diff --git a/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURI.java b/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURI.java
index 28a77e18ff9c..84f4114789ab 100644
--- a/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURI.java
+++ b/jetty-http/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURI.java
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ public String asString()
          */
         public Mutable authority(String host, int port)
         {
-            if (host != null && _path != null && !_path.startsWith("/"))
+            if (host != null && !isPathValidForAuthority(_path))
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Relative path with authority");
             _user = null;
             _host = host;
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ public Mutable authority(String host, int port)
          */
         public Mutable authority(String hostPort)
         {
-            if (hostPort != null && _path != null && !_path.startsWith("/"))
+            if (hostPort != null && !isPathValidForAuthority(_path))
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Relative path with authority");
             HostPort hp = new HostPort(hostPort);
             _user = null;
@@ -653,6 +653,15 @@ public Mutable authority(String hostPort)
             return this;
         }
 
+        private boolean isPathValidForAuthority(String path)
+        {
+            if (path == null)
+                return true;
+            if (path.isEmpty() || "*".equals(path))
+                return true;
+            return path.startsWith("/");
+        }
+
         public Mutable clear()
         {
             _scheme = null;
@@ -779,7 +788,7 @@ public int hashCode()
 
         public Mutable host(String host)
         {
-            if (host != null && _path != null && !_path.startsWith("/"))
+            if (host != null && !isPathValidForAuthority(_path))
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Relative path with authority");
             _host = host;
             _uri = null;
@@ -844,7 +853,7 @@ public Mutable param(String param)
          */
         public Mutable path(String path)
         {
-            if (hasAuthority() && path != null && !path.startsWith("/"))
+            if (hasAuthority() && !isPathValidForAuthority(path))
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Relative path with authority");
             _uri = null;
             _path = path;
@@ -854,7 +863,7 @@ public Mutable path(String path)
 
         public Mutable pathQuery(String pathQuery)
         {
-            if (hasAuthority() && pathQuery != null && !pathQuery.startsWith("/"))
+            if (hasAuthority() && !isPathValidForAuthority(pathQuery))
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("Relative path with authority");
             _uri = null;
             _path = null;
diff --git a/jetty-http/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURITest.java b/jetty-http/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURITest.java
index 4b3713f26c52..83869703fb4e 100644
--- a/jetty-http/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURITest.java
+++ b/jetty-http/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/http/HttpURITest.java
@@ -847,5 +847,23 @@ public void testRelativePathWithAuthority()
         assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> HttpURI.build()
             .path(";")
             .host("host"));
+
+        HttpURI.Mutable uri = HttpURI.build()
+            .path("*")
+            .authority("host");
+        assertEquals("//host*", uri.asString());
+        uri = HttpURI.build()
+            .authority("host")
+            .path("*");
+        assertEquals("//host*", uri.asString());
+
+        uri = HttpURI.build()
+            .path("")
+            .authority("host");
+        assertEquals("//host", uri.asString());
+        uri = HttpURI.build()
+            .authority("host")
+            .path("");
+        assertEquals("//host", uri.asString());
     }
 }