diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index fc06c95..a9ada9e 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ write_ods(list("some_car_data" = mtcars, "some_flower_data" = iris))
 
 ## bug fixes
 
-* Fix #157 `list_fods_sheets()` cannot accept `~` as path
+* Fix #157 `list_fods_sheets()` and `read_fods()` cannot accept `~` as path
 
 # readODS 2.05
 
diff --git a/R/read_ods.R b/R/read_ods.R
index 9a14436..fdc76c0 100644
--- a/R/read_ods.R
+++ b/R/read_ods.R
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@
         strings_as_factors,
         verbose,
         as_tibble)
+    path <- normalizePath(path)
     if (flat) {
         .get_sheet_names_func <- get_flat_sheet_names_
         .read_ods_func <- read_flat_ods_
@@ -317,7 +318,7 @@ read_fods <- function(path,
                         as_tibble = TRUE,
                         .name_repair = "unique") {
     ## Should use match.call but there's a weird bug if one of the variable names is 'file'
-    .read_ods(path = path,
+    .read_ods(path = normalizePath(path, mustWork = FALSE),
               sheet = sheet,
               col_names = col_names,
               col_types = col_types,
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test_read_fods.R b/tests/testthat/test_read_fods.R
index dd90120..7f33666 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test_read_fods.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test_read_fods.R
@@ -13,4 +13,12 @@ test_that("Error when not correct", {
 test_that("Return blank/error if mangled FODS", {
   expect_warning(read_fods("../testdata/norows.fods"))
   expect_warning(read_fods("../testdata/nocells.fods"))
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+})
+
+test_that("fix #157", {
+    skip_if(file.access("~/", 2) != 0)
+    file.copy("../testdata/flat.fods", "~/flat_you_must_not_use_this_path.fods")
+    expect_error(read_fods("~/flat_you_must_not_use_this_path.fods"), NA)
+    expect_error(read_fods("~/flat_you_must_not_use_this_path_not.fods"))
+    on.exit(unlink("~/flat_you_must_not_use_this_path.fods"))
+})