diff --git a/api/next/57151.txt b/api/next/57151.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..5d0e34e8b77fd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/next/57151.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+pkg path/filepath, func Localize(string) (string, error) #57151
diff --git a/doc/next/6-stdlib/99-minor/path/filepath/57151.md b/doc/next/6-stdlib/99-minor/path/filepath/57151.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..67e84894fe75ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/next/6-stdlib/99-minor/path/filepath/57151.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+The new [`Localize`](/path/filepath#Localize) function safely converts
+a slash-separated path into an operating system path.
diff --git a/src/internal/safefilepath/path.go b/src/internal/safefilepath/path.go
index 0f0a270c3034be..c2cc6ce5d4965a 100644
--- a/src/internal/safefilepath/path.go
+++ b/src/internal/safefilepath/path.go
@@ -7,15 +7,20 @@ package safefilepath
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"io/fs"
 )
 
 var errInvalidPath = errors.New("invalid path")
 
-// FromFS converts a slash-separated path into an operating-system path.
+// Localize is filepath.Localize.
 //
-// FromFS returns an error if the path cannot be represented by the operating
-// system. For example, paths containing '\' and ':' characters are rejected
-// on Windows.
-func FromFS(path string) (string, error) {
-	return fromFS(path)
+// It is implemented in this package to avoid a dependency cycle
+// between os and file/filepath.
+//
+// Tests for this function are in path/filepath.
+func Localize(path string) (string, error) {
+	if !fs.ValidPath(path) {
+		return "", errInvalidPath
+	}
+	return localize(path)
 }
diff --git a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_other.go b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_other.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 10971e82032914..00000000000000
--- a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_other.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2022 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
-// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
-// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-
-//go:build !windows
-
-package safefilepath
-
-import (
-	"internal/bytealg"
-	"runtime"
-)
-
-func fromFS(path string) (string, error) {
-	if runtime.GOOS == "plan9" {
-		if len(path) > 0 && path[0] == '#' {
-			return "", errInvalidPath
-		}
-	}
-	if bytealg.IndexByteString(path, 0) >= 0 {
-		return "", errInvalidPath
-	}
-	return path, nil
-}
diff --git a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_plan9.go b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_plan9.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..55627c5102a9c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_plan9.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+package safefilepath
+
+import "internal/bytealg"
+
+func localize(path string) (string, error) {
+	if path[0] == '#' || bytealg.IndexByteString(path, 0) >= 0 {
+		return "", errInvalidPath
+	}
+	return path, nil
+}
diff --git a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_test.go b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index dc662c18b3d03b..00000000000000
--- a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,88 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright 2022 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
-// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
-// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
-
-package safefilepath_test
-
-import (
-	"internal/safefilepath"
-	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
-	"runtime"
-	"testing"
-)
-
-type PathTest struct {
-	path, result string
-}
-
-const invalid = ""
-
-var fspathtests = []PathTest{
-	{".", "."},
-	{"/a/b/c", "/a/b/c"},
-	{"a\x00b", invalid},
-}
-
-var winreservedpathtests = []PathTest{
-	{`a\b`, `a\b`},
-	{`a:b`, `a:b`},
-	{`a/b:c`, `a/b:c`},
-	{`NUL`, `NUL`},
-	{`./com1`, `./com1`},
-	{`a/nul/b`, `a/nul/b`},
-}
-
-// Whether a reserved name with an extension is reserved or not varies by
-// Windows version.
-var winreservedextpathtests = []PathTest{
-	{"nul.txt", "nul.txt"},
-	{"a/nul.txt/b", "a/nul.txt/b"},
-}
-
-var plan9reservedpathtests = []PathTest{
-	{`#c`, `#c`},
-}
-
-func TestFromFS(t *testing.T) {
-	switch runtime.GOOS {
-	case "windows":
-		if canWriteFile(t, "NUL") {
-			t.Errorf("can unexpectedly write a file named NUL on Windows")
-		}
-		if canWriteFile(t, "nul.txt") {
-			fspathtests = append(fspathtests, winreservedextpathtests...)
-		} else {
-			winreservedpathtests = append(winreservedpathtests, winreservedextpathtests...)
-		}
-		for i := range winreservedpathtests {
-			winreservedpathtests[i].result = invalid
-		}
-		for i := range fspathtests {
-			fspathtests[i].result = filepath.FromSlash(fspathtests[i].result)
-		}
-	case "plan9":
-		for i := range plan9reservedpathtests {
-			plan9reservedpathtests[i].result = invalid
-		}
-	}
-	tests := fspathtests
-	tests = append(tests, winreservedpathtests...)
-	tests = append(tests, plan9reservedpathtests...)
-	for _, test := range tests {
-		got, err := safefilepath.FromFS(test.path)
-		if (got == "") != (err != nil) {
-			t.Errorf(`FromFS(%q) = %q, %v; want "" only if err != nil`, test.path, got, err)
-		}
-		if got != test.result {
-			t.Errorf("FromFS(%q) = %q, %v; want %q", test.path, got, err, test.result)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-func canWriteFile(t *testing.T, name string) bool {
-	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), name)
-	os.WriteFile(path, []byte("ok"), 0666)
-	b, _ := os.ReadFile(path)
-	return string(b) == "ok"
-}
diff --git a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_unix.go b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_unix.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..873d0935ec8714
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_unix.go
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The Go Authors. All rights reserved.
+// Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style
+// license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+//go:build unix || (js && wasm) || wasip1
+
+package safefilepath
+
+import "internal/bytealg"
+
+func localize(path string) (string, error) {
+	if bytealg.IndexByteString(path, 0) >= 0 {
+		return "", errInvalidPath
+	}
+	return path, nil
+}
diff --git a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_windows.go b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_windows.go
index 7cfd6ce2eac262..b626196f11c56c 100644
--- a/src/internal/safefilepath/path_windows.go
+++ b/src/internal/safefilepath/path_windows.go
@@ -5,36 +5,31 @@
 package safefilepath
 
 import (
+	"internal/bytealg"
 	"syscall"
-	"unicode/utf8"
 )
 
-func fromFS(path string) (string, error) {
-	if !utf8.ValidString(path) {
-		return "", errInvalidPath
-	}
-	for len(path) > 1 && path[0] == '/' && path[1] == '/' {
-		path = path[1:]
+func localize(path string) (string, error) {
+	for i := 0; i < len(path); i++ {
+		switch path[i] {
+		case ':', '\\', 0:
+			return "", errInvalidPath
+		}
 	}
 	containsSlash := false
 	for p := path; p != ""; {
 		// Find the next path element.
-		i := 0
-		for i < len(p) && p[i] != '/' {
-			switch p[i] {
-			case 0, '\\', ':':
-				return "", errInvalidPath
-			}
-			i++
-		}
-		part := p[:i]
-		if i < len(p) {
+		var element string
+		i := bytealg.IndexByteString(p, '/')
+		if i < 0 {
+			element = p
+			p = ""
+		} else {
 			containsSlash = true
+			element = p[:i]
 			p = p[i+1:]
-		} else {
-			p = ""
 		}
-		if IsReservedName(part) {
+		if IsReservedName(element) {
 			return "", errInvalidPath
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/net/http/fs.go b/src/net/http/fs.go
index 678b978b7bd641..977c3a766ebb01 100644
--- a/src/net/http/fs.go
+++ b/src/net/http/fs.go
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ package http
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"internal/safefilepath"
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
 	"mime"
@@ -70,7 +69,11 @@ func mapOpenError(originalErr error, name string, sep rune, stat func(string) (f
 // Open implements [FileSystem] using [os.Open], opening files for reading rooted
 // and relative to the directory d.
 func (d Dir) Open(name string) (File, error) {
-	path, err := safefilepath.FromFS(path.Clean("/" + name))
+	path := path.Clean("/" + name)[1:]
+	if path == "" {
+		path = "."
+	}
+	path, err := filepath.Localize(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("http: invalid or unsafe file path")
 	}
diff --git a/src/os/dir.go b/src/os/dir.go
index 5c15127bc170e6..cab16a7a42a4fc 100644
--- a/src/os/dir.go
+++ b/src/os/dir.go
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ func CopyFS(dir string, fsys fs.FS) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		fpath, err := safefilepath.FromFS(path)
+		fpath, err := safefilepath.Localize(path)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/src/os/file.go b/src/os/file.go
index 090ffba4dc738c..228f2f01b60878 100644
--- a/src/os/file.go
+++ b/src/os/file.go
@@ -747,10 +747,7 @@ func (dir dirFS) join(name string) (string, error) {
 	if dir == "" {
 		return "", errors.New("os: DirFS with empty root")
 	}
-	if !fs.ValidPath(name) {
-		return "", ErrInvalid
-	}
-	name, err := safefilepath.FromFS(name)
+	name, err := safefilepath.Localize(name)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", ErrInvalid
 	}
diff --git a/src/path/filepath/path.go b/src/path/filepath/path.go
index 2af0f5b04cfcee..6c8a0aa8b35b8e 100644
--- a/src/path/filepath/path.go
+++ b/src/path/filepath/path.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ package filepath
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"internal/safefilepath"
 	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"slices"
@@ -211,6 +212,18 @@ func unixIsLocal(path string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
+// Localize converts a slash-separated path into an operating system path.
+// The input path must be a valid path as reported by [io/fs.ValidPath].
+//
+// Localize returns an error if the path cannot be represented by the operating system.
+// For example, the path a\b is rejected on Windows, on which \ is a separator
+// character and cannot be part of a filename.
+//
+// The path returned by Localize will always be local, as reported by IsLocal.
+func Localize(path string) (string, error) {
+	return safefilepath.Localize(path)
+}
+
 // ToSlash returns the result of replacing each separator character
 // in path with a slash ('/') character. Multiple separators are
 // replaced by multiple slashes.
@@ -224,6 +237,9 @@ func ToSlash(path string) string {
 // FromSlash returns the result of replacing each slash ('/') character
 // in path with a separator character. Multiple slashes are replaced
 // by multiple separators.
+//
+// See also the Localize function, which converts a slash-separated path
+// as used by the io/fs package to an operating system path.
 func FromSlash(path string) string {
 	if Separator == '/' {
 		return path
diff --git a/src/path/filepath/path_test.go b/src/path/filepath/path_test.go
index c96a758c69528e..1b2a66bc6df38a 100644
--- a/src/path/filepath/path_test.go
+++ b/src/path/filepath/path_test.go
@@ -237,6 +237,73 @@ func TestIsLocal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+type LocalizeTest struct {
+	path string
+	want string
+}
+
+var localizetests = []LocalizeTest{
+	{"", ""},
+	{".", "."},
+	{"..", ""},
+	{"a/..", ""},
+	{"/", ""},
+	{"/a", ""},
+	{"a\xffb", ""},
+	{"a/", ""},
+	{"a/./b", ""},
+	{"\x00", ""},
+	{"a", "a"},
+	{"a/b/c", "a/b/c"},
+}
+
+var plan9localizetests = []LocalizeTest{
+	{"#a", ""},
+	{`a\b:c`, `a\b:c`},
+}
+
+var unixlocalizetests = []LocalizeTest{
+	{"#a", "#a"},
+	{`a\b:c`, `a\b:c`},
+}
+
+var winlocalizetests = []LocalizeTest{
+	{"#a", "#a"},
+	{"c:", ""},
+	{`a\b`, ""},
+	{`a:b`, ""},
+	{`a/b:c`, ""},
+	{`NUL`, ""},
+	{`a/NUL`, ""},
+	{`./com1`, ""},
+	{`a/nul/b`, ""},
+}
+
+func TestLocalize(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := localizetests
+	switch runtime.GOOS {
+	case "plan9":
+		tests = append(tests, plan9localizetests...)
+	case "windows":
+		tests = append(tests, winlocalizetests...)
+		for i := range tests {
+			tests[i].want = filepath.FromSlash(tests[i].want)
+		}
+	default:
+		tests = append(tests, unixlocalizetests...)
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		got, err := filepath.Localize(test.path)
+		wantErr := "<nil>"
+		if test.want == "" {
+			wantErr = "error"
+		}
+		if got != test.want || ((err == nil) != (test.want != "")) {
+			t.Errorf("IsLocal(%q) = %q, %v want %q, %v", test.path, got, err, test.want, wantErr)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 const sep = filepath.Separator
 
 var slashtests = []PathTest{