diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
index 826eb85041a7..1b98864d6a1e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ def is_url(filename):
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager
 def _open_file_or_url(fname):
-    if is_url(fname):
+    if not isinstance(fname, Path) and is_url(fname):
         import urllib.request
         with urllib.request.urlopen(fname) as f:
             yield (line.decode('utf-8') for line in f)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py
index 4c0ec2a6bf2c..4a47db25d887 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.py
@@ -28,13 +28,15 @@
                                 _validate_linestyle)
 
 
-def test_rcparams():
+def test_rcparams(tmpdir):
     mpl.rc('text', usetex=False)
     mpl.rc('lines', linewidth=22)
 
     usetex = mpl.rcParams['text.usetex']
     linewidth = mpl.rcParams['lines.linewidth']
-    fname = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'test_rcparams.rc')
+
+    rcpath = Path(tmpdir) / 'test_rcparams.rc'
+    rcpath.write_text('lines.linewidth: 33')
 
     # test context given dictionary
     with mpl.rc_context(rc={'text.usetex': not usetex}):
@@ -42,17 +44,17 @@ def test_rcparams():
     assert mpl.rcParams['text.usetex'] == usetex
 
     # test context given filename (mpl.rc sets linewidth to 33)
-    with mpl.rc_context(fname=fname):
+    with mpl.rc_context(fname=rcpath):
         assert mpl.rcParams['lines.linewidth'] == 33
     assert mpl.rcParams['lines.linewidth'] == linewidth
 
     # test context given filename and dictionary
-    with mpl.rc_context(fname=fname, rc={'lines.linewidth': 44}):
+    with mpl.rc_context(fname=rcpath, rc={'lines.linewidth': 44}):
         assert mpl.rcParams['lines.linewidth'] == 44
     assert mpl.rcParams['lines.linewidth'] == linewidth
 
     # test rc_file
-    mpl.rc_file(fname)
+    mpl.rc_file(rcpath)
     assert mpl.rcParams['lines.linewidth'] == 33
 
 
@@ -177,11 +179,11 @@ def test_mec_rcparams():
     assert ln.get_markeredgecolor() == 'r'
 
 
-def test_Issue_1713():
-    utf32_be = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__),
-                           'test_utf32_be_rcparams.rc')
+def test_Issue_1713(tmpdir):
+    rcpath = Path(tmpdir) / 'test_rcparams.rc'
+    rcpath.write_text('timezone: UTC', encoding='UTF-32-BE')
     with mock.patch('locale.getpreferredencoding', return_value='UTF-32-BE'):
-        rc = mpl.rc_params_from_file(utf32_be, True, False)
+        rc = mpl.rc_params_from_file(rcpath, True, False)
     assert rc.get('timezone') == 'UTC'
 
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.rc b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.rc
deleted file mode 100644
index af7345aa1be1..000000000000
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_rcparams.rc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-# this file is used by the tests in test_rcparams.py
-
-lines.linewidth: 33
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_utf32_be_rcparams.rc b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_utf32_be_rcparams.rc
deleted file mode 100644
index defc20eeef39..000000000000
Binary files a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_utf32_be_rcparams.rc and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/setupext.py b/setupext.py
index 5e6b5411f0ce..ed61bb56a030 100644
--- a/setupext.py
+++ b/setupext.py
@@ -431,8 +431,6 @@ def get_package_data(self):
                 *_pkg_data_helper('matplotlib', 'tests/tinypages'),
                 'tests/cmr10.pfb',
                 'tests/mpltest.ttf',
-                'tests/test_rcparams.rc',
-                'tests/test_utf32_be_rcparams.rc',
             ],
             'mpl_toolkits': [
                 *_pkg_data_helper('mpl_toolkits', 'tests/baseline_images'),