diff --git a/navigator/src/main.js b/navigator/src/main.js
index c6b340b..3c30eb3 100644
--- a/navigator/src/main.js
+++ b/navigator/src/main.js
@@ -36,17 +36,15 @@ const errorHandler = (error, title = "System Error") => {
 
 let lastValidRoutePath = null;
 router.beforeEach(async (to, from) => {
-	if (to.name === 'root')
-		return localStorage.getItem(lastPathStorageKey) ?? '/browse/';
 	if (to.fullPath === lastValidRoutePath) {
 		return true; // ignore from updating window.location.hash
 	}
-	const host = to.params.host.replace(/^\/|:$/g, '') || undefined;
+	const host = to.params.host || undefined;
 	if (to.name === 'browse') {
 		try {
 			let realPath = (await useSpawn(['realpath', '--canonicalize-existing', to.params.path], { superuser: 'try', host }).promise()).stdout.trim();
 			if (to.params.path !== realPath)
-				return `/browse${to.params.host}${realPath}`;
+				return `/browse/${to.params.host}${realPath}`;
 			try {
 				await useSpawn(['test', '-r', to.params.path, '-a', '-x', to.params.path], { superuser: 'try', host }).promise();
 			} catch {
@@ -58,10 +56,10 @@ router.beforeEach(async (to, from) => {
 			errorHandler(errorStringHTML(error), "Failed to open path");
 			return false;
 		}
+		localStorage.setItem(lastPathStorageKey, to.fullPath);
 	}
 	lastValidRoutePath = to.fullPath; // protect double-update from next line
 	window.location.hash = '#' + to.fullPath; // needed to update URL in address bar
-	localStorage.setItem(lastPathStorageKey, to.fullPath);
 	return true;
 })
 
diff --git a/navigator/src/router/index.js b/navigator/src/router/index.js
index 988363d..b8c21e3 100644
--- a/navigator/src/router/index.js
+++ b/navigator/src/router/index.js
@@ -1,17 +1,23 @@
 import { createRouter, createWebHashHistory } from 'vue-router';
+import { lastPathStorageKey } from '../keys';
 
 const routes = [
 	{
-		path: '/browse:host(/[^/:]+:?[0-9]*:)?:path(/.*)',
+		path: '/browse',
+		redirect: () => `/browse/${cockpit.transport.host ?? 'localhost'}/`,
+	},
+	{
+		path: '/browse/:host([^/]+)',
+		redirect: route => `${route.fullPath}/`,
+	},
+	{
+		path: '/browse/:host([^/]+):path(/.*)',
+		strict: true,
 		name: 'browse',
 		component: () => import('../views/Browser.vue'),
 	},
 	{
-		path: '/browse:host(/[^/:]+:?[0-9]*:)?',
-		redirect: route => `${route.fullPath}/`
-	},
-	{
-		path: '/edit:host(/[^/:]+:?[0-9]*:)?:path(/.+)',
+		path: '/edit/:host:path(/.+)',
 		name: 'edit',
 		component: () => import('../views/Editor.vue'),
 	},
@@ -29,6 +35,7 @@ const routes = [
 	{
 		path: '/',
 		name: 'root',
+		redirect: () => localStorage.getItem(lastPathStorageKey) ?? `/browse/${cockpit.transport.host ?? 'localhost'}/`,
 	}
 ];
 
diff --git a/navigator/src/views/Browser.vue b/navigator/src/views/Browser.vue
index ee4f87e..4aa7174 100644
--- a/navigator/src/views/Browser.vue
+++ b/navigator/src/views/Browser.vue
@@ -84,6 +84,14 @@ import PathBreadCrumbs from '../components/PathBreadCrumbs.vue';
 import { notificationsInjectionKey, pathHistoryInjectionKey, lastPathStorageKey, settingsInjectionKey } from '../keys';
 import { ArrowLeftIcon, ArrowRightIcon, ArrowUpIcon, RefreshIcon, ChevronDownIcon, SearchIcon } from '@heroicons/vue/solid';
 
+const encodePartial = (string) =>
+	encodeURIComponent(string)
+		.replace(/%40/g, '@')
+		.replace(/%3D/g, '=')
+		.replace(/%2B/g, '+')
+		.replace(/%2F/g, '/')
+		.replace(/%20/g, ' ');
+
 export default {
 	setup() {
 		const settings = inject(settingsInjectionKey);
@@ -124,9 +132,9 @@ export default {
 		});
 
 		const cd = ({ path, host }) => {
-			const newHost = host ?? (route.params.host ? pathHistory.current().host : "");
-			const newPath = path ?? (pathHistory.current().path);
-			router.push(`/browse${newHost ? `/${newHost}:` : ''}${newPath}`);
+			const newHost = host ?? (pathHistory.current().host);
+			const newPath = encodePartial(path ?? (pathHistory.current().path));
+			router.push(`/browse/${newHost}${newPath}`);
 		};
 
 		const back = () => {
@@ -144,7 +152,7 @@ export default {
 		}
 
 		const openEditor = (path) => {
-			router.push(`/edit${route.params.host ? `/${pathHistory.current().host}:` : ''}${path}`);
+			router.push(`/edit/${pathHistory.current().host}${encodePartial(path)}`);
 		}
 
 		const getSelected = () => directoryViewRef.value?.getSelected?.() ?? [];
@@ -159,12 +167,13 @@ export default {
 			);
 		}, { immediate: true });
 
-		watch([() => route.params.path, () => route.params.host], async () => {
+		watch(route, async () => {
 			if (route.name !== 'browse')
 				return;
-			const host = route.params.host?.replace(/^\/|:$/g, '') || cockpit.transport.host;
-			if (pathHistory.current()?.path !== route.params.path || pathHistory.current()?.host !== host) {
-				pathHistory.push({ path: route.params.path, host }); // updates actual view
+			const host = route.params.host;
+			const path = decodeURIComponent(route.params.path);
+			if (pathHistory.current()?.path !== path || pathHistory.current()?.host !== host) {
+				pathHistory.push({ path, host }); // updates actual view
 			}
 		}, { immediate: true });