diff --git a/core/commands/publish.go b/core/commands/publish.go
index 03f24dcdb8162814f9fb48315971c78ca492e871..bef930bd9299041f1fbf072310c0b8b3284ae27a 100644
--- a/core/commands/publish.go
+++ b/core/commands/publish.go
@@ -107,9 +107,15 @@ Publish an <ipfs-path> to another public key (not implemented):
 }
 
 func publish(n *core.IpfsNode, k crypto.PrivKey, ref path.Path) (*IpnsEntry, error) {
+	// First, verify the path exists
+	_, err := n.Resolver.ResolvePath(ref)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	pub := nsys.NewRoutingPublisher(n.Routing)
 
-	err := pub.Publish(n.Context(), k, ref)
+	err = pub.Publish(n.Context(), k, ref)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/core/corehttp/ipns_hostname.go b/core/corehttp/ipns_hostname.go
index abfcf4a638ad1a1603961395ca64cf42e5097841..7361001d1e46b317a8cff78ac5f7d40eda1cfb88 100644
--- a/core/corehttp/ipns_hostname.go
+++ b/core/corehttp/ipns_hostname.go
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ func IPNSHostnameOption() ServeOption {
 			defer cancel()
 
 			host := strings.SplitN(r.Host, ":", 2)[0]
-			if k, err := n.Namesys.Resolve(ctx, host); err == nil {
-				r.URL.Path = "/ipfs/" + k.String() + r.URL.Path
+			if p, err := n.Namesys.Resolve(ctx, host); err == nil {
+				r.URL.Path = "/ipfs/" + p.String() + r.URL.Path
 			}
 			childMux.ServeHTTP(w, r)
 		})
diff --git a/path/path.go b/path/path.go
index f7d4e43ff3e6e67fbf498a73b731b48826738c0e..e61a061930f3a9ced3e67f8d9d6004200ad03c57 100644
--- a/path/path.go
+++ b/path/path.go
@@ -49,11 +49,13 @@ func FromSegments(seg ...string) Path {
 }
 
 func ParsePath(txt string) (Path, error) {
-	kp, err := ParseKeyToPath(txt)
-	if err == nil {
-		return kp, nil
-	}
 	parts := strings.Split(txt, "/")
+	if len(parts) == 1 {
+		kp, err := ParseKeyToPath(txt)
+		if err == nil {
+			return kp, nil
+		}
+	}
 	if len(parts) < 3 {
 		return "", ErrBadPath
 	}
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ func ParsePath(txt string) (Path, error) {
 		return "", ErrBadPath
 	}
 
-	_, err = ParseKeyToPath(parts[2])
+	_, err := ParseKeyToPath(parts[2])
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -86,3 +88,8 @@ func ParseKeyToPath(txt string) (Path, error) {
 	}
 	return FromKey(u.Key(chk)), nil
 }
+
+func (p *Path) IsValid() error {
+	_, err := ParsePath(p.String())
+	return err
+}