diff --git a/benedict/dicts/io/io_dict.py b/benedict/dicts/io/io_dict.py
index 84a2c2ad..77aa8c75 100644
--- a/benedict/dicts/io/io_dict.py
+++ b/benedict/dicts/io/io_dict.py
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         Constructs a new instance.
         """
-        # if first argument is data-string, url or filepath try to decode it.
+        # if first argument is data-string, url or filepath (str or pathlib.Path) try to decode it.
         # use 'format' kwarg to specify the decoder to use, default 'json'.
-        if len(args) == 1 and type_util.is_string(args[0]):
-            d = IODict._decode_init(args[0], **kwargs)
-            super().__init__(d)
-            return
+        if len(args) == 1:
+            arg = args[0]
+            if type_util.is_string(arg) or type_util.is_path(arg):
+                d = IODict._decode_init(arg, **kwargs)
+                super().__init__(d)
+                return
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/benedict/dicts/io/io_util.py b/benedict/dicts/io/io_util.py
index 1ae321f7..61ca645d 100644
--- a/benedict/dicts/io/io_util.py
+++ b/benedict/dicts/io/io_util.py
@@ -10,12 +10,14 @@
 
 
 def autodetect_format(s):
+    s = str(s)
     if any([is_url(s), is_s3(s), is_filepath(s)]):
         return get_format_by_path(s)
     return None
 
 
 def decode(s, format, **kwargs):
+    s = str(s)
     serializer = get_serializer_by_format(format)
     if not serializer:
         raise ValueError(f"Invalid format: {format}.")
@@ -34,6 +36,7 @@ def encode(d, format, filepath=None, **kwargs):
     options = kwargs.copy()
     content = serializer.encode(d, **options)
     if filepath:
+        filepath = str(filepath)
         write_content(filepath, content, **options)
     return content
 
diff --git a/benedict/serializers/__init__.py b/benedict/serializers/__init__.py
index 0c6ae678..48a35fed 100644
--- a/benedict/serializers/__init__.py
+++ b/benedict/serializers/__init__.py
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
 
 
 def get_format_by_path(path):
+    path = str(path)
     path = path.lower()
     for extension in _SERIALIZERS_EXTENSIONS:
         if path.endswith(extension):
diff --git a/benedict/utils/type_util.py b/benedict/utils/type_util.py
index a3b17fa3..476d66e5 100644
--- a/benedict/utils/type_util.py
+++ b/benedict/utils/type_util.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import pathlib
 import re
 from datetime import datetime
 from decimal import Decimal
@@ -70,6 +71,10 @@ def is_not_none(val):
     return val is not None
 
 
+def is_path(val):
+    return isinstance(val, pathlib.Path)
+
+
 def is_regex(val):
     return isinstance(val, regex)
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index bc3100d2..05f6b61d 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ mailchecker == 5.0.5
 openpyxl == 3.0.10
 phonenumbers == 8.13.3
 python-dateutil == 2.8.2
-python-fsutil == 0.8.0
+python-fsutil == 0.9.0
 python-slugify == 7.0.0
 pyyaml == 6.0
 requests == 2.28.1
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index ffd78784..dc79bc3a 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ install_requires =
     openpyxl >= 3.0.0, < 4.0.0
     phonenumbers >= 8.12.0, < 9.0.0
     python-dateutil >= 2.8.0, < 3.0.0
-    python-fsutil >= 0.6.0, < 1.0.0
+    python-fsutil >= 0.9.0, < 1.0.0
     python-slugify >= 6.0.1, < 8.0.0
     pyyaml >= 6.0, < 7.0
     requests >= 2.26.0, < 3.0.0
diff --git a/tests/github/test_issue_0144.json b/tests/github/test_issue_0144.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..138e3fbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/github/test_issue_0144.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3, "x": 7, "y": 8, "z": 9}
diff --git a/tests/github/test_issue_0144.py b/tests/github/test_issue_0144.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f44346a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/github/test_issue_0144.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import pathlib
+import unittest
+
+from benedict import benedict
+
+
+class github_issue_0144_test_case(unittest.TestCase):
+    """
+    This class describes a github issue 0144 test case.
+    https://github.com/fabiocaccamo/python-benedict/issues/144
+
+    To run this specific test:
+    - Run python -m unittest tests.github.test_issue_0144
+    """
+
+    def test_init_with_pathlib_path_object_and_valid_path(self):
+        # print(pathlib.Path("./test_issue_0144.json"))
+        d = benedict(pathlib.Path("tests/github/test_issue_0144.json"), format="json")
+        self.assertEqual(d, {"a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3, "x": 7, "y": 8, "z": 9})
+
+    def test_init_with_pathlib_path_object_and_invalid_path(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            benedict(
+                pathlib.Path("tests/github/test_issue_0144_invalid.json"), format="json"
+            )