diff --git a/Lib/shutil.py b/Lib/shutil.py
--- a/Lib/shutil.py
+++ b/Lib/shutil.py
@@ -2,17 +2,16 @@
 
 XXX The functions here don't copy the resource fork or other metadata on Mac.
 
 """
 
 import os
 import sys
 import stat
-from os.path import abspath
 import fnmatch
 import collections
 import errno
 import tarfile
 
 try:
     import bz2
     del bz2
@@ -34,16 +33,22 @@ except ImportError:
            "copytree", "move", "rmtree", "Error", "SpecialFileError",
            "ExecError", "make_archive", "get_archive_formats",
            "register_archive_format", "unregister_archive_format",
            "get_unpack_formats", "register_unpack_format",
            "unregister_unpack_format", "unpack_archive",
            "ignore_patterns", "chown", "which"]
            # disk_usage is added later, if available on the platform
 
+def abspath(path):
+    import warnings
+    msg = "shutil.abspath is deprecated. Use os.path.abspath instead."
+    warnings.warn(msg, DeprecationWarning, stacklevel=2)
+    return os.path.abspath(path)
+
 class Error(OSError):
     pass
 
 class SameFileError(Error):
     """Raised when source and destination are the same file."""
 
 class SpecialFileError(OSError):
     """Raised when trying to do a kind of operation (e.g. copying) which is
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_shutil.py b/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_shutil.py
@@ -1754,10 +1754,17 @@ class TermsizeTests(unittest.TestCase):
         with support.EnvironmentVarGuard() as env:
             del env['LINES']
             del env['COLUMNS']
             actual = shutil.get_terminal_size()
 
         self.assertEqual(expected, actual)
 
 
+class TestDeprecatedFunctions(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_abspath(self):
+        with self.assertWarns(DeprecationWarning):
+            shutil.abspath('.')
+
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()