diff --git a/code/ColladaLoader.cpp b/code/ColladaLoader.cpp
index 351efd340..2e630cebb 100644
--- a/code/ColladaLoader.cpp
+++ b/code/ColladaLoader.cpp
@@ -382,6 +382,23 @@ const aiString& ColladaLoader::FindFilenameForEffectTexture( const ColladaParser
 		throw new ImportErrorException( boost::str( boost::format( "Unable to resolve effect texture entry \"%s\", ended up at ID \"%s\".") % pName % name));
 
 	static aiString result;
-	result.Set( imIt->second.mFileName);
+	result.Set( imIt->second.mFileName );
+	ConvertPath(result);
 	return result;
 }
+
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Convert a path read from a collada file to the usual representation
+void ColladaLoader::ConvertPath (aiString& ss)
+{
+	// TODO: collada spec, p 22. Handle URI correctly.
+	// For the moment we're just stripping the file:// away to make it work.
+	// Windoes doesn't seem to be able to find stuff like
+	// 'file://..\LWO\LWO2\MappingModes\earthSpherical.jpg'
+	if (0 == ::strncmp(ss.data,"file://",7)) 
+	{
+		ss.length -= 7;
+		::memmove(ss.data,ss.data+7,ss.length);
+		ss.data[ss.length] = '\0';
+	}
+}
diff --git a/code/ColladaLoader.h b/code/ColladaLoader.h
index d0ef2bc79..37f0ab656 100644
--- a/code/ColladaLoader.h
+++ b/code/ColladaLoader.h
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ protected:
 	/** Resolves the texture name for the given effect texture entry */
 	const aiString& FindFilenameForEffectTexture( const ColladaParser& pParser, const Collada::Effect& pEffect, const std::string& pName);
 
+	/** Converts a path read from a collada file to the usual representation */
+	void ConvertPath (aiString& ss);
+
 protected:
 	/** Filename, for a verbose error message */
 	std::string mFileName;