diff --git a/.clang-format b/.clang-format
deleted file mode 100644
index 445f63ed3..000000000
--- a/.clang-format
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-DisableFormat: true
-SortIncludes: Never
-
diff --git a/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginVST3.cpp b/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginVST3.cpp
index c12a0d245..39bacf3e2 100644
--- a/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginVST3.cpp
+++ b/source/backend/plugin/CarlaPluginVST3.cpp
@@ -3458,7 +3458,7 @@ public:
             binaryfilename += ".so";
            #endif
 
-            if (! water::File(binaryfilename).existsAsFile())
+            if (! water::File(binaryfilename.toRawUTF8()).existsAsFile())
             {
                 pData->engine->setLastError("Failed to find a suitable VST3 bundle binary");
                 return false;
diff --git a/source/discovery/carla-discovery.cpp b/source/discovery/carla-discovery.cpp
index 43c86cee1..5ab21dd35 100644
--- a/source/discovery/carla-discovery.cpp
+++ b/source/discovery/carla-discovery.cpp
@@ -1583,7 +1583,7 @@ static bool do_vst3_check(lib_t& libHandle, const char* const filename, const bo
         binaryfilename += ".so";
        #endif
 
-        if (! water::File(binaryfilename).existsAsFile())
+        if (! water::File(binaryfilename.toRawUTF8()).existsAsFile())
         {
             DISCOVERY_OUT("error", "Failed to find a suitable VST3 bundle binary");
             return false;