diff --git a/src/uri/mod.rs b/src/uri/mod.rs
index eb7781a8..16b45c84 100644
--- a/src/uri/mod.rs
+++ b/src/uri/mod.rs
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ enum ErrorKind {
     SchemeMissing,
     AuthorityMissing,
     PathAndQueryMissing,
+    PathDoesNotStartWithSlash,
     TooLong,
     Empty,
     SchemeTooLong,
@@ -872,10 +873,17 @@ fn parse_full(mut s: Bytes) -> Result<Uri, InvalidUri> {
         data: unsafe { ByteStr::from_utf8_unchecked(authority) },
     };
 
+    // When absolute, path is coered to / if empty.
+    let path_and_query = if s.is_empty() {
+        PathAndQuery::slash()
+    } else {
+        PathAndQuery::from_shared(s)?
+    };
+
     Ok(Uri {
         scheme: scheme.into(),
         authority,
-        path_and_query: PathAndQuery::from_shared(s)?,
+        path_and_query,
     })
 }
 
@@ -1070,6 +1078,7 @@ impl InvalidUri {
             ErrorKind::SchemeMissing => "scheme missing",
             ErrorKind::AuthorityMissing => "authority missing",
             ErrorKind::PathAndQueryMissing => "path missing",
+            ErrorKind::PathDoesNotStartWithSlash => "path does not start with slash",
             ErrorKind::TooLong => "uri too long",
             ErrorKind::Empty => "empty string",
             ErrorKind::SchemeTooLong => "scheme too long",
diff --git a/src/uri/path.rs b/src/uri/path.rs
index 4c0bbbe7..dfbb2e95 100644
--- a/src/uri/path.rs
+++ b/src/uri/path.rs
@@ -412,6 +412,14 @@ const fn scan_path_and_query(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<Scanned, ErrorKind> {
 
     let mut is_maybe_not_utf8 = false;
 
+    if bytes.is_empty() {
+        return Err(ErrorKind::Empty);
+    }
+
+    if !matches!(bytes[0], b'/' | b'?' | b'#') {
+        return Err(ErrorKind::PathDoesNotStartWithSlash);
+    }
+
     while i < bytes.len() {
         // See https://url.spec.whatwg.org/#path-state
         match bytes[i] {
@@ -621,6 +629,16 @@ mod tests {
         PathAndQuery::try_from(&[b'/', b'a', b'?', 0xFF][..]).expect_err("reject invalid utf8");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn rejects_empty_string() {
+        PathAndQuery::try_from("").expect_err("reject empty str");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn requires_starting_with_slash() {
+        PathAndQuery::try_from("sneaky").expect_err("reject missing slash");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn json_is_fine() {
         assert_eq!(