diff --git a/src/core/qgspathresolver.cpp b/src/core/qgspathresolver.cpp
index d665dd1dc86..e7969154482 100644
--- a/src/core/qgspathresolver.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgspathresolver.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ QString QgsPathResolver::writePath( const QString &src ) const
     return src;
   }
 
-  QFileInfo srcFileInfo( src );
+  // Strip "file://"
+  QFileInfo srcFileInfo( src.startsWith( QStringLiteral( "file://" ) ) ? src.mid( 7 ) : src );
   QString srcPath = srcFileInfo.exists() ? srcFileInfo.canonicalFilePath() : src;
 
   // if this is a VSIFILE, remove the VSI prefix and append to final result
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsproject.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsproject.cpp
index 7bb8e400a13..81d657554cf 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsproject.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsproject.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class TestQgsProject : public QObject
     void testProjectUnits();
     void variablesChanged();
     void testLayerFlags();
+    void testLocalFiles();
 };
 
 void TestQgsProject::init()
@@ -386,6 +387,25 @@ void TestQgsProject::testLayerFlags()
   QVERIFY( !layer->flags().testFlag( QgsMapLayer::Removable ) );
 }
 
+void TestQgsProject::testLocalFiles()
+{
+  QTemporaryFile f;
+  QVERIFY( f.open() );
+  f.close();
+  QgsProject prj;
+  QFileInfo info( f.fileName() );
+  prj.setFileName( f.fileName() );
+  prj.write();
+  QString shpPath = info.dir().path() + '/' + info.baseName() + ".shp";
+  QString layerPath = "file://" + shpPath;
+  QFile f2( shpPath );
+  QVERIFY( f2.open( QFile::ReadWrite ) );
+  f2.close();
+  QgsPathResolver resolver( f.fileName( ) );
+  QCOMPARE( resolver.writePath( layerPath ), QString( "./" + info.baseName() + ".shp" ) ) ;
+
+}
+
 
 QGSTEST_MAIN( TestQgsProject )
 #include "testqgsproject.moc"