diff --git a/lib/http-proxy/common.js b/lib/http-proxy/common.js
index 1d040d405..577f9b438 100644
--- a/lib/http-proxy/common.js
+++ b/lib/http-proxy/common.js
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ common.setupOutgoing = function(outgoing, options, req, forward) {
   // Remark: Can we somehow not use url.parse as a perf optimization?
   //
   var outgoingPath = !options.toProxy
-    ? (url.parse(req.url).path || '/')
+    ? (url.parse(req.url).path || '')
     : req.url;
 
   //
diff --git a/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js b/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
index 4a1f0d375..1c5fe47c9 100644
--- a/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
+++ b/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ describe('lib/http-proxy/common.js', function () {
         { path: '' }
       }, { url : '' });
 
-      expect(outgoing.path).to.be('/');
+      expect(outgoing.path).to.be('');
     });
 
   });