diff --git a/include/boost/process/detail/windows/basic_cmd.hpp b/include/boost/process/detail/windows/basic_cmd.hpp
index 53ea9931d..5c51f175a 100644
--- a/include/boost/process/detail/windows/basic_cmd.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/process/detail/windows/basic_cmd.hpp
@@ -159,7 +159,10 @@ struct exe_cmd_init : handler_base_ext
         return exe_cmd_init<Char>(std::move(sh), std::move(args_));
     }
 
-    static std:: string get_shell(char)    {return shell(). string(codecvt()); }
+    static std:: string get_shell(char)    {
+        std::wstring_convert<std::codecvt_utf8<wchar_t>, wchar_t> converter;
+        return converter.to_bytes(shell().wstring(codecvt()));
+    }
     static std::wstring get_shell(wchar_t) {return shell().wstring(codecvt());}
 
     static exe_cmd_init<Char> cmd_shell(string_type&& cmd)
diff --git a/include/boost/process/detail/windows/shell_path.hpp b/include/boost/process/detail/windows/shell_path.hpp
index bb150c944..a27ec20d9 100644
--- a/include/boost/process/detail/windows/shell_path.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/process/detail/windows/shell_path.hpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ inline boost::process::filesystem::path shell_path()
         throw_last_error("GetSystemDirectory() failed");
 
     boost::process::filesystem::path p = sysdir;
-    return p / "cmd.exe";
+    return p += L"\\cmd.exe";
 }
 
 inline boost::process::filesystem::path shell_path(std::error_code &ec) noexcept
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ inline boost::process::filesystem::path shell_path(std::error_code &ec) noexcept
     {
         ec.clear();
         p = sysdir;
-        p /= "cmd.exe";
+        p += L"\\cmd.exe";
     }
     return p;
 }