diff --git a/lib/request.js b/lib/request.js
index c79c6ab12..2ae505b28 100755
--- a/lib/request.js
+++ b/lib/request.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ exports = module.exports = internals.Request = function (server, req, res, optio
     // Public members
 
     this.server = server;
-    
+
     this.url = null;
     this.query = null;
     this.path = null;
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ exports = module.exports = internals.Request = function (server, req, res, optio
 
     this.setUrl(req.url);                   // Sets: this.url, this.path, this.query
     this.setMethod(req.method);             // Sets: this.method
-    
+
     this.id = now + '-' + process.pid + '-' + Math.floor(Math.random() * 0x10000);
 
     this.app = {};                          // Place for application-specific state without conflicts with hapi, should not be used by plugins
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ internals.Request.prototype._execute = function () {
             return;
         }
 
-        if (self.path[0] !== '/') {
+        if (!self.path || self.path[0] !== '/') {
             self._reply(Boom.badRequest('Invalid path'));
             return;
         }
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ internals.Request.prototype._execute = function () {
         self.route = self._route.settings;
 
         // Setup timer
-        
+
         var serverTimeout = self.server.settings.timeout.server;
         if (serverTimeout) {
             serverTimeout -= (Date.now() - self._timestamp);        // Calculate the timeout from when the request was constructed
diff --git a/test/unit/request.js b/test/unit/request.js
index ad3b410c2..027e21188 100755
--- a/test/unit/request.js
+++ b/test/unit/request.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Load modules
 
 var Lab = require('lab');
+var Hoek = require('hoek');
 var Shot = require('shot');
 var Hapi = require('../..');
 var Request = require('../../lib/request');
@@ -124,6 +125,24 @@ describe('Request', function () {
             expect(request.query.param1).to.equal('something');
             done();
         });
+
+        it('doesn\'t throw when path is missing from request and execute is called', function (done) {
+
+            var brokeServer = new Hapi.Server();
+            var req = Hoek.clone(_req);
+            req.once = function () { };
+            req.removeAllListeners = function () { };
+            req.destroy = function () { };
+            req.url = 'ssh://something';
+
+            var request = new Request(brokeServer, req, _res, {});
+            request._execute();
+
+            setTimeout(function () {
+
+                done();
+            }, 10);
+        });
     });
 
     describe('#log', function () {