diff --git a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java
index 126cab69fcd3..b659486a19d0 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtils.java
@@ -622,7 +622,12 @@ public static String cleanPath(String path) {
 		String prefix = "";
 		if (prefixIndex != -1) {
 			prefix = pathToUse.substring(0, prefixIndex + 1);
-			pathToUse = pathToUse.substring(prefixIndex + 1);
+			if (prefix.contains("/")) {
+				prefix = "";
+			}
+			else {
+				pathToUse = pathToUse.substring(prefixIndex + 1);
+			}
 		}
 		if (pathToUse.startsWith(FOLDER_SEPARATOR)) {
 			prefix = prefix + FOLDER_SEPARATOR;
diff --git a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtilsTests.java b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtilsTests.java
index b366ed7f96d0..c362a92ed529 100644
--- a/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtilsTests.java
+++ b/spring-core/src/test/java/org/springframework/util/StringUtilsTests.java
@@ -299,6 +299,8 @@ public void testCleanPath() {
 		assertEquals("../mypath/myfile", StringUtils.cleanPath("../mypath/../mypath/myfile"));
 		assertEquals("../mypath/myfile", StringUtils.cleanPath("mypath/../../mypath/myfile"));
 		assertEquals("/../mypath/myfile", StringUtils.cleanPath("/../mypath/myfile"));
+		assertEquals("/mypath/myfile", StringUtils.cleanPath("/a/:b/../../mypath/myfile"));
+		assertEquals("file:///c:/path/to/the%20file.txt", StringUtils.cleanPath("file:///c:/some/../path/to/the%20file.txt"));
 	}
 
 	public void testPathEquals() {