diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b6db88b00..6a858920c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md) on how to contribute to Cucumber.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
+### Fixed
+- Allow `file://` URLs to be used as formatter/snippet paths in options ([#1963](https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber-js/pull/1963) [#1920](https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber-js/issues/1920))
 
 ## [8.0.0-rc.3] - 2022-03-21
 ### Added
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ See [docs/profiles.md](./docs/profiles.md#using-another-file-than-cucumberjs) fo
 
 ### Changed
 - Relative paths for custom snippet syntaxes must begin with `.` ([#1640](https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber-js/issues/1640))
+- Absolute paths for custom formatters and snippet syntaxes must be a valid `file://` URL
 - Use performance timers for test case duration measurement.
 [#1793](https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber-js/pull/1793)
 
diff --git a/docs/formatters.md b/docs/formatters.md
index eb19cd808..f611989fd 100644
--- a/docs/formatters.md
+++ b/docs/formatters.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ For each value you provide, `TYPE` should be one of:
 * The name of one of the built-in formatters (below) e.g. `progress`
 * A module/package name e.g. `@cucumber/pretty-formatter`
 * A relative path to a local formatter implementation e.g. `./my-customer-formatter.js`
+* An absolute path to a local formatter implementation in the form of a `file://` URL
 
 If `PATH` is supplied, the formatter prints to the given file, otherwise it prints to `stdout`.
 
diff --git a/src/api/convert_configuration.ts b/src/api/convert_configuration.ts
index 63735cf22..866b91802 100644
--- a/src/api/convert_configuration.ts
+++ b/src/api/convert_configuration.ts
@@ -32,35 +32,32 @@ export async function convertConfiguration(
       strict: flatConfiguration.strict,
       worldParameters: flatConfiguration.worldParameters,
     },
-    formats: {
-      stdout:
-        [...flatConfiguration.format]
-          .reverse()
-          .find((option) => !option.includes(':')) ?? 'progress',
-      files: flatConfiguration.format
-        .filter((option) => option.includes(':'))
-        .reduce((mapped, item) => {
-          const [type, target] = OptionSplitter.split(item)
-          return {
-            ...mapped,
-            [target]: type,
-          }
-        }, {}),
-      publish: makePublishConfig(flatConfiguration, env),
-      options: flatConfiguration.formatOptions,
-    },
+    formats: convertFormats(flatConfiguration, env),
   }
 }
 
-function isPublishing(
+function convertFormats(
   flatConfiguration: IConfiguration,
   env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv
-): boolean {
-  return (
-    flatConfiguration.publish ||
-    isTruthyString(env.CUCUMBER_PUBLISH_ENABLED) ||
-    env.CUCUMBER_PUBLISH_TOKEN !== undefined
+) {
+  const splitFormats: string[][] = flatConfiguration.format.map((item) =>
+    OptionSplitter.split(item)
   )
+  return {
+    stdout:
+      [...splitFormats].reverse().find(([, target]) => !target)?.[0] ??
+      'progress',
+    files: splitFormats
+      .filter(([, target]) => !!target)
+      .reduce((mapped, [type, target]) => {
+        return {
+          ...mapped,
+          [target]: type,
+        }
+      }, {}),
+    publish: makePublishConfig(flatConfiguration, env),
+    options: flatConfiguration.formatOptions,
+  }
 }
 
 function makePublishConfig(
@@ -76,3 +73,14 @@ function makePublishConfig(
     token: env.CUCUMBER_PUBLISH_TOKEN,
   }
 }
+
+function isPublishing(
+  flatConfiguration: IConfiguration,
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv
+): boolean {
+  return (
+    flatConfiguration.publish ||
+    isTruthyString(env.CUCUMBER_PUBLISH_ENABLED) ||
+    env.CUCUMBER_PUBLISH_TOKEN !== undefined
+  )
+}
diff --git a/src/api/convert_configuration_spec.ts b/src/api/convert_configuration_spec.ts
index e0c870877..a864291f1 100644
--- a/src/api/convert_configuration_spec.ts
+++ b/src/api/convert_configuration_spec.ts
@@ -63,4 +63,28 @@ describe('convertConfiguration', () => {
       options: {},
     })
   })
+
+  it('should map formatters correctly when file:// urls are involved', async () => {
+    const result = await convertConfiguration(
+      {
+        ...DEFAULT_CONFIGURATION,
+        format: [
+          'file:///my/fancy/formatter',
+          'json:./report.json',
+          'html:./report.html',
+        ],
+      },
+      {}
+    )
+
+    expect(result.formats).to.eql({
+      stdout: 'file:///my/fancy/formatter',
+      files: {
+        './report.html': 'html',
+        './report.json': 'json',
+      },
+      publish: false,
+      options: {},
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/configuration/option_splitter.ts b/src/configuration/option_splitter.ts
index c65ad2235..5e0fa616d 100644
--- a/src/configuration/option_splitter.ts
+++ b/src/configuration/option_splitter.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ export const OptionSplitter = {
   split(option: string): string[] {
     option = option.replace(/"/g, '')
 
-    const parts = option.split(/([^A-Z]):(?!\\)/)
+    const parts = option.split(/((?:file){0}):(?!\\|\/\/)/)
 
     const result = parts.reduce((memo: string[], part: string, i: number) => {
       if (partNeedsRecombined(i)) {
diff --git a/src/configuration/option_splitter_spec.ts b/src/configuration/option_splitter_spec.ts
index 93e48cdb2..371e8c65c 100644
--- a/src/configuration/option_splitter_spec.ts
+++ b/src/configuration/option_splitter_spec.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ describe('OptionSplitter', () => {
     },
     {
       description: 'splits absolute unix paths',
-      input: '/custom/formatter:/formatter/output.txt',
-      output: ['/custom/formatter', '/formatter/output.txt'],
+      input: 'file:///custom/formatter:file:///formatter/output.txt',
+      output: ['file:///custom/formatter', 'file:///formatter/output.txt'],
     },
     {
       description: 'splits paths with quotes around them',
@@ -26,14 +26,17 @@ describe('OptionSplitter', () => {
     },
     {
       description: 'splits absolute windows paths',
-      input: 'C:\\custom\\formatter:C:\\formatter\\output.txt',
-      output: ['C:\\custom\\formatter', 'C:\\formatter\\output.txt'],
+      input: 'file://C:\\custom\\formatter:file://C:\\formatter\\output.txt',
+      output: [
+        'file://C:\\custom\\formatter',
+        'file://C:\\formatter\\output.txt',
+      ],
     },
     {
       description:
         'does not split a single absolute windows paths, adds empty string',
-      input: 'C:\\custom\\formatter',
-      output: ['C:\\custom\\formatter', ''],
+      input: 'file://C:\\custom\\formatter',
+      output: ['file://C:\\custom\\formatter', ''],
     },
   ]
 
diff --git a/src/formatter/builder_spec.ts b/src/formatter/builder_spec.ts
index 0fde14b4c..a6b7ea54d 100644
--- a/src/formatter/builder_spec.ts
+++ b/src/formatter/builder_spec.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,22 @@
 import { expect } from 'chai'
 import FormatterBuilder from './builder'
+import { pathToFileURL } from 'url'
+import path from 'path'
 
 describe('custom class loading', () => {
+  it('should handle a file:// url', async () => {
+    const fileUrl = pathToFileURL(
+      path.resolve(__dirname, './fixtures/module_dot_exports.cjs')
+    ).toString()
+    const CustomClass = await FormatterBuilder.loadCustomClass(
+      'formatter',
+      fileUrl,
+      __dirname
+    )
+
+    expect(typeof CustomClass).to.eq('function')
+  })
+
   it('should handle cjs module.exports', async () => {
     const CustomClass = await FormatterBuilder.loadCustomClass(
       'formatter',