diff --git a/native/path_watcher.mm b/native/path_watcher.mm
index e5cc65afe..47c7dee2f 100644
--- a/native/path_watcher.mm
+++ b/native/path_watcher.mm
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ static NSMutableArray *gPathWatchers;
 }
 
 - (NSString *)watchPath:(NSString *)path callback:(WatchCallback)callback callbackId:(NSString *)callbackId {
-  path = [path stringByStandardizingPath];
   @synchronized(self) {
     if (![self createKeventForPath:path]) {
       NSLog(@"WARNING: Failed to create kevent for path '%@'", path);
@@ -119,8 +118,6 @@ static NSMutableArray *gPathWatchers;
 }
 
 - (void)unwatchPath:(NSString *)path callbackId:(NSString *)callbackId error:(NSError **)error {
-  path = [path stringByStandardizingPath];
-
   @synchronized(self) {
     NSMutableDictionary *callbacks = [_callbacksByPath objectForKey:path];
 
@@ -154,8 +151,6 @@ static NSMutableArray *gPathWatchers;
 }
 
 - (bool)createKeventForPath:(NSString *)path {
-  path = [path stringByStandardizingPath];
-
   @synchronized(self) {
     if ([_fileDescriptorsByPath objectForKey:path]) {
       NSLog(@"we already have a kevent");
@@ -182,8 +177,6 @@ static NSMutableArray *gPathWatchers;
 }
 
 - (void)removeKeventForPath:(NSString *)path {
-  path = [path stringByStandardizingPath];
-
   @synchronized(self) {
     NSNumber *fdNumber = [_fileDescriptorsByPath objectForKey:path];
     if (!fdNumber) {
@@ -245,7 +238,7 @@ static NSMutableArray *gPathWatchers;
         char pathBuffer[MAXPATHLEN];
         fcntl((int)event.ident, F_GETPATH, &pathBuffer);
         close(event.ident);
-        newPath = [[NSString stringWithUTF8String:pathBuffer] stringByStandardizingPath];
+        newPath = [NSString stringWithUTF8String:pathBuffer];
         if (!newPath) {
           NSLog(@"WARNING: Ignoring rename event for deleted file '%@'", path);
           continue;
diff --git a/src/app/directory.coffee b/src/app/directory.coffee
index 211ec42aa..74be74a44 100644
--- a/src/app/directory.coffee
+++ b/src/app/directory.coffee
@@ -34,10 +34,12 @@ class Directory
     @unsubscribeFromNativeChangeEvents() if @subscriptionCount() == 0
 
   subscribeToNativeChangeEvents: ->
-    @watchId = $native.watchPath @path, (eventType) =>
+    @watchSubscription = fs.watchPath @path, (eventType) =>
       @trigger "contents-changed" if eventType is "contents-change"
 
   unsubscribeFromNativeChangeEvents: ->
-    $native.unwatchPath(@path, @watchId)
+    if @watchSubscription?
+      @watchSubscription.unwatch()
+      @watchSubscription = null
 
 _.extend Directory.prototype, EventEmitter
diff --git a/src/app/file.coffee b/src/app/file.coffee
index 8ecc33e68..ad02a4943 100644
--- a/src/app/file.coffee
+++ b/src/app/file.coffee
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class File
 
   constructor: (@path) ->
     if @exists() and not fs.isFile(@path)
-      throw new Error(@path + " is a directory")
+      throw new Error("#{@path} is a directory")
 
   setPath: (@path) ->
 
@@ -67,10 +67,12 @@ class File
       @trigger "removed"
 
   subscribeToNativeChangeEvents: ->
-    @watchId = $native.watchPath @path, (eventType, path) =>
+    @watchSubscription = fs.watchPath @path, (eventType, path) =>
       @handleNativeChangeEvent(eventType, path)
 
   unsubscribeFromNativeChangeEvents: ->
-    $native.unwatchPath(@path, @watchId)
+    if @watchSubscription
+      @watchSubscription.unwatch()
+      @watchSubscription = null
 
 _.extend File.prototype, EventEmitter
diff --git a/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee b/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
index a4e7bc604..dc7645ed2 100644
--- a/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
+++ b/src/packages/tree-view/spec/tree-view-spec.coffee
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@ describe "TreeView", ->
     beforeEach ->
       rootView.deactivate()
 
-      rootDirPath = "/tmp/atom-tests"
+      rootDirPath = fs.join(fs.absolute("/tmp"), "atom-tests")
       fs.remove(rootDirPath) if fs.exists(rootDirPath)
 
       dirPath = fs.join(rootDirPath, "test-dir")
diff --git a/src/stdlib/fs-utils.coffee b/src/stdlib/fs-utils.coffee
index f1ae8678f..bda26c9bf 100644
--- a/src/stdlib/fs-utils.coffee
+++ b/src/stdlib/fs-utils.coffee
@@ -19,10 +19,7 @@ module.exports =
         home = process.env.HOME
       path = "#{home}#{path.substring(1)}"
     try
-      path = fs.realpathSync(path)
-      if process.platform is 'darwin' and path.indexOf('/private/') is 0
-        path = path.substring(8)
-      path
+      fs.realpathSync(path)
     catch e
       path
 
@@ -285,3 +282,8 @@ module.exports =
       cson.readObject(path)
     else
       @readPlist(path)
+
+  watchPath: (path, callback) ->
+    path = @absolute(path)
+    id = $native.watchPath(path, callback)
+    unwatch: -> $native.unwatchPath(path, id)