diff --git a/spec/default-directory-provider-spec.coffee b/spec/default-directory-provider-spec.coffee
index 357348c4a..69370a77b 100644
--- a/spec/default-directory-provider-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/default-directory-provider-spec.coffee
@@ -31,12 +31,6 @@ describe "DefaultDirectoryProvider", ->
       directory = provider.directoryForURISync(file)
       expect(directory.getPath()).toEqual tmp
 
-    it "creates a Directory with a path as a uri when passed a uri", ->
-      provider = new DefaultDirectoryProvider()
-      uri = 'remote://server:6792/path/to/a/dir'
-      directory = provider.directoryForURISync(uri)
-      expect(directory.getPath()).toEqual uri
-
   describe ".directoryForURI(uri)", ->
     it "returns a Promise that resolves to a Directory with a path that matches the uri", ->
       provider = new DefaultDirectoryProvider()
diff --git a/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee b/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee
index d2583ed27..54817fedc 100644
--- a/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/integration/startup-spec.coffee
@@ -227,13 +227,3 @@ describe "Starting Atom", ->
                 [tempDirPath]
                 [otherTempDirPath]
               ].sort()
-
-  describe "opening a remote directory", ->
-    it "opens the parent directory and creates an empty text editor", ->
-      remoteDirectory = 'remote://server:3437/some/directory/path'
-      runAtom [remoteDirectory], {ATOM_HOME: atomHome}, (client) ->
-        client
-          .waitForWindowCount(1, 1000)
-          .waitForExist("atom-workspace", 5000)
-          .treeViewRootDirectories()
-          .then ({value}) -> expect(value).toEqual([remoteDirectory])
diff --git a/spec/window-spec.coffee b/spec/window-spec.coffee
index 94e605a36..376a71ab3 100644
--- a/spec/window-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/window-spec.coffee
@@ -293,14 +293,3 @@ describe "Window", ->
         pathToOpen = __dirname
         atom.getCurrentWindow().send 'message', 'open-locations', [{pathToOpen}]
         expect(atom.workspace.open.callCount).toBe 0
-
-    describe "when the opened path is a uri", ->
-      it "adds it to the project's paths as is", ->
-        pathToOpen = 'remote://server:7644/some/dir/path'
-        atom.getCurrentWindow().send 'message', 'open-locations', [{pathToOpen}]
-
-        waitsFor ->
-          atom.project.getPaths().length is 1
-
-        runs ->
-          expect(atom.project.getPaths()[0]).toBe pathToOpen
diff --git a/src/browser/atom-application.coffee b/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
index 5bd6be73e..1b2aa2e86 100644
--- a/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/atom-application.coffee
@@ -369,12 +369,7 @@ class AtomApplication
   #   :windowDimensions - Object with height and width keys.
   #   :window - {AtomWindow} to open file paths in.
   openPaths: ({pathsToOpen, pidToKillWhenClosed, newWindow, devMode, safeMode, apiPreviewMode, windowDimensions, profileStartup, window}={}) ->
-    pathsToOpen = pathsToOpen.map (pathToOpen) ->
-      if fs.existsSync(pathToOpen)
-        fs.normalize(pathToOpen)
-      else
-        pathToOpen
-
+    pathsToOpen = (fs.normalize(pathToOpen) for pathToOpen in pathsToOpen)
     locationsToOpen = (@locationForPathToOpen(pathToOpen) for pathToOpen in pathsToOpen)
 
     unless pidToKillWhenClosed or newWindow
@@ -523,7 +518,6 @@ class AtomApplication
 
   locationForPathToOpen: (pathToOpen) ->
     return {pathToOpen} unless pathToOpen
-    return {pathToOpen} if url.parse(pathToOpen).protocol?
     return {pathToOpen} if fs.existsSync(pathToOpen)
 
     pathToOpen = pathToOpen.replace(/[:\s]+$/, '')
diff --git a/src/browser/main.coffee b/src/browser/main.coffee
index 371dd71ea..1af0526dd 100644
--- a/src/browser/main.coffee
+++ b/src/browser/main.coffee
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ app = require 'app'
 fs = require 'fs-plus'
 path = require 'path'
 yargs = require 'yargs'
-url = require 'url'
 nslog = require 'nslog'
 
 console.log = nslog
@@ -46,11 +45,9 @@ start = ->
 
     cwd = args.executedFrom?.toString() or process.cwd()
     args.pathsToOpen = args.pathsToOpen.map (pathToOpen) ->
-      normalizedPath = fs.normalize(pathToOpen)
-      if url.parse(pathToOpen).protocol?
-        pathToOpen
-      else if cwd
-        path.resolve(cwd, normalizedPath)
+      pathToOpen = fs.normalize(pathToOpen)
+      if cwd
+        path.resolve(cwd, pathToOpen)
       else
         path.resolve(pathToOpen)
 
diff --git a/src/default-directory-provider.coffee b/src/default-directory-provider.coffee
index da2d17593..9e25e097b 100644
--- a/src/default-directory-provider.coffee
+++ b/src/default-directory-provider.coffee
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 {Directory} = require 'pathwatcher'
 fs = require 'fs-plus'
 path = require 'path'
-url = require 'url'
 
 module.exports =
 class DefaultDirectoryProvider
@@ -15,22 +14,14 @@ class DefaultDirectoryProvider
   # * {Directory} if the given URI is compatible with this provider.
   # * `null` if the given URI is not compatibile with this provider.
   directoryForURISync: (uri) ->
-    normalizedPath = path.normalize(uri)
-    {protocol} = url.parse(uri)
-    directoryPath = if protocol?
-      uri
-    else if not fs.isDirectorySync(normalizedPath) and fs.isDirectorySync(path.dirname(normalizedPath))
-      path.dirname(normalizedPath)
-    else
-      normalizedPath
+    projectPath = path.normalize(uri)
 
-    # TODO: Stop normalizing the path in pathwatcher's Directory.
-    directory = new Directory(directoryPath)
-    if protocol?
-      directory.path = directoryPath
-      if fs.isCaseInsensitive()
-        directory.lowerCasePath = directoryPath.toLowerCase()
-    directory
+    directoryPath = if not fs.isDirectorySync(projectPath) and fs.isDirectorySync(path.dirname(projectPath))
+      path.dirname(projectPath)
+    else
+      projectPath
+
+    new Directory(directoryPath)
 
   # Public: Create a Directory that corresponds to the specified URI.
   #
diff --git a/src/window-event-handler.coffee b/src/window-event-handler.coffee
index 0855b27a1..7d67e87ab 100644
--- a/src/window-event-handler.coffee
+++ b/src/window-event-handler.coffee
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ ipc = require 'ipc'
 shell = require 'shell'
 {Subscriber} = require 'emissary'
 fs = require 'fs-plus'
-url = require 'url'
 
 # Handles low-level events related to the window.
 module.exports =
@@ -24,13 +23,12 @@ class WindowEventHandler
             if pathToOpen? and needsProjectPaths
               if fs.existsSync(pathToOpen)
                 atom.project.addPath(pathToOpen)
-              else if fs.existsSync(path.dirname(pathToOpen))
-                atom.project.addPath(path.dirname(pathToOpen))
               else
-                atom.project.addPath(pathToOpen)
+                dirToOpen = path.dirname(pathToOpen)
+                if fs.existsSync(dirToOpen)
+                  atom.project.addPath(dirToOpen)
 
-            {protocol} = url.parse(pathToOpen)
-            unless fs.isDirectorySync(pathToOpen) or protocol?
+            unless fs.isDirectorySync(pathToOpen)
               atom.workspace?.open(pathToOpen, {initialLine, initialColumn})
 
           return