diff --git a/x/ibc/24-host/validate.go b/x/ibc/24-host/validate.go
index c963eeeea..0cf552eb7 100644
--- a/x/ibc/24-host/validate.go
+++ b/x/ibc/24-host/validate.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package host
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -85,15 +84,12 @@ func NewPathValidator(idValidator ValidateFn) ValidateFn {
 			return sdkerrors.Wrapf(ErrInvalidPath, "path %s doesn't contain any separator '/'", path)
 		}
 
-		allEmptyItems := true
 		for _, p := range pathArr {
-			// NOTE: for some reason an empty string is added after Split
+			// a path beginning or ending in a separator returns empty string elements.
 			if p == "" {
-				continue
+				return sdkerrors.Wrapf(ErrInvalidPath, "path %s cannot begin or end with '/'", path)
 			}
 
-			allEmptyItems = false
-
 			if err := idValidator(p); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -103,10 +99,6 @@ func NewPathValidator(idValidator ValidateFn) ValidateFn {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if allEmptyItems {
-			return fmt.Errorf("path %s must contain at least one identifier", path)
-		}
-
 		return nil
 	}
 }
@@ -119,23 +111,17 @@ func PathValidator(path string) error {
 		return sdkerrors.Wrapf(ErrInvalidPath, "path %s doesn't contain any separator '/'", path)
 	}
 
-	allEmptyItems := true
 	for _, p := range pathArr {
-		// NOTE: for some reason an empty string is added after Split
+		// a path beginning or ending in a separator returns empty string elements.
 		if p == "" {
-			continue
+			return sdkerrors.Wrapf(ErrInvalidPath, "path %s cannot begin or end with '/'", path)
 		}
 
-		allEmptyItems = false
-
 		// Each path element must be a valid identifier or constant number
 		if err := defaultIdentifierValidator(p, 1, 20); err != nil {
 			return sdkerrors.Wrapf(err, "path %s contains an invalid identifier: '%s'", path, p)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if allEmptyItems {
-		return fmt.Errorf("path %s must contain at least one identifier", path)
-	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/x/ibc/24-host/validate_test.go b/x/ibc/24-host/validate_test.go
index 6c9ad2918..417447fe0 100644
--- a/x/ibc/24-host/validate_test.go
+++ b/x/ibc/24-host/validate_test.go
@@ -51,19 +51,24 @@ func TestDefaultIdentifierValidator(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestPathValidator(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []testCase{
-		{"valid lowercase", "/lowercaseid", true},
-		{"numeric path", "/239123", true},
-		{"valid id special chars", "/._+-#[]<>._+-#[]<>", true},
+		{"valid lowercase", "p/lowercaseid", true},
+		{"numeric path", "p/239123", true},
+		{"valid id special chars", "p/._+-#[]<>._+-#[]<>", true},
 		{"valid id lower and special chars", "lower/._+-#[]<>", true},
-		{"id length out of range", "/l", true},
-		{"uppercase id", "/NOTLOWERCASE", true},
+		{"id length out of range", "p/l", true},
+		{"uppercase id", "p/NOTLOWERCASE", true},
 		{"invalid path", "lowercaseid", false},
-		{"blank id", "/               ", false},
-		{"id length out of range", "/123456789012345678901", false},
-		{"invalid id", "/(clientid)", false},
+		{"blank id", "p/               ", false},
+		{"id length out of range", "p/123456789012345678901", false},
+		{"invalid id", "p/(clientid)", false},
 		{"empty string", "", false},
 		{"separators only", "////", false},
 		{"just separator", "/", false},
+		{"begins with separator", "/id", false},
+		{"blank before separator", "    /id", false},
+		{"ends with separator", "id/", false},
+		{"blank after separator", "id/       ", false},
+		{"blanks with separator", "  /  ", false},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
@@ -87,12 +92,14 @@ func TestCustomPathValidator(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	testCases := []testCase{
-		{"valid custom path", "/id_client/id_one", true},
+		{"valid custom path", "id_client/id_one", true},
 		{"invalid path", "client", false},
-		{"invalid custom path", "/client", false},
-		{"invalid identifier", "/id_client/id_123456789012345678901", false},
+		{"invalid custom path", "id_one/client", false},
+		{"invalid identifier", "id_client/id_123456789012345678901", false},
 		{"separators only", "////", false},
 		{"just separator", "/", false},
+		{"ends with separator", "id_client/id_one/", false},
+		{"beings with separator", "/id_client/id_one", false},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {