diff --git a/document.c b/document.c
index b35ebcf..6b8a505 100644
--- a/document.c
+++ b/document.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ zathura_document_open(zathura_t* zathura, const char* path, const char* password
     return NULL;
   }
 
-  if (file_exists(path) == false) {
+  if (g_file_test(path, G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS) == FALSE) {
     girara_error("File '%s' does not exist", path);
     return NULL;
   }
diff --git a/tests/test_utils.c b/tests/test_utils.c
index e36c672..6f927e2 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils.c
+++ b/tests/test_utils.c
@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@
 
 #include "../utils.h"
 
-START_TEST(test_file_exists_null) {
-  fail_unless(file_exists(NULL) == false, NULL);
-} END_TEST
-
 START_TEST(test_file_get_extension_null) {
   fail_unless(file_get_extension(NULL) == NULL, NULL);
 } END_TEST
@@ -34,11 +30,6 @@ Suite* suite_utils()
   TCase* tcase = NULL;
   Suite* suite = suite_create("Utils");
 
-  /* file exists */
-  tcase = tcase_create("file_exists");
-  tcase_add_test(tcase, test_file_exists_null);
-  suite_add_tcase(suite, tcase);
-
   /* file exists */
   tcase = tcase_create("file_get_extension");
   tcase_add_test(tcase, test_file_get_extension_null);
diff --git a/utils.c b/utils.c
index 3d9911a..5c5bcbc 100644
--- a/utils.c
+++ b/utils.c
@@ -17,16 +17,6 @@
 
 #define BLOCK_SIZE 64
 
-bool
-file_exists(const char* path)
-{
-  if (!access(path, F_OK)) {
-    return true;
-  } else {
-    return false;
-  }
-}
-
 const char*
 file_get_extension(const char* path)
 {
diff --git a/utils.h b/utils.h
index 331ef77..418ba58 100644
--- a/utils.h
+++ b/utils.h
@@ -17,14 +17,6 @@ typedef struct page_offset_s
   int y;
 } page_offset_t;
 
-/**
- * Checks if the given file exists
- *
- * @param path Path to the file
- * @return true if the file exists, otherwise false
- */
-bool file_exists(const char* path);
-
 /**
  * Returns the file extension of a path
  *