diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/Admin/Mappings/MatcherModel.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/Admin/Mappings/MatcherModel.cs
index 61e70fb8..023ddebc 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/Admin/Mappings/MatcherModel.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/Admin/Mappings/MatcherModel.cs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ public class MatcherModel
     public object? Pattern { get; set; }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Gets or sets the patterns. Can be array of strings (default) or an array of objects.
+    /// Gets or sets the patterns. Can be an array of strings (default) or an array of objects.
     /// </summary>
     public object[]? Patterns { get; set; }
 
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/BuilderExtensions/RequestModelBuilder.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/BuilderExtensions/RequestModelBuilder.cs
index 0350782a..434a1989 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/BuilderExtensions/RequestModelBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/BuilderExtensions/RequestModelBuilder.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright © WireMock.Net
 
 using System;
+using WireMock.Validators;
 
 // ReSharper disable once CheckNamespace
 namespace WireMock.Admin.Mappings;
@@ -94,9 +95,14 @@ public partial class RequestModelBuilder
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    /// Set the Path.
+    /// Set the Path. Must start with a forward slash (/).
     /// </summary>
-    public RequestModelBuilder WithPath(string value) => WithPath(() => value);
+    public RequestModelBuilder WithPath(string value)
+    {
+        PathValidator.ValidateAndThrow(value);
+
+        return WithPath(() => value);
+    }
 
     /// <summary>
     /// Set the Path.
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/Validators/PathValidator.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/Validators/PathValidator.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9763f6a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Abstractions/Validators/PathValidator.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Copyright © WireMock.Net
+
+using System;
+
+namespace WireMock.Validators;
+
+public static class PathValidator
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A valid path must start with a '/' and cannot be null, empty or whitespace.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static void ValidateAndThrow(string? path, string? paramName = null)
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(path) || path?.StartsWith("/") == false)
+        {
+            throw new ArgumentException("Path must start with a '/' and cannot be null, empty or whitespace.", paramName ?? nameof(path));
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/RequestBuilders/Request.WithPath.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/RequestBuilders/Request.WithPath.cs
index 2a5939bb..7ff11fd8 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/RequestBuilders/Request.WithPath.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/RequestBuilders/Request.WithPath.cs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ using System;
 using Stef.Validation;
 using WireMock.Matchers;
 using WireMock.Matchers.Request;
+using WireMock.Validators;
 
 namespace WireMock.RequestBuilders;
 
@@ -34,6 +35,10 @@ public partial class Request
     public IRequestBuilder WithPath(MatchOperator matchOperator, params string[] paths)
     {
         Guard.NotNullOrEmpty(paths);
+        foreach (var path in paths)
+        {
+            PathValidator.ValidateAndThrow(path, nameof(paths));
+        }
 
         _requestMatchers.Add(new RequestMessagePathMatcher(MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, matchOperator, paths));
         return this;
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode.cs b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode.cs
index 57a1510b..14cb09b3 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode.cs
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode.cs
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public partial class MappingConverterTests
         var guid = new Guid("8e7b9ab7-e18e-4502-8bc9-11e6679811cc");
         var request = Request.Create()
             .UsingGet()
-            .WithPath("test_path")
+            .WithPath("/test_path")
             .WithParam("q", "42")
             .WithClientIP("112.123.100.99")
             .WithHeader("h-key", "h-value")
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt
index def84b6f..5a4b9e1b 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 builder
     .Given(Request.Create()
         .UsingMethod("GET")
-        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
+        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "/test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
         .WithParam("q", new ExactMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.And, "42"))
         .WithClientIP("112.123.100.99")
         .WithHeader("h-key", "h-value", true)
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt
index b7dc2b58..b85622a1 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Builder_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 builder
     .Given(Request.Create()
         .UsingMethod("GET")
-        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
+        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "/test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
         .WithParam("q", new ExactMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.And, "42"))
         .WithClientIP("112.123.100.99")
         .WithHeader("h-key", "h-value", true)
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt
index 93304d65..80754949 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsFalse.verified.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 server
     .Given(Request.Create()
         .UsingMethod("GET")
-        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
+        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "/test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
         .WithParam("q", new ExactMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.And, "42"))
         .WithClientIP("112.123.100.99")
         .WithHeader("h-key", "h-value", true)
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt
index cb224cd2..a2589a27 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/MappingConverterTests.ToCSharpCode_With_Server_And_AddStartIsTrue.verified.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 server
     .Given(Request.Create()
         .UsingMethod("GET")
-        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
+        .WithPath(new WildcardMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, "/test_path", false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.Or))
         .WithParam("q", new ExactMatcher(WireMock.Matchers.MatchBehaviour.AcceptOnMatch, false, WireMock.Matchers.MatchOperator.And, "42"))
         .WithClientIP("112.123.100.99")
         .WithHeader("h-key", "h-value", true)
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.ToMapping_UseDefinedRequestMatchers_True.verified.txt b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.ToMapping_UseDefinedRequestMatchers_True.verified.txt
index 1e023f54..cda79f01 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.ToMapping_UseDefinedRequestMatchers_True.verified.txt
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.ToMapping_UseDefinedRequestMatchers_True.verified.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
       Matchers: [
         {
           Name: WildcardMatcher,
-          Pattern: x,
+          Pattern: /x,
           IgnoreCase: false
         }
       ]
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.cs b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.cs
index dad9fe67..c8126cee 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.cs
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Serialization/ProxyMappingConverterTests.cs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public class ProxyMappingConverterTests
 
         var request = Request.Create()
             .UsingPost()
-            .WithPath("x")
+            .WithPath("/x")
             .WithParam("p1", "p1-v")
             .WithParam("p2", "p2-v")
             .WithHeader("Content-Type", new ContentTypeMatcher("text/plain"))
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Validators/PathValidatorTests.cs b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Validators/PathValidatorTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..136f7c34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/Validators/PathValidatorTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// Copyright © WireMock.Net
+
+using System;
+using System.Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis;
+using FluentAssertions;
+using WireMock.Validators;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace WireMock.Net.Tests.Validators;
+
+[ExcludeFromCodeCoverage]
+public class PathValidatorTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void ValidateAndThrow_ValidPath_DoesNotThrow()
+    {
+        Action act = () => PathValidator.ValidateAndThrow("/valid/path");
+        act.Should().NotThrow();
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(null)]
+    [InlineData("")]
+    [InlineData("\r")]
+    [InlineData("\n")]
+    [InlineData("\t")]
+    public void ValidateAndThrow_InvalidPath_ThrowsArgumentException_WithDefaultParamName(string? path)
+    {
+        Action act = () => PathValidator.ValidateAndThrow(path);
+        var ex = act.Should().Throw<ArgumentException>().Which;
+        ex.Message.Should().StartWith("Path must start with a '/' and cannot be null, empty or whitespace.");
+        ex.ParamName.Should().Be("path");
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ValidateAndThrow_NoLeadingSlash_ThrowsArgumentException_WithProvidedParamName()
+    {
+        Action act = () => PathValidator.ValidateAndThrow("noSlash", "myParam");
+        var ex = act.Should().Throw<ArgumentException>().Which;
+        ex.ParamName.Should().Be("myParam");
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file