diff --git a/src/OpenSSL/SSL.py b/src/OpenSSL/SSL.py
index 5f655f4cc..d4eb243e1 100644
--- a/src/OpenSSL/SSL.py
+++ b/src/OpenSSL/SSL.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     ffi as _ffi,
     lib as _lib,
     make_assert as _make_assert,
-    path_string as _path_string,
+    path_bytes as _path_bytes,
     text_to_bytes_and_warn as _text_to_bytes_and_warn,
     no_zero_allocator as _no_zero_allocator,
 )
@@ -781,12 +781,12 @@ def load_verify_locations(self, cafile, capath=None):
         if cafile is None:
             cafile = _ffi.NULL
         else:
-            cafile = _path_string(cafile)
+            cafile = _path_bytes(cafile)
 
         if capath is None:
             capath = _ffi.NULL
         else:
-            capath = _path_string(capath)
+            capath = _path_bytes(capath)
 
         load_result = _lib.SSL_CTX_load_verify_locations(
             self._context, cafile, capath
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ def use_certificate_chain_file(self, certfile):
 
         :return: None
         """
-        certfile = _path_string(certfile)
+        certfile = _path_bytes(certfile)
 
         result = _lib.SSL_CTX_use_certificate_chain_file(
             self._context, certfile
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ def use_certificate_file(self, certfile, filetype=FILETYPE_PEM):
 
         :return: None
         """
-        certfile = _path_string(certfile)
+        certfile = _path_bytes(certfile)
         if not isinstance(filetype, int):
             raise TypeError("filetype must be an integer")
 
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ def use_privatekey_file(self, keyfile, filetype=_UNSPECIFIED):
 
         :return: None
         """
-        keyfile = _path_string(keyfile)
+        keyfile = _path_bytes(keyfile)
 
         if filetype is _UNSPECIFIED:
             filetype = FILETYPE_PEM
@@ -1169,7 +1169,7 @@ def load_tmp_dh(self, dhfile):
 
         :return: None
         """
-        dhfile = _path_string(dhfile)
+        dhfile = _path_bytes(dhfile)
 
         bio = _lib.BIO_new_file(dhfile, b"r")
         if bio == _ffi.NULL:
diff --git a/src/OpenSSL/_util.py b/src/OpenSSL/_util.py
index 028989dec..a3d50753c 100644
--- a/src/OpenSSL/_util.py
+++ b/src/OpenSSL/_util.py
@@ -71,21 +71,21 @@ def openssl_assert(ok):
     return openssl_assert
 
 
-def path_string(s):
+def path_bytes(s):
     """
-    Convert a Python path to a :py:class:`bytes` string identifying the same
-    path and which can be passed into an OpenSSL API accepting a filename.
+    Convert a Python path to a :py:class:`bytes` for the path which can be
+    passed into an OpenSSL API accepting a filename.
 
     :param s: A path (valid for os.fspath).
 
     :return: An instance of :py:class:`bytes`.
     """
-    strpath = os.fspath(s)  # returns str or bytes
+    b = os.fspath(s)
 
-    if isinstance(strpath, str):
-        return strpath.encode(sys.getfilesystemencoding())
+    if isinstance(b, str):
+        return b.encode(sys.getfilesystemencoding())
     else:
-        return strpath
+        return b
 
 
 def byte_string(s):
diff --git a/src/OpenSSL/crypto.py b/src/OpenSSL/crypto.py
index 4c5d9f3d0..f6d90e126 100644
--- a/src/OpenSSL/crypto.py
+++ b/src/OpenSSL/crypto.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
     lib as _lib,
     exception_from_error_queue as _exception_from_error_queue,
     byte_string as _byte_string,
-    path_string as _path_string,
+    path_bytes as _path_bytes,
     UNSPECIFIED as _UNSPECIFIED,
     text_to_bytes_and_warn as _text_to_bytes_and_warn,
     make_assert as _make_assert,
@@ -1728,12 +1728,12 @@ def load_locations(self, cafile, capath=None):
         if cafile is None:
             cafile = _ffi.NULL
         else:
-            cafile = _path_string(cafile)
+            cafile = _path_bytes(cafile)
 
         if capath is None:
             capath = _ffi.NULL
         else:
-            capath = _path_string(capath)
+            capath = _path_bytes(capath)
 
         load_result = _lib.X509_STORE_load_locations(
             self._store, cafile, capath