diff --git a/mongoose.c b/mongoose.c
index 8e5fd4dd..d720c0ab 100644
--- a/mongoose.c
+++ b/mongoose.c
@@ -25256,13 +25256,16 @@ int mg_check_ip_acl(struct mg_str acl, struct mg_addr *remote_ip) {
 bool mg_path_is_sane(const struct mg_str path) {
   const char *s = path.buf;
   size_t n = path.len;
-  if (path.buf[0] == '~') return false;                        // Starts with ~
-  if (path.buf[0] == '.' && path.buf[1] == '.') return false;  // Starts with ..
-  for (; s[0] != '\0' && n > 0; s++, n--) {
-    if ((s[0] == '/' || s[0] == '\\') && n >= 2) {   // Subdir?
-      if (s[1] == '.' && s[2] == '.') return false;  // Starts with ..
-    }
+  if (n == 0 || path.buf[0] == '\0') return true;
+  if (s[0] == '~') return false;  // Starts with ~
+  if (s[0] == '.' && n > 1 && s[1] == '.')
+    return false;  // Starts with ..
+  for (; n > 0 && s[0] != '\0'; s++, n--) {
+    if ((s[0] == '/' || s[0] == '\\') && n >= 2 && s[1] == '.' && n > 2 &&
+        s[2] == '.')
+      return false;  // Subdir starts with ..
   }
+  if (n > 0) return false;  // embedded nul (terminator not counted in len)
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index 459a581f..6c3c7b86 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -143,13 +143,16 @@ int mg_check_ip_acl(struct mg_str acl, struct mg_addr *remote_ip) {
 bool mg_path_is_sane(const struct mg_str path) {
   const char *s = path.buf;
   size_t n = path.len;
-  if (path.buf[0] == '~') return false;                        // Starts with ~
-  if (path.buf[0] == '.' && path.buf[1] == '.') return false;  // Starts with ..
-  for (; s[0] != '\0' && n > 0; s++, n--) {
-    if ((s[0] == '/' || s[0] == '\\') && n >= 2) {   // Subdir?
-      if (s[1] == '.' && s[2] == '.') return false;  // Starts with ..
-    }
+  if (n == 0 || path.buf[0] == '\0') return true;
+  if (s[0] == '~') return false;  // Starts with ~
+  if (s[0] == '.' && n > 1 && s[1] == '.')
+    return false;  // Starts with ..
+  for (; n > 0 && s[0] != '\0'; s++, n--) {
+    if ((s[0] == '/' || s[0] == '\\') && n >= 2 && s[1] == '.' && n > 2 &&
+        s[2] == '.')
+      return false;  // Subdir starts with ..
   }
+  if (n > 0) return false;  // embedded nul (terminator not counted in len)
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/unit_test.c b/test/unit_test.c
index bb82b78c..5bf86a35 100644
--- a/test/unit_test.c
+++ b/test/unit_test.c
@@ -2554,7 +2554,18 @@ static void test_str(void) {
     ASSERT(strcmp(buf, "[164:2100:0:0:0:0:0:0]:3 7") == 0);
   }
 
-  ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str(".")) == true);
+  {
+    char s[1] = ".";
+    ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str_n(s, 1)) == true);
+  }
+  {
+    char s[2] = "/.";
+    ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str_n(s, 2)) == true);
+  }
+  {
+    char s[3] = "a/.";
+    ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str_n(s, 3)) == true);
+  }
   ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str("")) == true);
   ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str("a.b")) == true);
   ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str("a..b")) == true);
@@ -2570,6 +2581,7 @@ static void test_str(void) {
   ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str("a/../b")) == false);
   ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str_n("a/..", 2)) == true);
   ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str_n("a/../b", 2)) == true);
+  ASSERT(mg_path_is_sane(mg_str_n("a\0/../b", 7)) == false);
 }
 
 static void fn1(struct mg_connection *c, int ev, void *ev_data) {