diff --git a/pandas/io/pytables.py b/pandas/io/pytables.py
index e474aeab1f6ca..7d66e1b4e1364 100644
--- a/pandas/io/pytables.py
+++ b/pandas/io/pytables.py
@@ -555,6 +555,8 @@ def open(self, mode='a', **kwargs):
         """
         tables = _tables()
 
+        path_or_buf = _stringify_path(path_or_buf)
+
         if self._mode != mode:
 
             # if we are changing a write mode to read, ok