diff --git a/src/support/FileName.cpp b/src/support/FileName.cpp
index 5704d2cb02..67a9b8579a 100644
--- a/src/support/FileName.cpp
+++ b/src/support/FileName.cpp
@@ -236,6 +236,12 @@ std::time_t FileName::lastModified() const
 }
 
 
+bool FileName::chdir() const
+{
+	return QDir::setCurrent(d->fi.absoluteFilePath());
+}
+
+
 extern unsigned long sum(char const * file);
 
 unsigned long FileName::checksum() const
diff --git a/src/support/FileName.h b/src/support/FileName.h
index b6a4d85086..3577ed9c38 100644
--- a/src/support/FileName.h
+++ b/src/support/FileName.h
@@ -136,6 +136,9 @@ public:
 	/// used for display in the Gui
 	docstring displayName(int threshold = 1000) const;
 
+	/// change to a directory, return success
+	bool chdir() const;
+
 //private:
 	friend class DocFileName;
 	///
diff --git a/src/support/Makefile.am b/src/support/Makefile.am
index c689469f3c..3e69f53f00 100644
--- a/src/support/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/support/Makefile.am
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ liblyxsupport_la_SOURCES = \
 	FileMonitor.cpp \
 	RandomAccessList.h \
 	abort.cpp \
-	chdir.cpp \
 	convert.cpp \
 	convert.h \
 	copy.cpp \
diff --git a/src/support/Path.cpp b/src/support/Path.cpp
index 147efd07e5..8b85471c97 100644
--- a/src/support/Path.cpp
+++ b/src/support/Path.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ PathChanger::PathChanger(FileName const & path)
 	if (!path.empty()) {
 		pushedDir_ = getcwd();
 
-		if (pushedDir_.empty() || chdir(path)) {
+		if (pushedDir_.empty() || !path.chdir()) {
 			/* FIXME: throw */
 		}
 	} else {
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ int PathChanger::pop()
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	if (chdir(pushedDir_)) {
+	if (!pushedDir_.chdir()) {
 		// should throw an exception
 		// throw DirChangeError();
 	}
diff --git a/src/support/chdir.cpp b/src/support/chdir.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 7bfca71bdf..0000000000
--- a/src/support/chdir.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * \file chdir.cpp
- * This file is part of LyX, the document processor.
- * Licence details can be found in the file COPYING.
- *
- * \author Lars Gullik Bjønnes
- *
- * Full author contact details are available in file CREDITS.
- */
-
-#include <config.h>
-
-#include "support/lyxlib.h"
-
-#include "support/FileName.h"
-
-#ifdef HAVE_UNISTD_H
-# include <unistd.h>
-#endif
-
-#ifdef _WIN32
-# include <windows.h>
-#endif
-
-
-namespace lyx {
-
-int support::chdir(FileName const & name)
-{
-#ifdef _WIN32
-	return SetCurrentDirectory(name.toFilesystemEncoding().c_str()) != 0 ? 0 : -1;
-#else
-	return ::chdir(name.toFilesystemEncoding().c_str());
-#endif
-}
-
-
-} // namespace lyx
diff --git a/src/support/lyxlib.h b/src/support/lyxlib.h
index f2cfaa6bdb..b7952d2868 100644
--- a/src/support/lyxlib.h
+++ b/src/support/lyxlib.h
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ namespace support {
 
 /// get the current working directory
 FileName const getcwd();
-/// change to a directory, 0 is returned on success.
-int chdir(FileName const & name);
 /// Change file permissions
 bool chmod(FileName const & file, unsigned long int mode);
 /**
diff --git a/src/support/mkdir.cpp b/src/support/mkdir.cpp
index 366f340064..d96dca007b 100644
--- a/src/support/mkdir.cpp
+++ b/src/support/mkdir.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 #include <config.h>
 
 #include "support/lyxlib.h"
+#include "support/debug.h"
 #include "support/FileName.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_SYS_STAT_H
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ namespace support {
 
 int mymkdir(char const * pathname, unsigned long int mode)
 {
+	LYXERR0("MKDIR" << pathname);
 	// FIXME: why don't we have mode_t in lyx::mkdir prototype ??
 #if HAVE_MKDIR
 # if MKDIR_TAKES_ONE_ARG