diff --git a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
index cb502c26f6..21586f0f4a 100755
--- a/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/YoutubeDL.py
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import random
 from .compat import (
     compat_basestring,
     compat_cookiejar,
-    compat_expanduser,
     compat_get_terminal_size,
     compat_http_client,
     compat_kwargs,
@@ -54,6 +53,7 @@ from .utils import (
     encode_compat_str,
     encodeFilename,
     error_to_compat_str,
+    expand_path,
     ExtractorError,
     format_bytes,
     formatSeconds,
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
                         FORMAT_RE.format(numeric_field),
                         r'%({0})s'.format(numeric_field), outtmpl)
 
-            tmpl = compat_expanduser(outtmpl)
+            tmpl = expand_path(outtmpl)
             filename = tmpl % template_dict
             # Temporary fix for #4787
             # 'Treat' all problem characters by passing filename through preferredencoding
@@ -2170,7 +2170,7 @@ class YoutubeDL(object):
         if opts_cookiefile is None:
             self.cookiejar = compat_cookiejar.CookieJar()
         else:
-            opts_cookiefile = compat_expanduser(opts_cookiefile)
+            opts_cookiefile = expand_path(opts_cookiefile)
             self.cookiejar = compat_cookiejar.MozillaCookieJar(
                 opts_cookiefile)
             if os.access(opts_cookiefile, os.R_OK):
diff --git a/youtube_dl/__init__.py b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
index 2f640607fa..f15606568d 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/__init__.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/__init__.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ from .options import (
     parseOpts,
 )
 from .compat import (
-    compat_expanduser,
     compat_getpass,
     compat_shlex_split,
     workaround_optparse_bug9161,
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@ from .utils import (
     decodeOption,
     DEFAULT_OUTTMPL,
     DownloadError,
+    expand_path,
     match_filter_func,
     MaxDownloadsReached,
     preferredencoding,
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def _real_main(argv=None):
                 batchfd = sys.stdin
             else:
                 batchfd = io.open(
-                    compat_expanduser(opts.batchfile),
+                    expand_path(opts.batchfile),
                     'r', encoding='utf-8', errors='ignore')
             batch_urls = read_batch_urls(batchfd)
             if opts.verbose:
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ def _real_main(argv=None):
 
     any_getting = opts.geturl or opts.gettitle or opts.getid or opts.getthumbnail or opts.getdescription or opts.getfilename or opts.getformat or opts.getduration or opts.dumpjson or opts.dump_single_json
     any_printing = opts.print_json
-    download_archive_fn = compat_expanduser(opts.download_archive) if opts.download_archive is not None else opts.download_archive
+    download_archive_fn = expand_path(opts.download_archive) if opts.download_archive is not None else opts.download_archive
 
     # PostProcessors
     postprocessors = []
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ def _real_main(argv=None):
 
         try:
             if opts.load_info_filename is not None:
-                retcode = ydl.download_with_info_file(compat_expanduser(opts.load_info_filename))
+                retcode = ydl.download_with_info_file(expand_path(opts.load_info_filename))
             else:
                 retcode = ydl.download(all_urls)
         except MaxDownloadsReached:
diff --git a/youtube_dl/cache.py b/youtube_dl/cache.py
index 5fe839eb12..7bdade1bdb 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/cache.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/cache.py
@@ -8,8 +8,11 @@ import re
 import shutil
 import traceback
 
-from .compat import compat_expanduser, compat_getenv
-from .utils import write_json_file
+from .compat import compat_getenv
+from .utils import (
+    expand_path,
+    write_json_file,
+)
 
 
 class Cache(object):
@@ -21,7 +24,7 @@ class Cache(object):
         if res is None:
             cache_root = compat_getenv('XDG_CACHE_HOME', '~/.cache')
             res = os.path.join(cache_root, 'youtube-dl')
-        return compat_expanduser(res)
+        return expand_path(res)
 
     def _get_cache_fn(self, section, key, dtype):
         assert re.match(r'^[a-zA-Z0-9_.-]+$', section), \