diff --git a/ais/proxy.go b/ais/proxy.go
index e0a591f2e1f..91bfc9dd0c6 100644
--- a/ais/proxy.go
+++ b/ais/proxy.go
@@ -3038,8 +3038,14 @@ func (p *proxy) rootHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	// by default, s3 is serviced at `/s3`
-	// with `/` root reserved for vanilla http locations via ht:// mechanism
 	if !cmn.Rom.Features().IsSet(feat.S3APIviaRoot) {
+		config := cmn.GCO.Get()
+		if config.Backend.Get(apc.HT) == nil {
+			p.writeErrURL(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+
+		// `/` root reserved for vanilla http locations via ht:// mechanism
 		p.htHandler(w, r)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/cmn/http.go b/cmn/http.go
index 0ab5503dab4..d80635d5f41 100644
--- a/cmn/http.go
+++ b/cmn/http.go
@@ -94,13 +94,15 @@ func MakeRangeHdr(start, length int64) string {
 const maxItems = 1000
 
 func ParseURL(path string, itemsPresent []string, itemsAfter int, splitAfter bool) ([]string, error) {
+	// path.Clean(string) reduced to this:
+	for path != "" && path[0] == '/' {
+		path = path[1:]
+	}
+
 	var (
 		split []string
 		l     = len(itemsPresent)
 	)
-	if path != "" && path[0] == '/' {
-		path = path[1:] // remove leading slash
-	}
 	if splitAfter {
 		split = strings.SplitN(path, "/", maxItems)
 	} else {