diff --git a/winml/adapter/winml_adapter_model.cpp b/winml/adapter/winml_adapter_model.cpp
index 8203987215..9b5466c40a 100644
--- a/winml/adapter/winml_adapter_model.cpp
+++ b/winml/adapter/winml_adapter_model.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@
 
 #include <io.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
+#include <winrt/base.h>
 #include "google/protobuf/io/zero_copy_stream_impl.h"
 #include "core/framework/onnxruntime_typeinfo.h"
+#include "StringHelpers.h"
 
 namespace winmla = Windows::AI::MachineLearning::Adapter;
 
@@ -118,10 +120,11 @@ OrtModel::OrtModel(std::unique_ptr<onnx::ModelProto> model_proto) : model_proto_
 // factory methods for creating an ort model from a path
 static OrtStatus* CreateModelProto(const char* path, std::unique_ptr<onnx::ModelProto>& out) {
   int file_descriptor;
+  auto wide_path = _winml::Strings::HStringFromUTF8(path);
   _set_errno(0);  // clear errno
-  _sopen_s(
+  _wsopen_s(
       &file_descriptor,
-      path,
+      wide_path.c_str(),
       O_RDONLY | _O_SEQUENTIAL | _O_BINARY,
       _SH_DENYWR,
       _S_IREAD | _S_IWRITE);
diff --git a/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.cpp b/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.cpp
index d9a514e4be..04167bd9cb 100644
--- a/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.cpp
+++ b/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
+// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 // Licensed under the MIT License.
 
 #include "testPch.h"
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ static void CreateModelFromFilePath() {
   WINML_EXPECT_NO_THROW(APITest::LoadModel(L"squeezenet_modifiedforruntimestests.onnx", learningModel));
 }
 
+static void CreateModelFromUnicodeFilePath() {
+  LearningModel learningModel = nullptr;
+  WINML_EXPECT_NO_THROW(APITest::LoadModel(L"UnicodePath\\こんにちは maçã\\foo.onnx", learningModel));
+}
+
 static void CreateModelFileNotFound() {
   LearningModel learningModel = nullptr;
 
@@ -274,6 +279,7 @@ const LearningModelApiTestsApi& getapi() {
     LearningModelAPITestsClassSetup,
     LearningModelAPITestsGpuMethodSetup,
     CreateModelFromFilePath,
+    CreateModelFromUnicodeFilePath,
     CreateModelFileNotFound,
     CreateModelFromIStorage,
     CreateModelFromIStorageOutsideCwd,
diff --git a/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.h b/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.h
index cd83624620..7658e5df3d 100644
--- a/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.h
+++ b/winml/test/api/LearningModelAPITest.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ struct LearningModelApiTestsApi
   SetupClass LearningModelAPITestsClassSetup;
   SetupTest LearningModelAPITestsGpuMethodSetup;
   VoidTest CreateModelFromFilePath;
+  VoidTest CreateModelFromUnicodeFilePath;
   VoidTest CreateModelFileNotFound;
   VoidTest CreateModelFromIStorage;
   VoidTest CreateModelFromIStorageOutsideCwd;
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ WINML_TEST_CLASS_BEGIN(LearningModelAPITests)
 WINML_TEST_CLASS_SETUP_CLASS(LearningModelAPITestsClassSetup)
 WINML_TEST_CLASS_BEGIN_TESTS
 WINML_TEST(LearningModelAPITests, CreateModelFromFilePath)
+WINML_TEST(LearningModelAPITests, CreateModelFromUnicodeFilePath)
 WINML_TEST(LearningModelAPITests, CreateModelFileNotFound)
 WINML_TEST(LearningModelAPITests, CreateModelFromIStorage)
 WINML_TEST(LearningModelAPITests, CreateModelFromIStorageOutsideCwd)
diff --git a/winml/test/collateral/models/UnicodePath/こんにちは maçã/foo.onnx b/winml/test/collateral/models/UnicodePath/こんにちは maçã/foo.onnx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f786e4ca75
Binary files /dev/null and b/winml/test/collateral/models/UnicodePath/こんにちは maçã/foo.onnx differ