diff --git a/git/index/base.py b/git/index/base.py
index c9d99840d..4ecd0c5b1 100644
--- a/git/index/base.py
+++ b/git/index/base.py
@@ -1303,7 +1303,7 @@ def _flush_stdin_and_wait(self, proc: "Popen[bytes]", ignore_stdout: bool = Fals
     @default_index
     def checkout(
         self,
-        paths: Union[None, Iterable[PathLike]] = None,
+        paths: Union[None, PathLike, Iterable[PathLike]] = None,
         force: bool = False,
         fprogress: Callable = lambda *args: None,
         allow_unsafe_options: bool = False,
@@ -1442,7 +1442,7 @@ def handle_stderr(proc: "Popen[bytes]", iter_checked_out_files: Iterable[PathLik
             handle_stderr(proc, rval_iter)
             return rval_iter
         else:
-            if isinstance(paths, str):
+            if isinstance(paths, (str, os.PathLike)):
                 paths = [paths]
 
             # Make sure we have our entries loaded before we start checkout_index, which
diff --git a/test/test_index.py b/test/test_index.py
index 8c33fe29d..30cb54565 100644
--- a/test/test_index.py
+++ b/test/test_index.py
@@ -1731,6 +1731,32 @@ def test_index_file_v3_with_git_command(self, tmp_dir):
             assert "A  file2.txt" in status_lines
 
 
+class TestIndexCheckout:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("path_type", [str, Path, PathLikeMock])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("absolute", [False, True])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("directory", [False, True])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("container", ["single", "list", "iterator"])
+    def test_checkout_pathlike(self, tmp_path, path_type, absolute, directory, container):
+        with Repo.init(tmp_path) as repo:
+            nested = tmp_path / "nested"
+            nested.mkdir()
+            files = {"nested/first": b"first", "nested/second": b"second", "outside": b"outside"}
+            for name, data in files.items():
+                (tmp_path / name).write_bytes(data)
+            repo.index.add(list(files))
+
+            path_name = "nested" if directory else "nested/first"
+            path = path_type(str(tmp_path / path_name) if absolute else path_name)
+            paths = path if container == "single" else [path] if container == "list" else iter([path])
+            expected = {"nested/first", "nested/second"} if directory else {"nested/first"}
+            for name in expected:
+                (tmp_path / name).unlink()
+
+            assert set(repo.index.checkout(paths)) == expected
+            for name, data in files.items():
+                assert (tmp_path / name).read_bytes() == data
+
+
 class TestIndexUtils:
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("file_path_type", [str, Path])
     def test_temporary_file_swap(self, tmp_path, file_path_type):