diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicates.java b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicates.java
index a705e0e4b4e..f098c57a6cf 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicates.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicates.java
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ public abstract class RequestPredicates {
 	 */
 	public static RequestPredicate path(String pattern) {
 		Assert.notNull(pattern, "'pattern' must not be null");
+		if (!pattern.isEmpty() && !pattern.startsWith("/")) {
+			pattern = "/" + pattern;
+		}
 		return pathPredicates(DEFAULT_PATTERN_PARSER).apply(pattern);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/NestedRouteIntegrationTests.java b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/NestedRouteIntegrationTests.java
index 39ff4b60dbd..b2fe7584044 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/NestedRouteIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/NestedRouteIntegrationTests.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public class NestedRouteIntegrationTests extends AbstractRouterFunctionIntegrati
 		return nest(path("/foo/"),
 					route(GET("/bar"), nestedHandler::pattern)
 					.andRoute(GET("/baz"), nestedHandler::pattern))
-				.andNest(GET("/{foo}"),
+				.andNest(GET("{foo}"),
 					route(GET("/bar"), nestedHandler::variables).and(
 					nest(GET("/{bar}"),
 								route(GET("/{baz}"), nestedHandler::variables))))
diff --git a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicatesTests.java b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicatesTests.java
index cb9bfe24aa8..85766041129 100644
--- a/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicatesTests.java
+++ b/spring-webflux/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/reactive/function/server/RequestPredicatesTests.java
@@ -109,6 +109,14 @@ public class RequestPredicatesTests {
 		assertFalse(predicate.test(request));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void pathNoLeadingSlash() {
+		URI uri = URI.create("http://localhost/path");
+		RequestPredicate predicate = RequestPredicates.path("p*");
+		MockServerRequest request = MockServerRequest.builder().uri(uri).build();
+		assertTrue(predicate.test(request));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void pathEncoded() {
 		URI uri = URI.create("http://localhost/foo%20bar");
diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicates.java b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicates.java
index 57d42f45d33..672da39e29f 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicates.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicates.java
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ public abstract class RequestPredicates {
 	 */
 	public static RequestPredicate path(String pattern) {
 		Assert.notNull(pattern, "'pattern' must not be null");
+		if (!pattern.isEmpty() && !pattern.startsWith("/")) {
+			pattern = "/" + pattern;
+		}
 		return pathPredicates(DEFAULT_PATTERN_PARSER).apply(pattern);
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicatesTests.java b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicatesTests.java
index b1e434d4555..f1fa58fe5a0 100644
--- a/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicatesTests.java
+++ b/spring-webmvc/src/test/java/org/springframework/web/servlet/function/RequestPredicatesTests.java
@@ -117,6 +117,14 @@ public class RequestPredicatesTests {
 		assertFalse(predicate.test(request));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void pathNoLeadingSlash() {
+		MockHttpServletRequest servletRequest = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/path");
+		ServerRequest request = new DefaultServerRequest(servletRequest, emptyList());
+		RequestPredicate predicate = RequestPredicates.path("p*");
+		assertTrue(predicate.test(request));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void pathEncoded() {
 		MockHttpServletRequest servletRequest = new MockHttpServletRequest("GET", "/foo%20bar");