diff --git a/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderBehaviorTest.java b/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderBehaviorTest.java
index f567da76c5..c7c459476b 100644
--- a/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderBehaviorTest.java
+++ b/maven-embedder/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/embedder/MavenEmbedderBehaviorTest.java
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ public class MavenEmbedderBehaviorTest
 
         MavenEmbedder maven = new MavenEmbedder( configuration );
 
-        String expectedPath = ( new File( "/global/maven/local-repository" ) ).getCanonicalPath();
-        String actualPath = maven.getLocalRepository().getBasedir();
+        File expectedPath = new File( "/global/maven/local-repository" ).getCanonicalFile();
+        File actualPath = new File( maven.getLocalRepository().getBasedir() );
         assertEquals( expectedPath, actualPath );
 
         maven.stop();
diff --git a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
index 0f0d022b95..247df93cd4 100644
--- a/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
+++ b/maven-repository/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/repository/LegacyRepositorySystem.java
@@ -191,18 +191,11 @@ public class LegacyRepositorySystem
     public ArtifactRepository createLocalRepository( File localRepository )
         throws InvalidRepositoryException
     {
-        try
-        {
-            return createRepository( localRepository.toURI().toURL().toString(),
-                                     RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID, true,
-                                     ArtifactRepositoryPolicy.UPDATE_POLICY_ALWAYS, true,
-                                     ArtifactRepositoryPolicy.UPDATE_POLICY_ALWAYS,
-                                     ArtifactRepositoryPolicy.CHECKSUM_POLICY_IGNORE );
-        }
-        catch ( MalformedURLException e )
-        {
-            throw new InvalidRepositoryException( "Error creating local repository.", RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID, e );
-        }
+        return createRepository( "file://" + localRepository.toURI().getRawPath(),
+                                 RepositorySystem.DEFAULT_LOCAL_REPO_ID, true,
+                                 ArtifactRepositoryPolicy.UPDATE_POLICY_ALWAYS, true,
+                                 ArtifactRepositoryPolicy.UPDATE_POLICY_ALWAYS,
+                                 ArtifactRepositoryPolicy.CHECKSUM_POLICY_IGNORE );
     }
 
     public ArtifactRepository createDefaultRemoteRepository()