diff --git a/Modules/_winapi.c b/Modules/_winapi.c
index 26302b559817b3..5e5eb123c4ccff 100644
--- a/Modules/_winapi.c
+++ b/Modules/_winapi.c
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ _winapi_ConnectNamedPipe_impl(PyObject *module, HANDLE handle,
 /*[clinic input]
 _winapi.CreateFile -> HANDLE
 
-    file_name: LPCTSTR
+    file_name: LPCWSTR
     desired_access: DWORD
     share_mode: DWORD
     security_attributes: LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
@@ -452,12 +452,12 @@ _winapi.CreateFile -> HANDLE
 [clinic start generated code]*/
 
 static HANDLE
-_winapi_CreateFile_impl(PyObject *module, LPCTSTR file_name,
+_winapi_CreateFile_impl(PyObject *module, LPCWSTR file_name,
                         DWORD desired_access, DWORD share_mode,
                         LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES security_attributes,
                         DWORD creation_disposition,
                         DWORD flags_and_attributes, HANDLE template_file)
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=417ddcebfc5a3d53 input=6423c3e40372dbd5]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=818c811e5e04d550 input=1fa870ed1c2e3d69]*/
 {
     HANDLE handle;
 
@@ -468,14 +468,15 @@ _winapi_CreateFile_impl(PyObject *module, LPCTSTR file_name,
     }
 
     Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
-    handle = CreateFile(file_name, desired_access,
-                        share_mode, security_attributes,
-                        creation_disposition,
-                        flags_and_attributes, template_file);
+    handle = CreateFileW(file_name, desired_access,
+                         share_mode, security_attributes,
+                         creation_disposition,
+                         flags_and_attributes, template_file);
     Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
 
-    if (handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+    if (handle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
         PyErr_SetFromWindowsErr(0);
+    }
 
     return handle;
 }
diff --git a/Modules/clinic/_winapi.c.h b/Modules/clinic/_winapi.c.h
index 3a3231c051ef71..d1052f38919dde 100644
--- a/Modules/clinic/_winapi.c.h
+++ b/Modules/clinic/_winapi.c.h
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ PyDoc_STRVAR(_winapi_CreateFile__doc__,
     {"CreateFile", _PyCFunction_CAST(_winapi_CreateFile), METH_FASTCALL, _winapi_CreateFile__doc__},
 
 static HANDLE
-_winapi_CreateFile_impl(PyObject *module, LPCTSTR file_name,
+_winapi_CreateFile_impl(PyObject *module, LPCWSTR file_name,
                         DWORD desired_access, DWORD share_mode,
                         LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES security_attributes,
                         DWORD creation_disposition,
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ static PyObject *
 _winapi_CreateFile(PyObject *module, PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs)
 {
     PyObject *return_value = NULL;
-    LPCTSTR file_name;
+    LPCWSTR file_name = NULL;
     DWORD desired_access;
     DWORD share_mode;
     LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES security_attributes;
@@ -181,8 +181,8 @@ _winapi_CreateFile(PyObject *module, PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs)
     HANDLE template_file;
     HANDLE _return_value;
 
-    if (!_PyArg_ParseStack(args, nargs, "skk" F_POINTER "kk" F_HANDLE ":CreateFile",
-        &file_name, &desired_access, &share_mode, &security_attributes, &creation_disposition, &flags_and_attributes, &template_file)) {
+    if (!_PyArg_ParseStack(args, nargs, "O&kk" F_POINTER "kk" F_HANDLE ":CreateFile",
+        _PyUnicode_WideCharString_Converter, &file_name, &desired_access, &share_mode, &security_attributes, &creation_disposition, &flags_and_attributes, &template_file)) {
         goto exit;
     }
     _return_value = _winapi_CreateFile_impl(module, file_name, desired_access, share_mode, security_attributes, creation_disposition, flags_and_attributes, template_file);
@@ -195,6 +195,9 @@ _winapi_CreateFile(PyObject *module, PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs)
     return_value = HANDLE_TO_PYNUM(_return_value);
 
 exit:
+    /* Cleanup for file_name */
+    PyMem_Free((void *)file_name);
+
     return return_value;
 }
 
@@ -1479,4 +1482,4 @@ _winapi_CopyFile2(PyObject *module, PyObject *const *args, Py_ssize_t nargs, PyO
 
     return return_value;
 }
-/*[clinic end generated code: output=e1a9908bb82a6379 input=a9049054013a1b77]*/
+/*[clinic end generated code: output=2350d4f2275d3a6f input=a9049054013a1b77]*/