diff --git a/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.test.ts b/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.test.ts
index 56a39915e73c..5fa7d010989e 100644
--- a/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.test.ts
@@ -195,6 +195,11 @@ describe('RenderingService', () => {
       const result = await service.isUrlValid('/', 'config');
       expect(result).toEqual(false);
     });
+
+    it('checks relative URL returns true', async () => {
+      const result = await service.isUrlValid('/demo/opensearch_mark_default.png', 'config');
+      expect(result).toEqual(true);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('isTitleValid()', () => {
diff --git a/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.tsx b/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.tsx
index f78ab722a8c5..dfd1cb5789ef 100644
--- a/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.tsx
+++ b/src/core/server/rendering/rendering_service.tsx
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ export class RenderingService {
     };
   }
 
-  public async stop() {}
+  public async stop() { }
 
   /**
    * Setups HTTP Agent if SSL is enabled to pass SSL config
@@ -366,12 +366,15 @@ export class RenderingService {
    */
   public isUrlValid = async (url: string, configName?: string): Promise<boolean> => {
     if (url === '/') {
-      return true;
+      return false;
     }
     if (url.match(/\.(png|svg|gif|PNG|SVG|GIF)$/) === null) {
       this.logger.get('branding').error(`${configName} config is invalid. Using default branding.`);
       return false;
     }
+    if (url.startsWith('/')) {
+      return true;
+    }
     return await Axios.get(url, {
       httpsAgent: this.httpsAgent,
       adapter: AxiosHttpAdapter,