diff --git a/configurations/values.py b/configurations/values.py
index 2413a1a..73d4a43 100644
--- a/configurations/values.py
+++ b/configurations/values.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import copy
 import decimal
 import os
 import sys
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from django.core import validators
 from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError, ImproperlyConfigured
@@ -391,14 +392,15 @@ class RegexValue(ValidationMixin, Value):
 class PathValue(Value):
     def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.check_exists = kwargs.pop('check_exists', True)
+        self.use_pathlib = kwargs.pop('use_pathlib', True)
         super().__init__(*args, **kwargs)
 
     def setup(self, name):
         value = super().setup(name)
-        value = os.path.expanduser(value)
-        if self.check_exists and not os.path.exists(value):
+        value = Path(value).expanduser()
+        if self.check_exists and not value.exists():
             raise ValueError('Path {0!r} does  not exist.'.format(value))
-        return os.path.abspath(value)
+        return value.absolute() if self.use_pathlib else str(value)
 
 
 class SecretValue(Value):
diff --git a/tests/test_values.py b/tests/test_values.py
index 2547e50..452abc6 100644
--- a/tests/test_values.py
+++ b/tests/test_values.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import decimal
 import os
 from contextlib import contextmanager
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from django.test import TestCase
 from django.core.exceptions import ImproperlyConfigured
@@ -335,22 +336,32 @@ class ValueTests(TestCase):
     def test_path_values_with_check(self):
         value = PathValue()
         with env(DJANGO_TEST='/'):
-            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), '/')
+            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), Path('/'))
         with env(DJANGO_TEST='~/'):
-            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), os.path.expanduser('~'))
+            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), Path.home())
         with env(DJANGO_TEST='/does/not/exist'):
             self.assertRaises(ValueError, value.setup, 'TEST')
 
     def test_path_values_no_check(self):
         value = PathValue(check_exists=False)
         with env(DJANGO_TEST='/'):
-            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), '/')
+            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), Path('/'))
         with env(DJANGO_TEST='~/spam/eggs'):
-            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'),
-                             os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'),
-                                          'spam', 'eggs'))
+            self.assertEqual(
+                value.setup('TEST'),
+                Path.home() / 'spam' / 'eggs'
+            )
         with env(DJANGO_TEST='/does/not/exist'):
-            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), '/does/not/exist')
+            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), Path('/does/not/exist'))
+
+    def test_path_values_without_pathlib(self):
+        value = PathValue(use_pathlib=False)
+        with env(DJANGO_TEST='/'):
+            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), '/')
+        with env(DJANGO_TEST='~/'):
+            self.assertEqual(value.setup('TEST'), os.path.expanduser('~'))
+        with env(DJANGO_TEST='/does/not/exist'):
+            self.assertRaises(ValueError, value.setup, 'TEST')
 
     def test_secret_value(self):
         # no default allowed, only environment values are