diff --git a/dvc/remote/local.py b/dvc/remote/local.py
index 0197ec53ef..286d150993 100644
--- a/dvc/remote/local.py
+++ b/dvc/remote/local.py
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def walk_files(self, path_info):
             yield PathInfo(fname)
 
     def get_file_checksum(self, path_info):
-        return file_md5(fspath_py35(path_info))[0]
+        return file_md5(path_info)[0]
 
     def remove(self, path_info):
         if path_info.scheme != "local":
diff --git a/dvc/utils/__init__.py b/dvc/utils/__init__.py
index d8fd1fae18..c95e4dff67 100644
--- a/dvc/utils/__init__.py
+++ b/dvc/utils/__init__.py
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ def file_md5(fname):
     from dvc.progress import Tqdm
     from dvc.istextfile import istextfile
 
+    fname = fspath_py35(fname)
+
     if os.path.exists(fname):
         hash_md5 = hashlib.md5()
         binary = not istextfile(fname)
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/test_utils.py b/tests/unit/utils/test_utils.py
index 59f801af08..8cf5ee9933 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/test_utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from dvc.path_info import PathInfo
+from dvc.utils import file_md5
 from dvc.utils import fix_env
 from dvc.utils import to_chunks
 
@@ -71,3 +73,9 @@ def test_fix_env_pyenv(path, orig):
         "PYENV_HOOK_PATH": "/some/hook/path",
     }
     assert fix_env(env)["PATH"] == orig
+
+
+def test_file_md5(repo_dir):
+    fname = repo_dir.FOO
+    fname_object = PathInfo(fname)
+    assert file_md5(fname) == file_md5(fname_object)