diff --git a/dev/core/src/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidator.java b/dev/core/src/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidator.java
index 6f495bd..e5605be 100644
--- a/dev/core/src/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidator.java
+++ b/dev/core/src/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidator.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
   public static ServletValidator create(TreeLogger logger, File webXml) {
     try {
-      return create(logger, webXml.toURL());
+      return create(logger, webXml.toURI().toURL());
     } catch (MalformedURLException e) {
       logger.log(TreeLogger.WARN, "Unable to process '"
           + webXml.getAbsolutePath() + "' for servlet validation", e);
diff --git a/dev/core/test/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidatorTest.java b/dev/core/test/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidatorTest.java
index a262650..e9e30a3 100644
--- a/dev/core/test/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidatorTest.java
+++ b/dev/core/test/com/google/gwt/dev/ServletValidatorTest.java
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
   public void testBadUrl() throws Exception {
     UnitTestTreeLogger.Builder builder = new UnitTestTreeLogger.Builder();
     builder.setLowestLogLevel(TreeLogger.WARN);
-    URL url = new File("nonexistent.web.xml").toURL();
+    URL url = new File("nonexistent.web.xml").toURI().toURL();
     builder.expectWarn("Unable to process '" + url.toExternalForm()
         + "' for servlet validation", IOException.class);
     UnitTestTreeLogger logger = builder.createLogger();