diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/network/filescheme.py b/qutebrowser/browser/network/filescheme.py
index 4a3bfdcf6..f8ccf5185 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/network/filescheme.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/network/filescheme.py
@@ -44,9 +44,7 @@ def get_file_list(basedir, all_files, filterfunc):
     for filename in all_files:
         absname = os.path.join(basedir, filename)
         if filterfunc(absname):
-            # Absolute paths in Unix start with a slash ('/'), but we already
-            # have enough slashes in the template, so we don't need it here
-            items.append({'name': filename, 'absname': absname.lstrip('/')})
+            items.append({'name': filename, 'absname': absname})
     return sorted(items, key=lambda v: v['name'].lower())
 
 
@@ -84,7 +82,7 @@ def dirbrowser_html(path):
     if is_root(path):
         parent = None
     else:
-        parent = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(path, '..')).lstrip('/')
+        parent = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(path, '..'))
 
     try:
         all_files = os.listdir(path)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/html/dirbrowser.html b/qutebrowser/html/dirbrowser.html
index aee4cb874..1a73261f6 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/html/dirbrowser.html
+++ b/qutebrowser/html/dirbrowser.html
@@ -48,19 +48,19 @@ ul.files > li {
 
         {% if parent is not none %}
             <ul class="parent">
-                <li><a href="file:///{{parent}}">..</a></li>
+                <li><a href="{{ file_url(parent) }}">..</a></li>
             </ul>
         {% endif %}
 
         <ul class="folders">
             {% for item in directories %}
-                <li><a href="file:///{{item.absname}}">{{item.name}}</a></li>
+                <li><a href="{{ file_url(item.absname) }}">{{item.name}}</a></li>
             {% endfor %}
         </ul>
 
         <ul class="files">
             {% for item in files %}
-                <li><a href="file:///{{item.absname}}">{{item.name}}</a></li>
+                <li><a href="{{ file_url(item.absname) }}">{{item.name}}</a></li>
             {% endfor %}
         </ul>
     </div>
diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/jinja.py b/qutebrowser/utils/jinja.py
index e6ccd9c6c..e608cc3ff 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/jinja.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/jinja.py
@@ -74,6 +74,15 @@ def resource_url(path):
     return QUrl.fromLocalFile(image).toString(QUrl.FullyEncoded)
 
 
+def file_url(path):
+    """Return a file:// url (as string) to the given local path.
+
+    Arguments:
+        path: The absolute path to the local file
+    """
+    return QUrl.fromLocalFile(path).toString(QUrl.FullyEncoded)
+
+
 def render(template, **kwargs):
     """Render the given template and pass the given arguments to it."""
     try:
@@ -85,5 +94,7 @@ def render(template, **kwargs):
         tb = traceback.format_exc()
         return err_template.format(pagename=template, traceback=tb)
 
+
 _env = jinja2.Environment(loader=Loader('html'), autoescape=_guess_autoescape)
 _env.globals['resource_url'] = resource_url
+_env.globals['file_url'] = file_url