);
 
 	/* Establish session */
 	t->session = WinHttpOpen(
diff --git a/src/win32/dir.c b/src/win32/dir.c
index 85f793d62..f75b8d57e 100644
--- a/src/win32/dir.c
+++ b/src/win32/dir.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ static int init_filter(char *filter, size_t n, const char *dir)
 git__DIR *git__opendir(const char *dir)
 {
 	char filter[GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF8];
-	git_win32_path_utf16 filter_w;
+	git_win32_path filter_w;
 	git__DIR *new = NULL;
 
 	if (!dir || !init_filter(filter, sizeof(filter), dir))
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ git__DIR *git__opendir(const char *dir)
 	if (!new->dir)
 		goto fail;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(filter_w, filter);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(filter_w, filter);
 	new->h = FindFirstFileW(filter_w, &new->f);
 
 	if (new->h == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ int git__readdir_ext(
 	if (wcslen(d->f.cFileName) >= sizeof(entry->d_name))
 		return -1;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf16_to_8(entry->d_name, d->f.cFileName);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(entry->d_name, d->f.cFileName);
 	entry->d_ino = 0;
 
 	*result = entry;
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ struct git__dirent *git__readdir(git__DIR *d)
 void git__rewinddir(git__DIR *d)
 {
 	char filter[GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF8];
-	git_win32_path_utf16 filter_w;
+	git_win32_path filter_w;
 
 	if (!d)
 		return;
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void git__rewinddir(git__DIR *d)
 	if (!init_filter(filter, sizeof(filter), d->dir))
 		return;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(filter_w, filter);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(filter_w, filter);
 	d->h = FindFirstFileW(filter_w, &d->f);
 
 	if (d->h == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
diff --git a/src/win32/dir.h b/src/win32/dir.h
index a3e154972..3875ab159 100644
--- a/src/win32/dir.h
+++ b/src/win32/dir.h
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 struct git__dirent {
 	int d_ino;
-	char d_name[260*4+1];
+	char d_name[GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF8];
 };
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/src/win32/findfile.c b/src/win32/findfile.c
index 64b9bb537..a1c11fcfb 100644
--- a/src/win32/findfile.c
+++ b/src/win32/findfile.c
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ int git_win32__expand_path(struct git_win32__path *s_root, const wchar_t *templ)
 	return s_root->len ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
-static int win32_path_utf16_to_8(git_buf *path_utf8, const wchar_t *path_utf16)
+static int win32_path_to_8(git_buf *path_utf8, const wchar_t *path)
 {
 	char temp_utf8[GIT_PATH_MAX];
 
-	git__utf16_to_8(temp_utf8, GIT_PATH_MAX, path_utf16);
+	git__utf16_to_8(temp_utf8, GIT_PATH_MAX, path);
 	git_path_mkposix(temp_utf8);
 
 	return git_buf_sets(path_utf8, temp_utf8);
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ int git_win32__find_file(
 		return GIT_ENOTFOUND;
 	}
 
-	win32_path_utf16_to_8(path, file_utf16);
+	win32_path_to_8(path, file_utf16);
 	git__free(file_utf16);
 
 	return 0;
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ static int win32_find_git_in_path(git_buf *buf, const wchar_t *gitexe)
 			/* replace "bin\\" or "cmd\\" with "etc\\" */
 			wcscpy(&root.path[root.len - 4], L"etc\\");
 
-			win32_path_utf16_to_8(buf, root.path);
+			win32_path_to_8(buf, root.path);
 			return 0;
 		}
 	}
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ static int win32_find_git_in_registry(
 			wcscat(path16.path, L"etc\\");
 			path16.len += 4;
 
-			win32_path_utf16_to_8(buf, path16.path);
+			win32_path_to_8(buf, path16.path);
 		}
 
 		RegCloseKey(hKey);
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ static int win32_find_existing_dirs(
 			path16.path[0] != L'%' &&
 			!_waccess(path16.path, F_OK))
 		{
-			win32_path_utf16_to_8(&buf, path16.path);
+			win32_path_to_8(&buf, path16.path);
 
 			if (buf.size)
 				git_buf_join(out, GIT_PATH_LIST_SEPARATOR, out->ptr, buf.ptr);
diff --git a/src/win32/posix_w32.c b/src/win32/posix_w32.c
index d9a68f284..437ded284 100644
--- a/src/win32/posix_w32.c
+++ b/src/win32/posix_w32.c
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 
 int p_unlink(const char *path)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git_win32_path buf;
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 	_wchmod(buf, 0666);
 	return _wunlink(buf);
 }
@@ -59,11 +59,11 @@ static int do_lstat(
 	const char *file_name, struct stat *buf, int posix_enotdir)
 {
 	WIN32_FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DATA fdata;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 fbuf;
+	git_win32_path fbuf;
 	wchar_t lastch;
 	int flen;
 
-	flen = git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(fbuf, file_name);
+	flen = git__win32_path_from_c(fbuf, file_name);
 
 	/* truncate trailing slashes */
 	for (; flen > 0; --flen) {
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ int p_readlink(const char *link, char *target, size_t target_len)
 	static fpath_func pGetFinalPath = NULL;
 	HANDLE hFile;
 	DWORD dwRet;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 link_w;
+	git_win32_path link_w;
 	wchar_t* target_w;
 	int error = 0;
 
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ int p_readlink(const char *link, char *target, size_t target_len)
 		}
 	}
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(link_w, link);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(link_w, link);
 
 	hFile = CreateFileW(link_w,			// file to open
 			GENERIC_READ,			// open for reading
@@ -255,10 +255,10 @@ int p_symlink(const char *old, const char *new)
 
 int p_open(const char *path, int flags, ...)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
+	git_win32_path buf;
 	mode_t mode = 0;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 
 	if (flags & O_CREAT) {
 		va_list arg_list;
@@ -273,8 +273,8 @@ int p_open(const char *path, int flags, ...)
 
 int p_creat(const char *path, mode_t mode)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git_win32_path buf;
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 	return _wopen(buf, _O_WRONLY | _O_CREAT | _O_TRUNC | _O_BINARY, mode);
 }
 
@@ -316,23 +316,23 @@ int p_stat(const char* path, struct stat* buf)
 
 int p_chdir(const char* path)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git_win32_path buf;
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 	return _wchdir(buf);
 }
 
 int p_chmod(const char* path, mode_t mode)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git_win32_path buf;
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 	return _wchmod(buf, mode);
 }
 
 int p_rmdir(const char* path)
 {
 	int error;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git_win32_path buf;
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 
 	error = _wrmdir(buf);
 
@@ -348,18 +348,18 @@ int p_rmdir(const char* path)
 
 int p_hide_directory__w32(const char *path)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git_win32_path buf;
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 	return (SetFileAttributesW(buf, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN) != 0) ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
 char *p_realpath(const char *orig_path, char *buffer)
 {
 	int ret;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 orig_path_w;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buffer_w;
+	git_win32_path orig_path_w;
+	git_win32_path buffer_w;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(orig_path_w, orig_path);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(orig_path_w, orig_path);
 
 	/* Implicitly use GetCurrentDirectory which can be a threading issue */
 	ret = GetFullPathNameW(orig_path_w, GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF16, buffer_w, NULL);
@@ -449,18 +449,18 @@ int p_setenv(const char* name, const char* value, int overwrite)
 
 int p_access(const char* path, mode_t mode)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 buf;
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(buf, path);
+	git_win32_path buf;
+	git__win32_path_from_c(buf, path);
 	return _waccess(buf, mode);
 }
 
 int p_rename(const char *from, const char *to)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 wfrom;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 wto;
+	git_win32_path wfrom;
+	git_win32_path wto;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(wfrom, from);
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(wto, to);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(wfrom, from);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(wto, to);
 	return MoveFileExW(wfrom, wto, MOVEFILE_REPLACE_EXISTING | MOVEFILE_COPY_ALLOWED) ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/win32/utf-conv.h b/src/win32/utf-conv.h
index 66422e17c..3cfb3514e 100644
--- a/src/win32/utf-conv.h
+++ b/src/win32/utf-conv.h
@@ -13,20 +13,19 @@
 #define GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF16 (260 + 1)
 #define GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF8  (260 * 4 + 1)
 
-typedef wchar_t git_win32_path_utf16[GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF16];
-typedef char git_win32_path_utf8[GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF8];
+typedef wchar_t git_win32_path[GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF16];
 
 // dest_size is the size of dest in wchar_t's
 int git__utf8_to_16(wchar_t * dest, size_t dest_size, const char *src);
 // dest_size is the size of dest in char's
 int git__utf16_to_8(char *dest, size_t dest_size, const wchar_t *src);
 
-GIT_INLINE(int) git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(git_win32_path_utf16 dest, const char *src)
+GIT_INLINE(int) git__win32_path_from_c(git_win32_path dest, const char *src)
 {
 	return git__utf8_to_16(dest, GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF16, src);
 }
 
-GIT_INLINE(int) git__win32_path_utf16_to_8(git_win32_path_utf8 dest, const wchar_t *src)
+GIT_INLINE(int) git__win32_path_to_c(char *dest, const git_win32_path *src)
 {
 	return git__utf16_to_8(dest, GIT_WIN_PATH_UTF8, src);
 }
diff --git a/tests-clar/clar_libgit2.c b/tests-clar/clar_libgit2.c
index 6c741accd..9e0fbfbac 100644
--- a/tests-clar/clar_libgit2.c
+++ b/tests-clar/clar_libgit2.c
@@ -56,12 +56,12 @@ void cl_git_rewritefile(const char *filename, const char *new_content)
 
 char *cl_getenv(const char *name)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 name_utf16;
+	git_win32_path name_utf16;
 	DWORD alloc_len;
 	wchar_t *value_utf16;
 	char *value_utf8;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(name_utf16, name);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(name_utf16, name);
 	alloc_len = GetEnvironmentVariableW(name_utf16, NULL, 0);
 	if (alloc_len <= 0)
 		return NULL;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ char *cl_getenv(const char *name)
 	GetEnvironmentVariableW(name_utf16, value_utf16, alloc_len);
 
 	cl_assert(value_utf8 = git__malloc(alloc_len));
-	git__win32_path_utf16_to_8(value_utf8, value_utf16);
+	git__utf16_to_8(value_utf8, alloc_len, value_utf16);
 
 	git__free(value_utf16);
 
@@ -81,13 +81,13 @@ char *cl_getenv(const char *name)
 
 int cl_setenv(const char *name, const char *value)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 name_utf16;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 value_utf16;
+	git_win32_path name_utf16;
+	git_win32_path value_utf16;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(name_utf16, name);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(name_utf16, name);
 
 	if (value) {
-		git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(value_utf16, value);
+		git__win32_path_from_c(value_utf16, value);
 		cl_assert(SetEnvironmentVariableW(name_utf16, value_utf16));
 	} else {
 		/* Windows XP returns 0 (failed) when passing NULL for lpValue when
@@ -107,12 +107,12 @@ int cl_setenv(const char *name, const char *value)
  * the source is a directory, a child of the source). */
 int cl_rename(const char *source, const char *dest)
 {
-	git_win32_path_utf16 source_utf16;
-	git_win32_path_utf16 dest_utf16;
+	git_win32_path source_utf16;
+	git_win32_path dest_utf16;
 	unsigned retries = 1;
 
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(source_utf16, source);
-	git__win32_path_utf8_to_16(dest_utf16, dest);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(source_utf16, source);
+	git__win32_path_from_c(dest_utf16, dest);
 
 	while (!MoveFileW(source_utf16, dest_utf16)) {
 		/* Only retry if the error is ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED;