diff --git a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
index e766b79ef7a..93b3b073c0c 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/coreapi.go
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ import (
 
 	core "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core"
 	coreiface "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi/interface"
-	path "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
+	ipfspath "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/path"
 
 	ipld "gx/ipfs/QmRSU5EqqWVZSNdbU51yXmVoF1uNw3JgTNB6RaiL7DZM16/go-ipld-node"
+	cid "gx/ipfs/QmcTcsTvfaeEBRFo1TkFgT8sRmgi1n1LTZpecfVP8fzpGD/go-cid"
 )
 
 type CoreAPI struct {
@@ -23,17 +24,47 @@ func (api *CoreAPI) Unixfs() coreiface.UnixfsAPI {
 	return (*UnixfsAPI)(api)
 }
 
-func resolve(ctx context.Context, n *core.IpfsNode, p string) (ipld.Node, error) {
-	pp, err := path.ParsePath(p)
+func (api *CoreAPI) ResolveNode(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path) (ipld.Node, error) {
+	p, err := api.ResolvePath(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	dagnode, err := core.Resolve(ctx, n.Namesys, n.Resolver, pp)
+	node, err := api.node.DAG.Get(ctx, p.Cid())
 	if err == core.ErrNoNamesys {
 		return nil, coreiface.ErrOffline
 	} else if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return dagnode, nil
+	return node, nil
 }
+
+func (api *CoreAPI) ResolvePath(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path) (coreiface.Path, error) {
+	if p.Resolved() {
+		return p, nil
+	}
+
+	c, err := core.ResolveToCid(ctx, api.node, ipfspath.FromString(p.String()))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return NewResolvedPath(p.String(), c), nil
+}
+
+type path struct {
+	path string
+	cid  *cid.Cid
+}
+
+func ParsePath(p string) (coreiface.Path, error) {
+	pp, err := ipfspath.ParsePath(p)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &path{path: pp.String()}, nil
+}
+func NewResolvedPath(p string, c *cid.Cid) coreiface.Path { return &path{path: p, cid: c} }
+func NewPathFromCid(c *cid.Cid) coreiface.Path            { return &path{path: "/ipfs/" + c.String(), cid: c} }
+func (p *path) String() string                            { return p.path }
+func (p *path) Cid() *cid.Cid                             { return p.cid }
+func (p *path) Resolved() bool                            { return p.cid != nil }
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
index cb62b53042b..475df670986 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ import (
 	cid "gx/ipfs/QmcTcsTvfaeEBRFo1TkFgT8sRmgi1n1LTZpecfVP8fzpGD/go-cid"
 )
 
+type Path interface {
+	String() string
+	Resolved() bool
+	Cid() *cid.Cid
+}
+
 type Link ipld.Link
 
 type Reader interface {
@@ -18,12 +24,15 @@ type Reader interface {
 
 type CoreAPI interface {
 	Unixfs() UnixfsAPI
+	ResolvePath(context.Context, Path) (Path, error)
+	ResolveNode(context.Context, Path) (ipld.Node, error)
 }
 
 type UnixfsAPI interface {
-	Add(context.Context, io.Reader) (*cid.Cid, error)
-	Cat(context.Context, string) (Reader, error)
-	Ls(context.Context, string) ([]*Link, error)
+	Core() CoreAPI
+	Add(context.Context, io.Reader) (Path, error)
+	Cat(context.Context, Path) (Reader, error)
+	Ls(context.Context, Path) ([]*Link, error)
 }
 
 // type ObjectAPI interface {
diff --git a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
index 45a0cbe1164..b9a103aea5d 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/unixfs.go
@@ -13,16 +13,24 @@ import (
 
 type UnixfsAPI CoreAPI
 
-func (api *UnixfsAPI) Add(ctx context.Context, r io.Reader) (*cid.Cid, error) {
+func (api *UnixfsAPI) Core() coreiface.CoreAPI {
+	return (*CoreAPI)(api)
+}
+
+func (api *UnixfsAPI) Add(ctx context.Context, r io.Reader) (coreiface.Path, error) {
 	k, err := coreunix.AddWithContext(ctx, api.node, r)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return cid.Decode(k)
+	c, err := cid.Decode(k)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return NewPathFromCid(c), nil
 }
 
-func (api *UnixfsAPI) Cat(ctx context.Context, p string) (coreiface.Reader, error) {
-	dagnode, err := resolve(ctx, api.node, p)
+func (api *UnixfsAPI) Cat(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path) (coreiface.Reader, error) {
+	dagnode, err := api.Core().ResolveNode(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -36,8 +44,8 @@ func (api *UnixfsAPI) Cat(ctx context.Context, p string) (coreiface.Reader, erro
 	return r, nil
 }
 
-func (api *UnixfsAPI) Ls(ctx context.Context, p string) ([]*coreiface.Link, error) {
-	dagnode, err := resolve(ctx, api.node, p)
+func (api *UnixfsAPI) Ls(ctx context.Context, p coreiface.Path) ([]*coreiface.Link, error) {
+	dagnode, err := api.Core().ResolveNode(ctx, p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
index 7122b0124e1..a0bc7c6c671 100644
--- a/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
+++ b/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	core "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core"
+	coreapi "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi"
 	coreiface "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/core/coreapi/interface"
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/importer"
 	chunk "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/importer/chunk"
@@ -158,7 +159,13 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWr
 		ipnsHostname = true
 	}
 
-	dr, err := i.api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, urlPath)
+	parsedPath, err := coreapi.ParsePath(urlPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		webError(w, "invalid ipfs path", err, http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+
+	dr, err := i.api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, parsedPath)
 	dir := false
 	switch err {
 	case nil:
@@ -231,7 +238,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWr
 		return
 	}
 
-	links, err := i.api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, urlPath)
+	links, err := i.api.Unixfs().Ls(ctx, parsedPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		internalWebError(w, err)
 		return
@@ -253,14 +260,7 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWr
 				return
 			}
 
-			p, err := path.ParsePath(urlPath + "/index.html")
-			if err != nil {
-				internalWebError(w, err)
-				return
-			}
-
-			// return index page instead.
-			dr, err := i.api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, p.String())
+			dr, err := i.api.Unixfs().Cat(ctx, coreapi.NewPathFromCid(link.Cid))
 			if err != nil {
 				internalWebError(w, err)
 				return