diff --git a/src/lib/gui/TlsUtility.cpp b/src/lib/gui/TlsUtility.cpp
index dd947c0ff..9729db220 100644
--- a/src/lib/gui/TlsUtility.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/gui/TlsUtility.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ bool generateCertificate()
   }
 
   try {
-    deskflow::generatePemSelfSignedCert(certPath.toStdString(), keyLength);
+    deskflow::generatePemSelfSignedCert(certPath, keyLength);
   } catch (const std::exception &e) {
     qCritical() << "failed to generate self-signed pem cert: " << e.what();
     return false;
diff --git a/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.cpp b/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.cpp
index d2a515c32..319efd3fa 100644
--- a/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ Fingerprint sslCertFingerprint(const X509 *cert, QCryptographicHash::Algorithm t
   return {type, digestArray};
 }
 
-void generatePemSelfSignedCert(const std::string &path, int keyLength)
+void generatePemSelfSignedCert(const QString &path, int keyLength)
 {
   auto expirationDays = 365;
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ void generatePemSelfSignedCert(const std::string &path, int keyLength)
 
   X509_sign(cert, privateKey, EVP_sha256());
 
-  auto fp = fopenUtf8Path(path.c_str(), "w");
+  auto fp = fopenUtf8Path(path.toStdString().c_str(), "w");
   if (!fp) {
     throw std::runtime_error("could not open certificate output path");
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.h b/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.h
index 3f1063c35..d8dc33f13 100644
--- a/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.h
+++ b/src/lib/net/SecureUtils.h
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@
 
 #include <openssl/x509.h>
 
-#include <string>
-
 namespace deskflow {
 
 /**
@@ -27,7 +25,7 @@ QString formatSSLFingerprintColumns(const QByteArray &fingerprint);
 
 Fingerprint sslCertFingerprint(const X509 *cert, QCryptographicHash::Algorithm type);
 
-void generatePemSelfSignedCert(const std::string &path, int keyLength = 2048);
+void generatePemSelfSignedCert(const QString &path, int keyLength = 2048);
 
 QString generateFingerprintArt(const QByteArray &rawDigest);
 } // namespace deskflow