diff --git a/chirp/path_utils.py b/chirp/path_utils.py
index 4ab1b3b4..cbe6a68e 100644
--- a/chirp/path_utils.py
+++ b/chirp/path_utils.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 General utilities to help with handling paths.
 """
 import os
+from typing import BinaryIO, TextIO
 
 from etils import epath
 
@@ -33,3 +34,7 @@ def get_absolute_path(relative_path: os.PathLike[str] | str) -> epath.Path:
   """
   file_path = epath.Path(__file__).parent / relative_path
   return file_path
+
+
+def open_file(relative_path: os.PathLike[str] | str, mode) -> TextIO | BinaryIO:
+  return open(get_absolute_path(relative_path), mode)
diff --git a/chirp/taxonomy/namespace_db.py b/chirp/taxonomy/namespace_db.py
index 11b1def0..7fccea77 100644
--- a/chirp/taxonomy/namespace_db.py
+++ b/chirp/taxonomy/namespace_db.py
@@ -22,10 +22,9 @@
 
 from chirp import path_utils
 from chirp.taxonomy import namespace
+from etils import epath
 
-TAXONOMY_DATABASE_FILENAME = os.fspath(
-    path_utils.get_absolute_path("taxonomy/taxonomy_database.json")
-)
+TAXONOMY_DATABASE_FILENAME = "taxonomy/taxonomy_database.json"
 
 
 @dataclasses.dataclass
@@ -136,7 +135,8 @@ def dump_db(taxonomy_database: TaxonomyDatabase, validate: bool = True) -> str:
 
 @functools.cache
 def load_db(
-    path: str = TAXONOMY_DATABASE_FILENAME, validate: bool = True
+    path: os.PathLike[str] | str = TAXONOMY_DATABASE_FILENAME,
+    validate: bool = True,
 ) -> TaxonomyDatabase:
   """Load the taxonomy database.
 
@@ -151,8 +151,7 @@ def load_db(
   Returns:
     The taxonomy database.
   """
-  fileobj = open(path, "r")
-  with fileobj as f:
+  with path_utils.open_file(path, "r") as f:
     data = json.load(f)
   taxonomy_database = load_taxonomy_database(data)
   if validate: