diff --git a/examples/core/state_generation/src/templates/build_paths.rs b/examples/core/state_generation/src/templates/build_paths.rs
index 763cb9ff1a..7e38d04549 100644
--- a/examples/core/state_generation/src/templates/build_paths.rs
+++ b/examples/core/state_generation/src/templates/build_paths.rs
@@ -57,5 +57,6 @@ pub async fn get_build_paths() -> RenderFnResult<Vec<String>> {
         "".to_string(),
         "test".to_string(),
         "blah/test/blah".to_string(),
+        "a test".to_string(), // Perseus caan even handle paths with special characters!
     ])
 }
diff --git a/packages/perseus-actix-web/src/initial_load.rs b/packages/perseus-actix-web/src/initial_load.rs
index ec80eb2772..8cfa089fa9 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-actix-web/src/initial_load.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus-actix-web/src/initial_load.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use crate::conv_req::convert_req;
 use actix_web::{http::StatusCode, web, HttpRequest, HttpResponse};
 use fmterr::fmt_err;
 use perseus::{
-    errors::err_to_status_code,
+    errors::{err_to_status_code, ServerError},
     i18n::{TranslationsManager, Translator},
     router::{match_route_atomic, RouteInfoAtomic, RouteVerdictAtomic},
     server::{
@@ -49,6 +49,20 @@ pub async fn initial_load<M: MutableStore, T: TranslationsManager>(
     let templates = &opts.templates_map;
     let error_pages = &opts.error_pages;
     let path = req.path();
+    let path = match urlencoding::decode(path) {
+        Ok(path) => path.to_string(),
+        Err(err) => {
+            return return_error_page(
+                path,
+                400,
+                &fmt_err(&ServerError::UrlDecodeFailed { source: err }),
+                None,
+                error_pages,
+                html_shell.as_ref(),
+            )
+        }
+    };
+    let path = path.as_str();
     let path_slice = get_path_slice(path);
     // Create a closure to make returning error pages easier (most have the same
     // data)
diff --git a/packages/perseus-axum/src/initial_load.rs b/packages/perseus-axum/src/initial_load.rs
index 27b6dd2593..6e4c5bdcaf 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-axum/src/initial_load.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus-axum/src/initial_load.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use axum::{
 };
 use fmterr::fmt_err;
 use perseus::{
-    errors::err_to_status_code,
+    errors::{err_to_status_code, ServerError},
     i18n::{TranslationsManager, Translator},
     router::{match_route_atomic, RouteInfoAtomic, RouteVerdictAtomic},
     server::{
@@ -50,11 +50,25 @@ pub async fn initial_load_handler<M: MutableStore, T: TranslationsManager>(
     translations_manager: Arc<T>,
     global_state: Arc<Option<String>>,
 ) -> (StatusCode, HeaderMap, Html<String>) {
+    let error_pages = &opts.error_pages;
     let path = http_req.uri().path().to_string();
+    let path = match urlencoding::decode(&path) {
+        Ok(path) => path.to_string(),
+        Err(err) => {
+            return return_error_page(
+                path.as_str(),
+                400,
+                &fmt_err(&ServerError::UrlDecodeFailed { source: err }),
+                None,
+                error_pages,
+                html_shell.as_ref(),
+            )
+        }
+    };
+    let path = path.as_str();
     let http_req = Request::from_parts(http_req.into_parts().0, ());
 
     let templates = &opts.templates_map;
-    let error_pages = &opts.error_pages;
     let path_slice = get_path_slice(&path);
     // Create a closure to make returning error pages easier (most have the same
     // data)
diff --git a/packages/perseus-warp/src/initial_load.rs b/packages/perseus-warp/src/initial_load.rs
index 6ac241eb5f..7f082b9eec 100644
--- a/packages/perseus-warp/src/initial_load.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus-warp/src/initial_load.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use fmterr::fmt_err;
 use perseus::{
-    errors::err_to_status_code,
+    errors::{err_to_status_code, ServerError},
     i18n::{TranslationsManager, Translator},
     router::{match_route_atomic, RouteInfoAtomic, RouteVerdictAtomic},
     server::{
@@ -43,9 +43,22 @@ pub async fn initial_load_handler<M: MutableStore, T: TranslationsManager>(
     translations_manager: Arc<T>,
     global_state: Arc<Option<String>>,
 ) -> Response<String> {
+    let error_pages = &opts.error_pages;
+    let path = match urlencoding::decode(path.as_str()) {
+        Ok(path) => path.to_string(),
+        Err(err) => {
+            return return_error_page(
+                path.as_str(),
+                400,
+                &fmt_err(&ServerError::UrlDecodeFailed { source: err }),
+                None,
+                error_pages,
+                html_shell.as_ref(),
+            )
+        }
+    };
     let path = path.as_str();
     let templates = &opts.templates_map;
-    let error_pages = &opts.error_pages;
     let path_slice = get_path_slice(path);
     // Create a closure to make returning error pages easier (most have the same
     // data)
diff --git a/packages/perseus/src/errors.rs b/packages/perseus/src/errors.rs
index 4784c5b3e0..bac0fe39f1 100644
--- a/packages/perseus/src/errors.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus/src/errors.rs
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ pub enum ServerError {
         #[source]
         source: std::io::Error,
     },
+    #[error("failed to decode url provided (probably malformed request)")]
+    UrlDecodeFailed {
+        #[source]
+        source: std::string::FromUtf8Error,
+    },
     #[error(transparent)]
     GlobalStateError(#[from] GlobalStateError),
     #[error(transparent)]
diff --git a/packages/perseus/src/router/get_initial_view.rs b/packages/perseus/src/router/get_initial_view.rs
index 1e34e9c233..39a464ec9f 100644
--- a/packages/perseus/src/router/get_initial_view.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus/src/router/get_initial_view.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ pub(crate) fn get_initial_view(
     let error_pages = &render_ctx.error_pages;
     let pss = &render_ctx.page_state_store;
 
+    let path = js_sys::decode_uri_component(&path)
+        .unwrap()
+        .as_string()
+        .unwrap();
     // Start by figuring out what template we should be rendering
     let path_segments = path
         .split('/')
diff --git a/packages/perseus/src/router/get_subsequent_view.rs b/packages/perseus/src/router/get_subsequent_view.rs
index 290e5774dc..8bf25aecb1 100644
--- a/packages/perseus/src/router/get_subsequent_view.rs
+++ b/packages/perseus/src/router/get_subsequent_view.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn get_subsequent_view(
     let error_pages = &render_ctx.error_pages;
     let pss = &render_ctx.page_state_store;
 
+    let path = js_sys::decode_uri_component(&path)
+        .unwrap()
+        .as_string()
+        .unwrap();
     let path_with_locale = match locale.as_str() {
         "xx-XX" => path.clone(),
         locale => format!("{}/{}", locale, &path),