diff --git a/Doc/library/compileall.rst b/Doc/library/compileall.rst
--- a/Doc/library/compileall.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/compileall.rst
@@ -148,16 +148,19 @@ Public functions
 
    .. versionchanged:: 3.5
       *quiet* parameter was changed to a multilevel value.
 
    .. versionchanged:: 3.5
       The *legacy* parameter only writes out ``.pyc`` files, not ``.pyo`` files
       no matter what the value of *optimize* is.
 
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.6
+      Accepts a :term:`path-like object`.
+
 .. function:: compile_file(fullname, ddir=None, force=False, rx=None, quiet=0, legacy=False, optimize=-1)
 
    Compile the file with path *fullname*. Return a true value if the file
    compiled successfully, and a false value otherwise.
 
    If *ddir* is given, it is prepended to the path to the file being compiled
    for use in compilation time tracebacks, and is also compiled in to the
    byte-code file, where it will be used in tracebacks and other messages in
@@ -209,20 +212,23 @@ Public functions
    .. versionchanged:: 3.5
       The *legacy* parameter only writes out ``.pyc`` files, not ``.pyo`` files
       no matter what the value of *optimize* is.
 
 To force a recompile of all the :file:`.py` files in the :file:`Lib/`
 subdirectory and all its subdirectories::
 
    import compileall
+   import pathlib
 
    compileall.compile_dir('Lib/', force=True)
 
    # Perform same compilation, excluding files in .svn directories.
    import re
    compileall.compile_dir('Lib/', rx=re.compile(r'[/\\][.]svn'), force=True)
 
+   # pathlib.Path objects can also be used.
+   compileall.compile_dir(pathlib.Path('Lib/'), force=True)
 
 .. seealso::
 
    Module :mod:`py_compile`
       Byte-compile a single source file.
diff --git a/Lib/compileall.py b/Lib/compileall.py
--- a/Lib/compileall.py
+++ b/Lib/compileall.py
@@ -100,16 +100,18 @@ def compile_file(fullname, ddir=None, fo
                byte-code file.
     force:     if True, force compilation, even if timestamps are up-to-date
     quiet:     full output with False or 0, errors only with 1,
                no output with 2
     legacy:    if True, produce legacy pyc paths instead of PEP 3147 paths
     optimize:  optimization level or -1 for level of the interpreter
     """
     success = True
+    if quiet < 2 and isinstance(fullname, os.PathLike):
+        fullname = os.fspath(fullname)
     name = os.path.basename(fullname)
     if ddir is not None:
         dfile = os.path.join(ddir, name)
     else:
         dfile = None
     if rx is not None:
         mo = rx.search(fullname)
         if mo:
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_compileall.py b/Lib/test/test_compileall.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_compileall.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_compileall.py
@@ -97,16 +97,32 @@ class CompileallTests(unittest.TestCase)
         os.unlink(self.bc_path2)
         # Test against bad files
         self.add_bad_source_file()
         self.assertFalse(compileall.compile_file(self.bad_source_path,
                                                  force=False, quiet=2))
         self.assertFalse(compileall.compile_dir(self.directory,
                                                 force=False, quiet=2))
 
+    def test_compile_file_pathlike(self):
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.isfile(self.bc_path))
+        # we should also test the output
+        with support.captured_stdout() as stdout:
+            self.assertTrue(compileall.compile_file(pathlib.Path(self.source_path)))
+        self.assertEqual(stdout.getvalue(),
+                         "Compiling '{}'...\n".format(self.source_path))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(self.bc_path))
+
+    def test_compile_file_pathlike_ddir(self):
+        self.assertFalse(os.path.isfile(self.bc_path))
+        self.assertTrue(compileall.compile_file(pathlib.Path(self.source_path),
+                                                ddir=pathlib.Path('ddir_path'),
+                                                quiet=2))
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(self.bc_path))
+
     def test_compile_path(self):
         with test.test_importlib.util.import_state(path=[self.directory]):
             self.assertTrue(compileall.compile_path(quiet=2))
 
         with test.test_importlib.util.import_state(path=[self.directory]):
             self.add_bad_source_file()
             self.assertFalse(compileall.compile_path(skip_curdir=False,
                                                      force=True, quiet=2))