diff --git a/src/cgroup.rs b/src/cgroup.rs
index 020fca1..9fae5ca 100644
--- a/src/cgroup.rs
+++ b/src/cgroup.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use error::*;
 use {CgroupPid, ControllIdentifier, Controller, Hierarchy, Resources, Subsystem};
 
 use std::convert::From;
+use std::path::Path;
 
 /// A control group is the central structure to this crate.
 ///
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ impl<'b> Cgroup<'b> {
     ///
     /// Note that if the handle goes out of scope and is dropped, the control group is _not_
     /// destroyed.
-    pub fn new(hier: &Hierarchy, path: String) -> Cgroup {
+    pub fn new<P: AsRef<Path>>(hier: &Hierarchy, path: P) -> Cgroup {
         let cg = Cgroup::load(hier, path);
         cg.create();
         cg
@@ -53,12 +54,13 @@ impl<'b> Cgroup<'b> {
     ///
     /// Note that if the handle goes out of scope and is dropped, the control group is _not_
     /// destroyed.
-    pub fn load(hier: &Hierarchy, path: String) -> Cgroup {
+    pub fn load<P: AsRef<Path>>(hier: &Hierarchy, path: P) -> Cgroup {
+        let path = path.as_ref();
         let mut subsystems = hier.subsystems();
-        if path != "" {
+        if path.as_os_str() != "" {
             subsystems = subsystems
                 .into_iter()
-                .map(|x| x.enter(&path))
+                .map(|x| x.enter(path))
                 .collect::<Vec<_>>();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 1d00503..5983bf5 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ extern crate log;
 
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 pub mod blkio;
 pub mod cgroup;
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ impl<'a> From<&'a std::process::Child> for CgroupPid {
 }
 
 impl Subsystem {
-    fn enter(self, path: &String) -> Self {
+    fn enter(self, path: &Path) -> Self {
         match self {
             Subsystem::Pid(cont) => Subsystem::Pid({
                 let mut c = cont.clone();