diff --git a/lib/hypervisor/hv_base.py b/lib/hypervisor/hv_base.py
index 442cd810d1663e47154897a4583422a96c4990a3..c055a72311f2c773708cc8a250ccc7a04c5b56bc 100644
--- a/lib/hypervisor/hv_base.py
+++ b/lib/hypervisor/hv_base.py
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ from ganeti import utils
 # _CHECK values
 
 # must be afile
-_FILE_CHECK = (os.path.isabs, "must be an absolute path",
+_FILE_CHECK = (utils.IsNormAbsPath, "must be an absolute normal path",
               os.path.isfile, "not found or not a file")
 
 # must be a directory
-_DIR_CHECK = (os.path.isabs, "must be an absolute path",
+_DIR_CHECK = (utils.IsNormAbsPath, "must be an absolute normal path",
              os.path.isdir, "not found or not a directory")
 
 # nice wrappers for users
diff --git a/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py b/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py
index fdfc28a47b5aaa9abc870ba0fa83778a1a0f0930..507e23a07afd84c3dd81c8ef9be31d6b3bf040a7 100644
--- a/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py
+++ b/lib/hypervisor/hv_kvm.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class KVMHypervisor(hv_base.BaseHypervisor):
     constants.HV_ACPI: hv_base.NO_CHECK,
     constants.HV_SERIAL_CONSOLE: hv_base.NO_CHECK,
     constants.HV_VNC_BIND_ADDRESS: \
-    (False, lambda x: (utils.IsValidIP(x) or os.path.isabs(x)),
+    (False, lambda x: (utils.IsValidIP(x) or utils.IsAbsNormPath(x)),
      "the VNC bind address must be either a valid IP address or an absolute"
      " pathname", None, None),
     constants.HV_VNC_TLS: hv_base.NO_CHECK,