diff --git a/bench-test-lib/src/BenchTestLib/DirIO.hs b/bench-test-lib/src/BenchTestLib/DirIO.hs
index 1a37fd3eae..4500cde9aa 100644
--- a/bench-test-lib/src/BenchTestLib/DirIO.hs
+++ b/bench-test-lib/src/BenchTestLib/DirIO.hs
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ listDirChunkedWith
     -> [Char] -> Stream IO Word8
 listDirChunkedWith act inp = do
      Stream.unfoldEachEndBy 10 Array.reader
-        $ fmap Path.toChunk
+        $ fmap (Array.asBytes . Path.toChunk)
         $ Stream.unfoldEach Unfold.fromList
         $ fmap (either id id)
         $ act
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ listDirWith
     -> [Char] -> Stream IO Word8
 listDirWith act inp = do
      Stream.unfoldEachEndBy 10 Array.reader
-        $ fmap (Path.toChunk . either id id)
+        $ fmap (Array.asBytes . Path.toChunk . either id id)
         $ act
         $ Stream.fromPure (Left (fromJust $ Path.fromString inp))
 
diff --git a/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/Path/Common.hs b/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/Path/Common.hs
index 3d1a65cae8..b248f80240 100644
--- a/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/Path/Common.hs
+++ b/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/Path/Common.hs
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ module Streamly.Internal.FileSystem.Path.Common
     , mkQ
 
     -- * Elimination
-    , toChunk
     , toString
     , toChars
 
@@ -1206,11 +1205,6 @@ fromChunk Windows arr =
         Just x -> validatePath Windows x >> pure x
 -}
 
--- | Convert 'Path' to an array of bytes.
-{-# INLINE toChunk #-}
-toChunk :: Array a -> Array Word8
-toChunk = Array.asBytes
-
 {-# INLINE unsafeFromChars #-}
 unsafeFromChars :: (Unbox a) =>
        (Stream Identity Char -> Stream Identity a)
diff --git a/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/PosixPath.hs b/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/PosixPath.hs
index d1eadddd65..50983c4cb1 100644
--- a/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/PosixPath.hs
+++ b/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/PosixPath.hs
@@ -166,13 +166,11 @@ import Control.Monad.Catch (MonadThrow(..))
 import Data.Bifunctor (bimap)
 import Data.Functor.Identity (Identity(..))
 import Data.Maybe (fromJust)
-import Data.Word (Word8)
-#if defined(IS_WINDOWS)
-import Data.Word (Word16)
-#endif
 #ifndef IS_WINDOWS
+import Data.Word (Word8)
 import Foreign.C (CString)
 #else
+import Data.Word (Word16)
 import Foreign.C (CWString)
 #endif
 import Language.Haskell.TH.Syntax (lift)
@@ -304,11 +302,7 @@ addTrailingSeparator p = unsafeAppend p sep
 
 -- | Throws an exception if the path is not valid. See 'isValidPath' for the
 -- list of validations.
-#ifndef IS_WINDOWS
-validatePath :: MonadThrow m => Array Word8 -> m ()
-#else
-validatePath :: MonadThrow m => Array Word16 -> m ()
-#endif
+validatePath :: MonadThrow m => Array WORD_TYPE -> m ()
 validatePath = Common.validatePath Common.OS_NAME
 
 #ifndef IS_WINDOWS
@@ -322,7 +316,7 @@ validatePath = Common.validatePath Common.OS_NAME
 -- >>> isValid "\0"
 -- False
 --
-isValidPath :: Array Word8 -> Bool
+isValidPath :: Array WORD_TYPE -> Bool
 isValidPath = Common.isValidPath Common.OS_NAME
 #endif
 
@@ -342,11 +336,7 @@ isValidPath = Common.isValidPath Common.OS_NAME
 -- per 'isValidPath'.
 --
 {-# INLINE unsafeFromChunk #-}
-#ifndef IS_WINDOWS
-unsafeFromChunk :: IsPath OS_PATH a => Array Word8 -> a
-#else
-unsafeFromChunk :: IsPath OS_PATH a => Array Word16 -> a
-#endif
+unsafeFromChunk :: IsPath OS_PATH a => Array WORD_TYPE -> a
 unsafeFromChunk =
 #ifndef DEBUG
     unsafeFromPath . OS_PATH . Common.unsafeFromChunk
@@ -359,11 +349,7 @@ unsafeFromChunk =
 -- | Convert a byte array into a Path.
 -- Throws 'InvalidPath' if 'isValidPath' fails on the path.
 --
-#ifndef IS_WINDOWS
-fromChunk :: (MonadThrow m, IsPath OS_PATH a) => Array Word8 -> m a
-#else
-fromChunk :: (MonadThrow m, IsPath OS_PATH a) => Array Word16 -> m a
-#endif
+fromChunk :: (MonadThrow m, IsPath OS_PATH a) => Array WORD_TYPE -> m a
 fromChunk arr = Common.fromChunk Common.OS_NAME arr >>= fromPath . OS_PATH
 
 -- XXX Should be a Fold instead?
@@ -391,11 +377,7 @@ fromChars s =
 
 -- | Create a raw path i.e. an array representing the path. Note that the path
 -- is not validated, therefore, it may not be valid according to 'isValidPath'.
-#ifndef IS_WINDOWS
-rawFromString :: [Char] -> Array Word8
-#else
-rawFromString :: [Char] -> Array Word16
-#endif
+rawFromString :: [Char] -> Array WORD_TYPE
 rawFromString =
       Common.unsafeFromChars Unicode.UNICODE_ENCODER
     . Stream.fromList
@@ -472,9 +454,9 @@ path = mkQ pathE
 
 -- XXX unPath?
 
--- | Convert the path to an array of bytes.
-toChunk :: IsPath OS_PATH a => a -> Array Word8
-toChunk p = let OS_PATH arr = toPath p in Common.toChunk arr
+-- | Convert the path to an array.
+toChunk :: IsPath OS_PATH a => a -> Array WORD_TYPE
+toChunk p = let OS_PATH arr = toPath p in arr
 
 -- | Decode the path to a stream of Unicode chars using strict CODEC_NAME decoding.
 {-# INLINE toChars #-}
diff --git a/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/WindowsPath.hs b/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/WindowsPath.hs
index 67480dd689..55a31bf335 100644
--- a/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/WindowsPath.hs
+++ b/core/src/Streamly/Internal/FileSystem/WindowsPath.hs
@@ -146,19 +146,21 @@ For APIs that have not been released yet.
 -- True
 -- >>> isValid "\\\\??\\x"
 -- True
-isValidPath :: Array Word16 -> Bool
+isValidPath :: Array WORD_TYPE -> Bool
 isValidPath = Common.isValidPath Common.OS_NAME
 
 -- | Like 'validatePath' on but more strict. A share root must be followed by a
 -- non-empty path. Thus "\/\/x\/" is not considered a valid path.
-validatePath' :: MonadThrow m => Array Word16 -> m ()
+validatePath' ::
+    MonadThrow m => Array WORD_TYPE -> m ()
 validatePath' = Common.validatePath' Common.Windows
 
 -- | Like 'isValidPath' but more strict, see validatePath' for differences.
-isValidPath' :: Array Word16 -> Bool
+isValidPath' ::
+    Array WORD_TYPE -> Bool
 isValidPath' = Common.isValidPath' Common.Windows
 
--- | Read a raw array of Word16 as a path type.
+-- | Read a raw array of WORD_TYPE as a path type.
 --
 -- >>> readRaw = fromJust . Path.fromChunk . read
 --