diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java b/core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java
index 2727723be7..a75b5a58f6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java
@@ -48,17 +48,17 @@ public class URLValidator extends FieldValidatorSupport {
 
     private static final Logger LOG = LogManager.getLogger(URLValidator.class);
 
-    public static final String DEFAULT_URL_REGEX = "^(?:https?|ftp)://" +
+    public static final String DEFAULT_URL_REGEX = "^(?:https?|ftp):\\/\\/" +
             "(?:(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;?&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})+" +
             "(?::(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;?&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})+)?" +
             "@)?#?" +
             "(?:(?:(?:[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?\\.)*" +
             "[a-z][a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9]" +
             "|(?:(?:[1-9]?\\d|1\\d{2}|2[0-4]\\d|25[0-5])\\.){3}" +
-            "[1-9]?\\d|1\\d{2}|2[0-4]\\d|25[0-5]" +
+            "(?:[1-9]?\\d|1\\d{2}|2[0-4]\\d|25[0-5])" +
             ")(?::\\d+)?" +
-            ")(?:(?:/(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)*" +
-            "(?:\\?(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-/:]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)?)?" +
+            ")(?:(?:\\/(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)*" +
+            "(?:\\?(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-\\/:]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)?)?" +
             "(?:#(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)?" +
             "$";