diff --git a/modules/dcache-xrootd/src/main/java/org/dcache/xrootd/door/XrootdRedirectHandler.java b/modules/dcache-xrootd/src/main/java/org/dcache/xrootd/door/XrootdRedirectHandler.java
index 3c1301cd84d..ae010e61762 100644
--- a/modules/dcache-xrootd/src/main/java/org/dcache/xrootd/door/XrootdRedirectHandler.java
+++ b/modules/dcache-xrootd/src/main/java/org/dcache/xrootd/door/XrootdRedirectHandler.java
@@ -1379,10 +1379,17 @@ private FsPath createFullPath(String path, Map<String, String> opaque)
           throws PermissionDeniedCacheException {
         String fromOpaque = opaque.get(EFFECTIVE_ROOT_NAME);
         FsPath root = fromOpaque != null ? FsPath.create(fromOpaque) : effectiveRoot();
+
+        if (path.charAt(0) != '/') {
+            path = "/" + path;
+        }
+
         FsPath fullPath = FsPath.create(path);
+
         if (fullPath.hasPrefix(root)) {
             path = fullPath.stripPrefix(root);
         }
+
         return root.chroot(path);
     }