Index: Lib/posixpath.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/posixpath.py	(revision 71823)
+++ Lib/posixpath.py	(working copy)
@@ -306,8 +306,10 @@
 
 def normpath(path):
     """Normalize path, eliminating double slashes, etc."""
+    # Preserve unicode (if path is unicode)
+    slash, dot = (u'/', u'.') if isinstance(path, unicode) else ('/', '.')
     if path == '':
-        return '.'
+        return dot
     initial_slashes = path.startswith('/')
     # POSIX allows one or two initial slashes, but treats three or more
     # as single slash.
@@ -325,10 +327,10 @@
         elif new_comps:
             new_comps.pop()
     comps = new_comps
-    path = '/'.join(comps)
+    path = slash.join(comps)
     if initial_slashes:
-        path = '/'*initial_slashes + path
-    return path or '.'
+        path = slash*initial_slashes + path
+    return path or dot
 
 
 def abspath(path):
Index: Lib/ntpath.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/ntpath.py	(revision 71823)
+++ Lib/ntpath.py	(working copy)
@@ -396,6 +396,8 @@
 
 def normpath(path):
     """Normalize path, eliminating double slashes, etc."""
+    # Preserve unicode (if path is unicode)
+    slash, dot = (u'\\', u'.') if isinstance(path, unicode) else ('\\', '.')
     path = path.replace("/", "\\")
     prefix, path = splitdrive(path)
     # We need to be careful here. If the prefix is empty, and the path starts
@@ -410,12 +412,12 @@
     if prefix == '':
         # No drive letter - preserve initial backslashes
         while path[:1] == "\\":
-            prefix = prefix + "\\"
+            prefix = prefix + slash
             path = path[1:]
     else:
         # We have a drive letter - collapse initial backslashes
         if path.startswith("\\"):
-            prefix = prefix + "\\"
+            prefix = prefix + slash
             path = path.lstrip("\\")
     comps = path.split("\\")
     i = 0
@@ -434,8 +436,8 @@
             i += 1
     # If the path is now empty, substitute '.'
     if not prefix and not comps:
-        comps.append('.')
-    return prefix + "\\".join(comps)
+        comps.append(dot)
+    return prefix + slash.join(comps)
 
 
 # Return an absolute path.
Index: Lib/test/test_ntpath.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_ntpath.py	(revision 71823)
+++ Lib/test/test_ntpath.py	(working copy)
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@
         tester("ntpath.normpath('C:////a/b')", r'C:\a\b')
         tester("ntpath.normpath('//machine/share//a/b')", r'\\machine\share\a\b')
 
+        # Make sure normpath preserves unicode
+        self.assertEqual(type(ntpath.normpath(u"")), unicode)
+        self.assertEqual(type(ntpath.normpath(u"/")), unicode)
+        self.assertEqual(type(ntpath.normpath(u"///foo/.//bar//")), unicode)
+
     def test_expandvars(self):
         oldenv = os.environ.copy()
         try:
Index: Lib/test/test_posixpath.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_posixpath.py	(revision 71823)
+++ Lib/test/test_posixpath.py	(working copy)
@@ -386,6 +386,11 @@
         self.assertEqual(posixpath.normpath("///foo/.//bar//.//..//.//baz"), "/foo/baz")
         self.assertEqual(posixpath.normpath("///..//./foo/.//bar"), "/foo/bar")
 
+        # Make sure normpath preserves unicode
+        self.assertEqual(type(posixpath.normpath(u"")), unicode)
+        self.assertEqual(type(posixpath.normpath(u"/")), unicode)
+        self.assertEqual(type(posixpath.normpath(u"///foo/.//bar//")), unicode)
+
         self.assertRaises(TypeError, posixpath.normpath)
 
     def test_abspath(self):