diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/callbacks/model_checkpoint.py b/pytorch_lightning/callbacks/model_checkpoint.py
index 09069da8eb805..6fee7bdd6cc6b 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/callbacks/model_checkpoint.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/callbacks/model_checkpoint.py
@@ -289,7 +289,8 @@ def on_train_start(self, trainer, pl_module):
         self.dirpath = ckpt_path
 
         assert trainer.global_rank == 0, 'tried to make a checkpoint from non global_rank=0'
-        os.makedirs(self.dirpath, exist_ok=True)
+        if not gfile.exists(self.dirpath):
+            makedirs(self.dirpath)
 
     @rank_zero_only
     def on_validation_end(self, trainer, pl_module):
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/__init__.py b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/__init__.py
index a7ec3474862f4..23d8920c061d9 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/__init__.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/__init__.py
@@ -308,10 +308,12 @@ def on_train_end(self, trainer, pl_module):
 default_root_dir
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
-Default path for logs and weights when no logger
-or :class:`pytorch_lightning.callbacks.ModelCheckpoint` callback passed.
-On certain clusters you might want to separate where logs and checkpoints
-are stored. If you don't then use this argument for convenience.
+Default path for logs and weights when no logger or
+:class:`pytorch_lightning.callbacks.ModelCheckpoint` callback passed.  On
+certain clusters you might want to separate where logs and checkpoints are
+stored. If you don't then use this argument for convenience. Paths can be local
+paths or remote paths such as `s3://bucket/path` or 'hdfs://path/'. Credentials
+will need to be set up to use remote filepaths.
 
 Example::
 
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
index 2593ab786bf04..edbba05813ad1 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/trainer/trainer.py
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ def __init__(
 
             default_root_dir: Default path for logs and weights when no logger/ckpt_callback passed.
                 Default: ``os.getcwd()``.
+                Can be remote file paths such as `s3://mybucket/path` or 'hdfs://path/'
 
             gradient_clip_val: 0 means don't clip.
 
@@ -305,8 +306,10 @@ def __init__(
             weights_save_path: Where to save weights if specified. Will override default_root_dir
                     for checkpoints only. Use this if for whatever reason you need the checkpoints
                     stored in a different place than the logs written in `default_root_dir`.
+                    Can be remote file paths such as `s3://mybucket/path` or 'hdfs://path/'
                     Defaults to `default_root_dir`.
 
+
             amp_level: The optimization level to use (O1, O2, etc...).
                 .. warning:: .. deprecated:: v0.7.4
 
@@ -877,6 +880,9 @@ def default_root_dir(self) -> str:
         The default location to save artifacts of loggers, checkpoints etc.
         It is used as a fallback if logger or checkpoint callback do not define specific save paths.
         """
+        if "://" in str(self._default_root_dir):
+            # it is a remote uri, use as is
+            return self._default_root_dir
         return os.path.normpath(self._default_root_dir)
 
     @property
@@ -885,6 +891,9 @@ def weights_save_path(self) -> str:
         The default root location to save weights (checkpoints), e.g., when the
         :class:`~pytorch_lightning.callbacks.model_checkpoint.ModelCheckpoint` does not define a file path.
         """
+        if "://" in str(self._weights_save_path):
+            # it is a remote uri, use as is
+            return self._weights_save_path
         return os.path.normpath(self._weights_save_path)
 
     # -----------------------------
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py b/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py
index 7ab2656771c00..f6b0f5b42b831 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/utilities/cloud_io.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import sys
+import platform
 import os
 from typing import Union
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -35,14 +35,15 @@ def modern_gfile():
     file operations
     """
     tb_version = version.parse(tensorboard.version.VERSION)
-    modern_gfile = tb_version >= version.parse('2.0')
+    modern_gfile = tb_version >= version.parse("2.0")
+    return modern_gfile
 
 
-def cloud_open(path: pathlike, mode: str, newline:str = None):
-    if sys.platform == "win32":
+def cloud_open(path: pathlike, mode: str, newline: str = None):
+    if platform.system() == "Windows":
         log.debug(
             "gfile does not handle newlines correctly on windows so remote files are not"
-            "supported falling back to normal local file open."
+            " supported falling back to normal local file open."
         )
         return open(path, mode, newline=newline)
     if not modern_gfile():