diff --git a/lib/fs.js b/lib/fs.js
index 76bb78715c2..a09c59a96d0 100644
--- a/lib/fs.js
+++ b/lib/fs.js
@@ -204,6 +204,24 @@ function validateOffsetLengthWrite(offset, length, byteLength) {
   }
 }
 
+function validatePath(path, propName) {
+  let err;
+
+  if (propName === undefined) {
+    propName = 'path';
+  }
+
+  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
+    err = new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', propName,
+                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
+  }
+
+  if (err !== undefined) {
+    Error.captureStackTrace(err, validatePath);
+    throw err;
+  }
+}
+
 // Special case of `makeCallback()` that is specific to async `*stat()` calls as
 // an optimization, since the data passed back to the callback needs to be
 // transformed anyway.
@@ -351,10 +369,7 @@ fs.access = function(path, mode, callback) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), callback))
     return;
 
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !(path instanceof Buffer)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
 
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback))
     return;
@@ -367,12 +382,7 @@ fs.access = function(path, mode, callback) {
 
 fs.accessSync = function(path, mode) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
-
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !(path instanceof Buffer)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-
+  validatePath(path);
   nullCheck(path);
 
   if (mode === undefined)
@@ -391,10 +401,7 @@ fs.accessSync = function(path, mode) {
 fs.exists = function(path, callback) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), cb))
     return;
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !(path instanceof Buffer)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   if (!nullCheck(path, cb)) return;
   var req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = cb;
@@ -416,7 +423,9 @@ Object.defineProperty(fs.exists, internalUtil.promisify.custom, {
 fs.existsSync = function(path) {
   try {
     handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
-    if (typeof path !== 'string' && !(path instanceof Buffer)) {
+    try {
+      validatePath(path);
+    } catch (e) {
       return false;
     }
     nullCheck(path);
@@ -447,11 +456,10 @@ fs.readFile = function(path, options, callback) {
       req.oncomplete(null, path);
     });
     return;
-  } else if (typeof path !== 'string' && !(path instanceof Buffer)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
   }
 
+  validatePath(path);
+
   binding.open(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
                stringToFlags(options.flag || 'r'),
                0o666,
@@ -733,11 +741,7 @@ fs.open = function(path, flags, mode, callback_) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), callback))
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
-
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
 
   if (!isUint32(mode))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'mode', 'integer');
@@ -755,10 +759,7 @@ fs.openSync = function(path, flags, mode) {
   mode = modeNum(mode, 0o666);
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
 
   if (!isUint32(mode))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'mode', 'integer');
@@ -896,15 +897,8 @@ fs.rename = function(oldPath, newPath, callback) {
 
   if (!nullCheck(oldPath, callback)) return;
   if (!nullCheck(newPath, callback)) return;
-
-  if (typeof oldPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(oldPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'oldPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof newPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(newPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'newPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(oldPath, 'oldPath');
+  validatePath(newPath, 'newPath');
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.rename(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(oldPath),
@@ -917,14 +911,8 @@ fs.renameSync = function(oldPath, newPath) {
   handleError((newPath = getPathFromURL(newPath)));
   nullCheck(oldPath);
   nullCheck(newPath);
-  if (typeof oldPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(oldPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'oldPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof newPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(newPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'newPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(oldPath, 'oldPath');
+  validatePath(newPath, 'newPath');
   return binding.rename(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(oldPath),
                         pathModule.toNamespacedPath(newPath));
 };
@@ -1002,10 +990,7 @@ fs.rmdir = function(path, callback) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), callback))
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.rmdir(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), req);
@@ -1014,10 +999,7 @@ fs.rmdir = function(path, callback) {
 fs.rmdirSync = function(path) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   return binding.rmdir(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path));
 };
 
@@ -1052,10 +1034,7 @@ fs.mkdir = function(path, mode, callback) {
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
 
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   mode = modeNum(mode, 0o777);
   if (!isUint32(mode))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'mode', 'integer');
@@ -1068,10 +1047,7 @@ fs.mkdir = function(path, mode, callback) {
 fs.mkdirSync = function(path, mode) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   mode = modeNum(mode, 0o777);
   if (!isUint32(mode))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'mode', 'integer');
@@ -1085,10 +1061,7 @@ fs.readdir = function(path, options, callback) {
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
 
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
 
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
@@ -1099,10 +1072,7 @@ fs.readdirSync = function(path, options) {
   options = getOptions(options, {});
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   return binding.readdir(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), options.encoding);
 };
 
@@ -1118,10 +1088,7 @@ fs.lstat = function(path, callback) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), callback))
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.lstat(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), req);
@@ -1132,10 +1099,7 @@ fs.stat = function(path, callback) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), callback))
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.stat(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), req);
@@ -1150,10 +1114,7 @@ fs.fstatSync = function(fd) {
 fs.lstatSync = function(path) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   binding.lstat(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path));
   return statsFromValues();
 };
@@ -1161,10 +1122,7 @@ fs.lstatSync = function(path) {
 fs.statSync = function(path) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   binding.stat(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path));
   return statsFromValues();
 };
@@ -1175,10 +1133,7 @@ fs.readlink = function(path, options, callback) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), callback))
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'oldPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path, 'oldPath');
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.readlink(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), options.encoding, req);
@@ -1188,10 +1143,7 @@ fs.readlinkSync = function(path, options) {
   options = getOptions(options, {});
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'oldPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path, 'oldPath');
   return binding.readlink(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), options.encoding);
 };
 
@@ -1243,15 +1195,8 @@ fs.symlink = function(target, path, type_, callback_) {
 
   if (!nullCheck(target, callback)) return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
-
-  if (typeof target !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(target)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'target',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(target, 'target');
+  validatePath(path);
 
   const flags = stringToSymlinkType(type);
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
@@ -1267,14 +1212,8 @@ fs.symlinkSync = function(target, path, type) {
   nullCheck(target);
   nullCheck(path);
 
-  if (typeof target !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(target)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'target',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(target, 'target');
+  validatePath(path);
   const flags = stringToSymlinkType(type);
   return binding.symlink(preprocessSymlinkDestination(target, type, path),
                          pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), flags);
@@ -1292,14 +1231,8 @@ fs.link = function(existingPath, newPath, callback) {
   if (!nullCheck(existingPath, callback)) return;
   if (!nullCheck(newPath, callback)) return;
 
-  if (typeof existingPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(existingPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'existingPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof newPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(newPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'newPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(existingPath, 'existingPath');
+  validatePath(newPath, 'newPath');
 
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
@@ -1314,14 +1247,8 @@ fs.linkSync = function(existingPath, newPath) {
   handleError((newPath = getPathFromURL(newPath)));
   nullCheck(existingPath);
   nullCheck(newPath);
-  if (typeof existingPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(existingPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'existingPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof newPath !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(newPath)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'newPath',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(existingPath, 'existingPath');
+  validatePath(newPath, 'newPath');
   return binding.link(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(existingPath),
                       pathModule.toNamespacedPath(newPath));
 };
@@ -1331,10 +1258,7 @@ fs.unlink = function(path, callback) {
   if (handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)), callback))
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
   binding.unlink(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path), req);
@@ -1343,10 +1267,7 @@ fs.unlink = function(path, callback) {
 fs.unlinkSync = function(path) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   return binding.unlink(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path));
 };
 
@@ -1417,10 +1338,7 @@ fs.chmod = function(path, mode, callback) {
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
 
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   mode = modeNum(mode);
   if (!isUint32(mode))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'mode', 'integer');
@@ -1433,10 +1351,7 @@ fs.chmod = function(path, mode, callback) {
 fs.chmodSync = function(path, mode) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   mode = modeNum(mode);
   if (!isUint32(mode))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'mode', 'integer');
@@ -1489,10 +1404,7 @@ fs.chown = function(path, uid, gid, callback) {
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
 
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   if (!isUint32(uid))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'uid', 'integer');
   if (!isUint32(gid))
@@ -1506,10 +1418,7 @@ fs.chown = function(path, uid, gid, callback) {
 fs.chownSync = function(path, uid, gid) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   if (!isUint32(uid))
     throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'uid', 'integer');
   if (!isUint32(gid))
@@ -1548,10 +1457,7 @@ fs.utimes = function(path, atime, mtime, callback) {
     return;
   if (!nullCheck(path, callback)) return;
 
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
 
   const req = new FSReqWrap();
   req.oncomplete = callback;
@@ -1564,10 +1470,7 @@ fs.utimes = function(path, atime, mtime, callback) {
 fs.utimesSync = function(path, atime, mtime) {
   handleError((path = getPathFromURL(path)));
   nullCheck(path);
-  if (typeof path !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(path)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'path',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(path);
   binding.utimes(pathModule.toNamespacedPath(path),
                  toUnixTimestamp(atime),
                  toUnixTimestamp(mtime));
@@ -2279,14 +2182,8 @@ fs.copyFile = function(src, dest, flags, callback) {
   if (!nullCheck(dest, callback))
     return;
 
-  if (typeof src !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(src)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'src',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof dest !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(dest)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'dest',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(src, 'src');
+  validatePath(dest, 'dest');
 
   src = pathModule._makeLong(src);
   dest = pathModule._makeLong(dest);
@@ -2306,14 +2203,8 @@ fs.copyFileSync = function(src, dest, flags) {
   handleError(dest);
   nullCheck(dest);
 
-  if (typeof src !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(src)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'src',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
-  if (typeof dest !== 'string' && !isUint8Array(dest)) {
-    throw new errors.TypeError('ERR_INVALID_ARG_TYPE', 'dest',
-                               ['string', 'Buffer', 'URL']);
-  }
+  validatePath(src, 'src');
+  validatePath(dest, 'dest');
 
   src = pathModule._makeLong(src);
   dest = pathModule._makeLong(dest);