diff --git a/lib/json-schema/uri/file.rb b/lib/json-schema/uri/file.rb
index 91eddc5b..f44ba3d7 100644
--- a/lib/json-schema/uri/file.rb
+++ b/lib/json-schema/uri/file.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+require 'rbconfig'
 require 'uri'
 
 module URI
@@ -5,28 +6,31 @@ module URI
   # Ruby does not have built-in support for filesystem URIs, and definitely does not have built-in support for
   # using open-uri with filesystem URIs
   class File < Generic
-    
+
     COMPONENT = [
-          :scheme,  
-          :path, 
+          :scheme,
+          :path,
           :fragment,
           :host
         ].freeze
-        
+
     def initialize(*arg)
-      arg[2] = ""
+      # arg[2] is the 'host'; this logic to set it to "" causes file schemes with UNC to break
+      # so don't do it on windows platforms
+      is_windows = (RbConfig::CONFIG['host_os'] =~ /mswin|mingw|cygwin/)
+      arg[2] = "" unless is_windows
       super(*arg)
     end
-    
+
     def self.build(args)
       tmp = Util::make_components_hash(self, args)
       return super(tmp)
     end
-    
+
     def open(*rest, &block)
       ::File.open(self.path, *rest, &block)
     end
-    
+
     @@schemes['FILE'] = File
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end