diff --git a/xbmc/Util.cpp b/xbmc/Util.cpp
index 5ce3e673055e3..d6a47237ef313 100644
--- a/xbmc/Util.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/Util.cpp
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ std::string CUtil::ValidatePath(const std::string &path, bool bFixDoubleSlashes
       for (size_t x = 1; x < result.size() - 1; x++)
       {
         if (result[x] == '\\' && result[x+1] == '\\')
-          result.erase(x);
+          result.erase(x, 1);
       }
     }
   }
@@ -1031,7 +1031,7 @@ std::string CUtil::ValidatePath(const std::string &path, bool bFixDoubleSlashes
       for (size_t x = 2; x < result.size() - 1; x++)
       {
         if ( result[x] == '/' && result[x + 1] == '/' && !(result[x - 1] == ':' || (result[x - 1] == '/' && result[x - 2] == ':')) )
-          result.erase(x);
+          result.erase(x, 1);
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/xbmc/test/TestUtil.cpp b/xbmc/test/TestUtil.cpp
index 3df3fc7fd512a..bab3a7516ee96 100644
--- a/xbmc/test/TestUtil.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/test/TestUtil.cpp
@@ -102,3 +102,27 @@ TEST(TestUtil, MakeShortenPath)
   EXPECT_EQ(true, CUtil::MakeShortenPath("//test//string/is/long/and/very//much/so", result, 30));
   EXPECT_EQ("/../../../../../so", result);
 }
+
+TEST(TestUtil, ValidatePath)
+{
+  std::string path;
+#ifdef TARGET_WINDOWS
+  path = "C:/foo/bar/";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path), "C:\\foo\\bar\\");
+  path = "C:\\\\foo\\\\bar\\";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path, true), "C:\\foo\\bar\\");
+  path = "\\\\foo\\\\bar\\";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path, true), "\\\\foo\\bar\\");
+#else
+  path = "\\foo\\bar\\";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path), "/foo/bar/");
+  path = "/foo//bar/";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path, true), "/foo/bar/");
+#endif
+  path = "smb://foo/bar/";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path), "smb://foo/bar/");
+  path = "smb://foo//bar/";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path, true), "smb://foo/bar/");
+  path = "smb:\\\\foo\\\\bar\\";
+  EXPECT_EQ(CUtil::ValidatePath(path, true), "smb://foo/bar/");
+}