diff --git a/rpg/core.py b/rpg/core.py
index e670e4c62ac98db7f1ff601afefd7df9e719f318..d9f55858a17474e177aafc7e178a757c4b1208e7 100644
--- a/rpg/core.py
+++ b/rpg/core.py
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ def next_read(file, offset_start, offset_end):
     :type offset_end: int
     """
     # Is it a GZIP file?
-    test_file = open(str(file), "rb")
+    test_file = open(file, "rb")
     # Get the first values
     magic = test_file.read(2)
     # Close the file
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ def next_read(file, offset_start, offset_end):
 
     # Open the file, GZIP or not
     with (gzip.open(file, "rb") if magic == b"\x1f\x8b"
-          else open(str(file), "rb")) as in_file:
+          else open(file, "rb")) as in_file:
         first_line = in_file.readline().decode('utf-8')
         # FASTQ file
         if first_line.startswith("@"):