diff --git a/commands/command.go b/commands/command.go
index 84cb05c73..222c475a8 100644
--- a/commands/command.go
+++ b/commands/command.go
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"reflect"
-	"strings"
 
+	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/vendor/QmQg1J6vikuXF9oDvm4wpdeAUvvkVEKW1EYDw9HhTMnP2b/go-log"
 )
 
@@ -147,16 +147,16 @@ func (c *Command) Call(req Request) Response {
 }
 
 // Resolve gets the subcommands at the given path
-func (c *Command) Resolve(path []string) ([]*Command, error) {
-	cmds := make([]*Command, len(path)+1)
+func (c *Command) Resolve(pth []string) ([]*Command, error) {
+	cmds := make([]*Command, len(pth)+1)
 	cmds[0] = c
 
 	cmd := c
-	for i, name := range path {
+	for i, name := range pth {
 		cmd = cmd.Subcommand(name)
 
 		if cmd == nil {
-			pathS := strings.Join(path[0:i], "/")
+			pathS := path.Join(pth[0:i])
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("Undefined command: '%s'", pathS)
 		}
 
diff --git a/commands/http/client.go b/commands/http/client.go
index 44e32e02a..a437970f2 100644
--- a/commands/http/client.go
+++ b/commands/http/client.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands"
+	path "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 	config "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/repo/config"
 
 	context "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/golang.org/x/net/context"
@@ -85,8 +86,8 @@ func (c *client) Send(req cmds.Request) (cmds.Response, error) {
 		reader = fileReader
 	}
 
-	path := strings.Join(req.Path(), "/")
-	url := fmt.Sprintf(ApiUrlFormat, c.serverAddress, ApiPath, path, query)
+	pth := path.Join(req.Path())
+	url := fmt.Sprintf(ApiUrlFormat, c.serverAddress, ApiPath, pth, query)
 
 	httpReq, err := http.NewRequest("POST", url, reader)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/core/commands/dht.go b/core/commands/dht.go
index c62fe95c7..c5c413ee2 100644
--- a/core/commands/dht.go
+++ b/core/commands/dht.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	cmds "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/commands"
 	notif "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/notifications"
 	peer "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/p2p/peer"
+	path "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 	ipdht "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/routing/dht"
 	u "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/util"
 )
@@ -605,7 +606,7 @@ func escapeDhtKey(s string) (key.Key, error) {
 		return key.B58KeyDecode(s), nil
 	case 3:
 		k := key.B58KeyDecode(parts[2])
-		return key.Key(strings.Join(append(parts[:2], string(k)), "/")), nil
+		return key.Key(path.Join(append(parts[:2], k.String()))), nil
 	default:
 		return "", errors.New("invalid key")
 	}
diff --git a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
index 4eb9255fe..24fedd1fd 100644
--- a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
+++ b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request
 				if len(pathSplit) > 5 {
 					// also strip the trailing segment, because it's a backlink
 					backLinkParts := pathSplit[3 : len(pathSplit)-2]
-					backLink += strings.Join(backLinkParts, "/") + "/"
+					backLink += path.Join(backLinkParts) + "/"
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) putHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	var newPath string
 	if len(rsegs) > 1 {
-		newPath = strings.Join(rsegs[2:], "/")
+		newPath = path.Join(rsegs[2:])
 	}
 
 	var newkey key.Key
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) deleteHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	i.addUserHeaders(w) // ok, _now_ write user's headers.
 	w.Header().Set("IPFS-Hash", key.String())
-	http.Redirect(w, r, ipfsPathPrefix+key.String()+"/"+strings.Join(components[:len(components)-1], "/"), http.StatusCreated)
+	http.Redirect(w, r, gopath.Join(ipfsPathPrefix+key.String(), path.Join(components[:len(components)-1])), http.StatusCreated)
 }
 
 func (i *gatewayHandler) addUserHeaders(w http.ResponseWriter) {
diff --git a/fuse/ipns/ipns_unix.go b/fuse/ipns/ipns_unix.go
index 18d5255c4..bd4b861e0 100644
--- a/fuse/ipns/ipns_unix.go
+++ b/fuse/ipns/ipns_unix.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 
 	fuse "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/bazil.org/fuse"
 	fs "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/bazil.org/fuse/fs"
@@ -194,7 +193,7 @@ func (s *Root) Lookup(ctx context.Context, name string) (fs.Node, error) {
 
 	segments := resolved.Segments()
 	if segments[0] == "ipfs" {
-		p := strings.Join(resolved.Segments()[1:], "/")
+		p := path.Join(resolved.Segments()[1:])
 		return &Link{s.IpfsRoot + "/" + p}, nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/mfs/ops.go b/mfs/ops.go
index 33514fc67..9e8ec1674 100644
--- a/mfs/ops.go
+++ b/mfs/ops.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	dag "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag"
+	path "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 )
 
 // Mv moves the file or directory at 'src' to 'dst'
@@ -99,8 +100,8 @@ func PutNode(r *Root, path string, nd *dag.Node) error {
 
 // Mkdir creates a directory at 'path' under the directory 'd', creating
 // intermediary directories as needed if 'parents' is set to true
-func Mkdir(r *Root, path string, parents bool) error {
-	parts := strings.Split(path, "/")
+func Mkdir(r *Root, pth string, parents bool) error {
+	parts := strings.Split(pth, "/")
 	if parts[0] == "" {
 		parts = parts[1:]
 	}
@@ -112,7 +113,7 @@ func Mkdir(r *Root, path string, parents bool) error {
 
 	if len(parts) == 0 {
 		// this will only happen on 'mkdir /'
-		return fmt.Errorf("cannot mkdir '%s'", path)
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot mkdir '%s'", pth)
 	}
 
 	cur := r.GetValue().(*Directory)
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ func Mkdir(r *Root, path string, parents bool) error {
 
 		next, ok := fsn.(*Directory)
 		if !ok {
-			return fmt.Errorf("%s was not a directory", strings.Join(parts[:i], "/"))
+			return fmt.Errorf("%s was not a directory", path.Join(parts[:i]))
 		}
 		cur = next
 	}
@@ -156,9 +157,9 @@ func Lookup(r *Root, path string) (FSNode, error) {
 
 // DirLookup will look up a file or directory at the given path
 // under the directory 'd'
-func DirLookup(d *Directory, path string) (FSNode, error) {
-	path = strings.Trim(path, "/")
-	parts := strings.Split(path, "/")
+func DirLookup(d *Directory, pth string) (FSNode, error) {
+	pth = strings.Trim(pth, "/")
+	parts := strings.Split(pth, "/")
 	if len(parts) == 1 && parts[0] == "" {
 		return d, nil
 	}
@@ -168,7 +169,7 @@ func DirLookup(d *Directory, path string) (FSNode, error) {
 	for i, p := range parts {
 		chdir, ok := cur.(*Directory)
 		if !ok {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot access %s: Not a directory", strings.Join(parts[:i+1], "/"))
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot access %s: Not a directory", path.Join(parts[:i+1]))
 		}
 
 		child, err := chdir.Child(p)
diff --git a/path/path.go b/path/path.go
index e865ba287..b6aa187b9 100644
--- a/path/path.go
+++ b/path/path.go
@@ -102,3 +102,7 @@ func (p *Path) IsValid() error {
 	_, err := ParsePath(p.String())
 	return err
 }
+
+func Join(pths []string) string {
+	return strings.Join(pths, "/")
+}
diff --git a/tar/format.go b/tar/format.go
index fc73e17f7..547e77c87 100644
--- a/tar/format.go
+++ b/tar/format.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	chunk "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/importer/chunk"
 	dag "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag"
 	dagutil "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag/utils"
+	path "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 	uio "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/unixfs/io"
 	logging "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/vendor/QmQg1J6vikuXF9oDvm4wpdeAUvvkVEKW1EYDw9HhTMnP2b/go-log"
 
@@ -96,12 +97,12 @@ func ImportTar(r io.Reader, ds dag.DAGService) (*dag.Node, error) {
 
 // adds a '-' to the beginning of each path element so we can use 'data' as a
 // special link in the structure without having to worry about
-func escapePath(path string) string {
-	elems := strings.Split(strings.Trim(path, "/"), "/")
+func escapePath(pth string) string {
+	elems := strings.Split(strings.Trim(pth, "/"), "/")
 	for i, e := range elems {
 		elems[i] = "-" + e
 	}
-	return strings.Join(elems, "/")
+	return path.Join(elems)
 }
 
 type tarReader struct {