diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 69b2d217..4bbaca1b 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+# 1.7.2
+
+* Remove the use of the path module from common code used by browser builds.
+  This should remove the need to polyfill path in the browser.
+
 # 1.7.1
 
 * Handle numbering level definitions without an explicit format.
diff --git a/lib/docx/docx-reader.js b/lib/docx/docx-reader.js
index 5f0fd054..0d72cd76 100644
--- a/lib/docx/docx-reader.js
+++ b/lib/docx/docx-reader.js
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 exports.read = read;
 exports._findPartPaths = findPartPaths;
 
-var path = require("path");
-
 var promises = require("../promises");
 var documents = require("../documents");
 var Result = require("../results").Result;
@@ -27,7 +25,7 @@ function read(docxFile, input) {
         contentTypes: readContentTypesFromZipFile(docxFile),
         partPaths: findPartPaths(docxFile),
         docxFile: docxFile,
-        files: new Files(input.path ? path.dirname(input.path) : null)
+        files: input.path ? Files.relativeToFile(input.path) : new Files(null)
     }).also(function(result) {
         return {
             styles: readStylesFromZipFile(docxFile, result.partPaths.styles)
diff --git a/lib/docx/files.js b/lib/docx/files.js
index 6380ea46..502db086 100644
--- a/lib/docx/files.js
+++ b/lib/docx/files.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 var fs = require("fs");
 var url = require("url");
 var os = require("os");
+var dirname = require("path").dirname;
 var resolvePath = require("path").resolve;
 var isAbsolutePath = require('path-is-absolute');
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ function Files(base) {
             });
         });
     }
-    
+
     function resolveUri(uri) {
         var path = uriToPath(uri);
         if (isAbsolutePath(path)) {
@@ -31,12 +32,20 @@ function Files(base) {
             return promises.reject(new Error("could not find external image '" + uri + "', path of input document is unknown"));
         }
     }
-    
+
     return {
         read: read
     };
 }
 
+
+function relativeToFile(filePath) {
+    return new Files(dirname(filePath));
+}
+
+Files.relativeToFile = relativeToFile;
+
+
 var readFile = promises.promisify(fs.readFile.bind(fs));
 
 
@@ -44,7 +53,7 @@ function uriToPath(uriString, platform) {
     if (!platform) {
         platform = os.platform();
     }
-    
+
     var uri = url.parse(uriString);
     if (isLocalFileUri(uri) || isRelativeUri(uri)) {
         var path = decodeURIComponent(uri.path);