diff --git a/python/helpers/pydev/_pydev_bundle/pydev_monkey.py b/python/helpers/pydev/_pydev_bundle/pydev_monkey.py
index 0f0db77023f0..05c552c250e0 100644
--- a/python/helpers/pydev/_pydev_bundle/pydev_monkey.py
+++ b/python/helpers/pydev/_pydev_bundle/pydev_monkey.py
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import os
 import sys
 import traceback
 from _pydev_imps._pydev_saved_modules import threading
-from _pydevd_bundle.pydevd_constants import get_global_debugger, IS_WINDOWS, IS_MACOS, IS_JYTHON, IS_PY36_OR_LESSER, IS_PY38_OR_GREATER, \
+from _pydevd_bundle.pydevd_constants import get_global_debugger, IS_WINDOWS, IS_MACOS, \
+    IS_JYTHON, IS_PY36_OR_LESSER, IS_PY36_OR_GREATER, IS_PY38_OR_GREATER, \
     get_current_thread_id
 from _pydev_bundle import pydev_log
 
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ def starts_with_python_shebang(path):
 
 
 def is_python(path):
-    if isinstance(path, os.PathLike):
+    if IS_PY36_OR_GREATER and isinstance(path, os.PathLike):
         path = path.__fspath__()
     if path.endswith("'") or path.endswith('"'):
         path = path[1:len(path) - 1]