diff --git a/src/vfs/cpio/cpio.c b/src/vfs/cpio/cpio.c
index cf4374972..a76d376bc 100644
--- a/src/vfs/cpio/cpio.c
+++ b/src/vfs/cpio/cpio.c
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ cpio_open_cpio_file (struct vfs_class *me, struct vfs_s_super *super, const vfs_
 
         mc_close (fd);
         s = g_strconcat (super->name, decompress_extension (type), (char *) NULL);
-        tmp_vpath = vfs_path_from_str (s);
+        tmp_vpath = vfs_path_from_str_flags (s, VPF_NO_CANON);
         fd = mc_open (tmp_vpath, O_RDONLY);
         vfs_path_free (tmp_vpath);
         if (fd == -1)
diff --git a/src/vfs/tar/tar.c b/src/vfs/tar/tar.c
index 7406dbe36..a1164d5d6 100644
--- a/src/vfs/tar/tar.c
+++ b/src/vfs/tar/tar.c
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ tar_open_archive_int (struct vfs_class *me, const vfs_path_t * vpath, struct vfs
 
         mc_close (result);
         s = g_strconcat (archive->name, decompress_extension (type), (char *) NULL);
-        tmp_vpath = vfs_path_from_str (s);
+        tmp_vpath = vfs_path_from_str_flags (s, VPF_NO_CANON);
         result = mc_open (tmp_vpath, O_RDONLY);
         vfs_path_free (tmp_vpath);
         if (result == -1)