diff --git a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
index 1c62dd569d7..d4fbbd4fc0a 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/plugins/filter/core.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import hashlib
 import json
 import ntpath
 import os.path
+from pathlib import Path
 import re
 import shlex
 import sys
@@ -576,9 +577,9 @@ def path_join(paths):
     ''' takes a sequence or a string, and return a concatenation
         of the different members '''
     if isinstance(paths, string_types):
-        return os.path.join(paths)
+        return Path(paths).as_posix()
     if is_sequence(paths):
-        return os.path.join(*paths)
+        return Path(*paths).as_posix()
     raise AnsibleFilterTypeError("|path_join expects string or sequence, got %s instead." % type(paths))
 
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/files/foo.txt b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/files/foo.txt
index 9bd9b636719..85f1a3e1e26 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/files/foo.txt
+++ b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/files/foo.txt
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ files to exist and are passthrus to the python os.path functions
 path_join_simple = /etc/subdir/test
 path_join_with_slash = /test
 path_join_relative = etc/subdir/test
+path_join_merged = /etc/subdir/test
 
 TODO: realpath follows symlinks.  There isn't a test for this just now.
 
diff --git a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2 b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2
index a69ba5ef219..b98836840be 100644
--- a/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2
+++ b/test/integration/targets/filter_core/templates/foo.j2
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ files to exist and are passthrus to the python os.path functions
 path_join_simple = {{ ('/etc', 'subdir', 'test') | path_join }}
 path_join_with_slash = {{ ('/etc', 'subdir', '/test') | path_join }}
 path_join_relative = {{ ('etc', 'subdir', 'test') | path_join }}
+path_join_merged = {{ ('/etc', 'subdir//test') | path_join }}
 
 TODO: realpath follows symlinks.  There isn't a test for this just now.