diff --git a/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py b/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py
index f033d3330..f90e07432 100644
--- a/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py
+++ b/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py
@@ -148,7 +148,12 @@ def from_filename(self, filename, resources=None, **kw):
           Ignored
 
         """
-
+        # Convert full filename string to unicode
+        # In python 2.7.x if filename comes as unicode string,
+        # just skip converting it.
+        if isinstance(filename, str):
+           filename = py3compat.str_to_unicode(filename)
+           
         # Pull the metadata from the filesystem.
         if resources is None:
             resources = ResourcesDict()
diff --git a/nbconvert/exporters/pdf.py b/nbconvert/exporters/pdf.py
index b0879a78d..6de07d0da 100644
--- a/nbconvert/exporters/pdf.py
+++ b/nbconvert/exporters/pdf.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import os
 import sys
 
-from ipython_genutils.py3compat import which, cast_bytes_py2
+from ipython_genutils.py3compat import which, cast_bytes_py2, getcwd
 from traitlets import Integer, List, Bool, Instance, Unicode
 from testpath.tempdir import TemporaryWorkingDirectory
 from .latex import LatexExporter
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ def from_notebook_node(self, nb, resources=None, **kw):
         if resources and resources.get('metadata', {}).get('path'):
             self.texinputs = resources['metadata']['path']
         else:
-            self.texinputs = os.getcwd()
+            self.texinputs = getcwd()
         
         self._captured_outputs = []
         with TemporaryWorkingDirectory():