diff --git a/app/pdb/pdb-cmds.c b/app/pdb/pdb-cmds.c
index 8e48ec57f3..d63e1405a4 100644
--- a/app/pdb/pdb-cmds.c
+++ b/app/pdb/pdb-cmds.c
@@ -101,17 +101,16 @@ pdb_dump_invoker (GimpProcedure         *procedure,
                   GError               **error)
 {
   gboolean success = TRUE;
-  const gchar *filename;
+  GFile *file;
 
-  filename = g_value_get_string (gimp_value_array_index (args, 0));
+  file = g_value_get_object (gimp_value_array_index (args, 0));
 
   if (success)
     {
-      GFile *file = g_file_new_for_path (filename);
-
-      success = gimp_pdb_dump (gimp->pdb, file, error);
-
-      g_object_unref (file);
+      if (file)
+        success = gimp_pdb_dump (gimp->pdb, file, error);
+      else
+        success = FALSE;
     }
 
   return gimp_procedure_get_return_values (procedure, success,
@@ -1212,12 +1211,11 @@ register_pdb_procs (GimpPDB *pdb)
                                          "Spencer Kimball & Josh MacDonald & Peter Mattis",
                                          "1995-1996");
   gimp_procedure_add_argument (procedure,
-                               gimp_param_spec_string ("filename",
-                                                       "filename",
-                                                       "The dump filename",
-                                                       TRUE, FALSE, TRUE,
-                                                       NULL,
-                                                       GIMP_PARAM_READWRITE));
+                               g_param_spec_object ("file",
+                                                    "file",
+                                                    "The dump filename",
+                                                    G_TYPE_FILE,
+                                                    GIMP_PARAM_READWRITE));
   gimp_pdb_register_procedure (pdb, procedure);
   g_object_unref (procedure);
 
diff --git a/libgimp/gimppdb.c b/libgimp/gimppdb.c
index 6f665a4987..3e338ff074 100644
--- a/libgimp/gimppdb.c
+++ b/libgimp/gimppdb.c
@@ -374,17 +374,10 @@ gboolean
 gimp_pdb_dump_to_file (GimpPDB *pdb,
                        GFile   *file)
 {
-  gchar    *path;
-  gboolean  success;
-
   g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_PDB (pdb), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_FILE (pdb), FALSE);
 
-  path = g_file_get_path (file);
-  success = _gimp_pdb_dump (path);
-  g_free (path);
-
-  return success;
+  return _gimp_pdb_dump (file);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.c b/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.c
index 7e9407a4a0..1773afde92 100644
--- a/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.c
+++ b/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ _gimp_pdb_temp_name (void)
 
 /**
  * _gimp_pdb_dump:
- * @filename: The dump filename.
+ * @file: The dump filename.
  *
  * Dumps the current contents of the procedural database
  *
@@ -72,14 +72,14 @@ _gimp_pdb_temp_name (void)
  * Returns: TRUE on success.
  **/
 gboolean
-_gimp_pdb_dump (const gchar *filename)
+_gimp_pdb_dump (GFile *file)
 {
   GimpValueArray *args;
   GimpValueArray *return_vals;
   gboolean success = TRUE;
 
   args = gimp_value_array_new_from_types (NULL,
-                                          G_TYPE_STRING, filename,
+                                          G_TYPE_FILE, file,
                                           G_TYPE_NONE);
 
   return_vals = gimp_pdb_run_procedure_array (gimp_get_pdb (),
diff --git a/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.h b/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.h
index fbfa9e6d5a..e2ae9d3741 100644
--- a/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.h
+++ b/libgimp/gimppdb_pdb.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL gchar*      _gimp_pdb_temp_name                      (void);
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL gboolean    _gimp_pdb_dump                           (const gchar       *filename);
+G_GNUC_INTERNAL gboolean    _gimp_pdb_dump                           (GFile             *file);
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL gboolean    _gimp_pdb_query                          (const gchar       *name,
                                                                       const gchar       *blurb,
                                                                       const gchar       *help,
diff --git a/pdb/groups/pdb.pdb b/pdb/groups/pdb.pdb
index c40db9ad97..b8ad965ac7 100644
--- a/pdb/groups/pdb.pdb
+++ b/pdb/groups/pdb.pdb
@@ -60,19 +60,17 @@ HELP
     $lib_private = 1;
 
     @inargs = (
-	{ name => 'filename', type => 'string', allow_non_utf8 => 1,
-          non_empty => 1,
+	{ name => 'file', type => 'file',
 	  desc => 'The dump filename' }
     );
 
     %invoke = (
 	code => <<'CODE'
 {
-  GFile *file = g_file_new_for_path (filename);
-
-  success = gimp_pdb_dump (gimp->pdb, file, error);
-
-  g_object_unref (file);
+  if (file)
+    success = gimp_pdb_dump (gimp->pdb, file, error);
+  else
+    success = FALSE;
 }
 CODE
     );