diff --git a/package/MDAnalysis/topology/base.py b/package/MDAnalysis/topology/base.py
index 2d0f53809ee..1ced8a090b0 100644
--- a/package/MDAnalysis/topology/base.py
+++ b/package/MDAnalysis/topology/base.py
@@ -117,7 +117,10 @@ class TopologyReaderBase(IOBase, metaclass=_Topologymeta):
     """
     def __init__(self, filename):
        
-       self.filename = filename
+        if isinstance(filename, util.NamedStream):
+            self.filename = filename
+        else:
+            self.filename = str(filename)
 
     def parse(self, **kwargs):  # pragma: no cover
         raise NotImplementedError("Override this in each subclass")