diff --git a/system/Autoloader/Autoloader.php b/system/Autoloader/Autoloader.php
index 6dea8cdd0163..5052a4083695 100644
--- a/system/Autoloader/Autoloader.php
+++ b/system/Autoloader/Autoloader.php
@@ -346,8 +346,6 @@ protected function requireFile($file)
 	 * dashes with a single dash. Trim period, dash and underscore from beginning
 	 * and end of filename.
 	 *
-	 * @todo Move to a helper?
-	 *
 	 * @param string $filename
 	 *
 	 * @return string       The sanitized filename
@@ -358,7 +356,8 @@ public function sanitizeFilename(string $filename): string
 		// Plus the forward slash for directory separators since this might
 		// be a path.
 		// http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/basedefs/V1_chap03.html#tag_03_278
-		$filename = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9\s\/\-\_\.]/', '', $filename);
+		// Modified to allow backslash and colons for on Windows machines.
+		$filename = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9\s\/\-\_\.\:\\\\]/', '', $filename);
 
 		// Clean up our filename edges.
 		$filename = trim($filename, '.-_');
diff --git a/tests/system/Autoloader/AutoloaderTest.php b/tests/system/Autoloader/AutoloaderTest.php
index ad5916fa0a72..9e0da8af7625 100644
--- a/tests/system/Autoloader/AutoloaderTest.php
+++ b/tests/system/Autoloader/AutoloaderTest.php
@@ -127,13 +127,20 @@ public function testLoadLegacy()
 
 	public function testSanitizationSimply()
 	{
-		$test = '${../path}!#:/to/some/file.php_';
+		$test = '${../path}!#/to/some/file.php_';
 		$expected = '/path/to/some/file.php';
 
 		$this->assertEquals($expected, $this->loader->sanitizeFilename($test));
 	}
 
 	//--------------------------------------------------------------------
+	
+	public function testSanitizationAllowsWindowsFilepaths()
+	{
+		$test = 'C:\path\to\some/file.php';
 
+		$this->assertEquals($test, $this->loader->sanitizeFilename($test));
+	}
 
+	//--------------------------------------------------------------------
 }