diff --git a/pkg/apiclient/client.go b/pkg/apiclient/client.go
index 7add3157ffd..1a1b75f3f71 100644
--- a/pkg/apiclient/client.go
+++ b/pkg/apiclient/client.go
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ func NewClient(config *Config) (*ApiClient, error) {
 		ht.TLSClientConfig = &tlsconfig
 	}
 
+	// convert backslashes to slashes
+	baseUrl.Path = strings.ReplaceAll(baseUrl.Path, "\\", "/")
+
 	c := &ApiClient{client: t.Client(), BaseURL: baseUrl, UserAgent: config.UserAgent, URLPrefix: config.VersionPrefix, PapiURL: config.PapiURL}
 	c.common.client = c
 	c.Decisions = (*DecisionsService)(&c.common)
diff --git a/pkg/apiclient/client_http.go b/pkg/apiclient/client_http.go
index 78bcece556c..0240618f535 100644
--- a/pkg/apiclient/client_http.go
+++ b/pkg/apiclient/client_http.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (c *ApiClient) NewRequest(method, url string, body interface{}) (*http.Request, error) {
-	if !strings.HasSuffix(c.BaseURL.Path, "/") && !strings.HasPrefix(c.BaseURL.Path, "/") {
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(c.BaseURL.Path, "/") {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("BaseURL must have a trailing slash, but %q does not", c.BaseURL)
 	}