diff --git a/client/rpc/api.go b/client/rpc/api.go
index c4b73d387c2..36e691629df 100644
--- a/client/rpc/api.go
+++ b/client/rpc/api.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-cid"
 	legacy "github.com/ipfs/go-ipld-legacy"
 	ipfs "github.com/ipfs/kubo"
+	daemon "github.com/ipfs/kubo/cmd/ipfs/kubo"
 	iface "github.com/ipfs/kubo/core/coreiface"
 	caopts "github.com/ipfs/kubo/core/coreiface/options"
 	"github.com/ipfs/kubo/misc/fsutil"
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ func NewApi(a ma.Multiaddr) (*HttpApi, error) {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	if network == "unix" {
+		address = daemon.NormalizeUnixMultiaddr(address)
 		transport.DialContext = func(_ context.Context, _, _ string) (net.Conn, error) {
 			return net.Dial("unix", address)
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/kubo/daemon.go b/cmd/ipfs/kubo/daemon.go
index 94b633f7941..e681149a173 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/kubo/daemon.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/kubo/daemon.go
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ import (
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	_ "net/http/pprof"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
@@ -704,6 +706,24 @@ take effect.
 	return errs
 }
 
+// TODO: should a  version of this live in https://github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr
+// so we dont need to duplicate code here and in client/rpc/api.go ?
+func NormalizeUnixMultiaddr(address string) string {
+	// Support legacy and modern /unix addrs
+	// https://github.com/multiformats/multiaddr/pull/174
+	socketPath, err := url.PathUnescape(address)
+	if err != nil {
+		return address // nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to unescape /unix socket path: %w", err)
+	}
+	// Ensure the path is absolute
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(socketPath, string(filepath.Separator)) {
+		socketPath = string(filepath.Separator) + socketPath
+	}
+	// Normalize path
+	socketPath = filepath.Clean(socketPath)
+	return socketPath
+}
+
 // serveHTTPApi collects options, creates listener, prints status message and starts serving requests.
 func serveHTTPApi(req *cmds.Request, cctx *oldcmds.Context) (<-chan error, error) {
 	cfg, err := cctx.GetConfig()
@@ -730,6 +750,9 @@ func serveHTTPApi(req *cmds.Request, cctx *oldcmds.Context) (<-chan error, error
 	}
 
 	for _, addr := range apiAddrs {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(addr, "/unix/") {
+			addr = NormalizeUnixMultiaddr(addr)
+		}
 		apiMaddr, err := ma.NewMultiaddr(addr)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("serveHTTPApi: invalid API address: %q (err: %s)", addr, err)
@@ -919,6 +942,9 @@ func serveHTTPGateway(req *cmds.Request, cctx *oldcmds.Context) (<-chan error, e
 
 	gatewayAddrs := cfg.Addresses.Gateway
 	for _, addr := range gatewayAddrs {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(addr, "/unix/") {
+			addr = NormalizeUnixMultiaddr(addr)
+		}
 		gatewayMaddr, err := ma.NewMultiaddr(addr)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("serveHTTPGateway: invalid gateway address: %q (err: %s)", addr, err)
diff --git a/docs/config.md b/docs/config.md
index a6e9c699f4d..174aadfbddf 100644
--- a/docs/config.md
+++ b/docs/config.md
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ the local [Kubo RPC API](https://docs.ipfs.tech/reference/kubo/rpc/) (`/api/v0`)
 Supported Transports:
 
 * tcp/ip{4,6} - `/ipN/.../tcp/...`
-* unix - `/unix/path/to/socket`
+* unix - `/unix/path/to/socket` or `/unix/path%2Fto%2Fsocket`
 
 > [!CAUTION]
 > **NEVER EXPOSE UNPROTECTED ADMIN RPC TO LAN OR THE PUBLIC INTERNET**
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ the local [HTTP gateway](https://specs.ipfs.tech/http-gateways/) (`/ipfs`, `/ipn
 Supported Transports:
 
 * tcp/ip{4,6} - `/ipN/.../tcp/...`
-* unix - `/unix/path/to/socket`
+* unix - `/unix/path/to/socket` or `/unix/path%2Fto%2Fsocket`
 
 Default: `/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/8080`
 
diff --git a/test/cli/rpc_unixsocket_test.go b/test/cli/rpc_unixsocket_test.go
index 8cead7388d5..241bb7808b1 100644
--- a/test/cli/rpc_unixsocket_test.go
+++ b/test/cli/rpc_unixsocket_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ package cli
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"net/url"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	rpcapi "github.com/ipfs/kubo/client/rpc"
@@ -13,39 +16,72 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestRPCUnixSocket(t *testing.T) {
-	node := harness.NewT(t).NewNode().Init()
+	t.Parallel()
 
-	sockDir := node.Dir
-	sockAddr := path.Join("/unix", sockDir, "sock")
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name             string
+		getSockMultiaddr func(sockPath string) (unixMultiaddr string)
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "Legacy /unix: unescaped socket path",
+			getSockMultiaddr: func(sockDir string) string {
+				return path.Join("/unix", sockDir, "sock")
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Spec-compliant /unix: percent-encoded socket path without leading slash",
+			getSockMultiaddr: func(sockDir string) string {
+				sockPath := path.Join(sockDir, "sock")
+				pathWithoutLeadingSlash := strings.TrimPrefix(sockPath, string(filepath.Separator))
+				escapedPath := url.PathEscape(pathWithoutLeadingSlash)
+				return path.Join("/unix", escapedPath)
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "Spec-compliant /unix: percent-encoded socket path with leading slash",
+			getSockMultiaddr: func(sockDir string) string {
+				sockPath := path.Join(sockDir, "sock")
+				escapedPath := url.PathEscape(sockPath)
+				return path.Join("/unix", escapedPath)
+			},
+		},
+	}
 
-	node.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *config.Config) {
-		//cfg.Addresses.API = append(cfg.Addresses.API, sockPath)
-		cfg.Addresses.API = []string{sockAddr}
-	})
-	t.Log("Starting daemon with unix socket:", sockAddr)
-	node.StartDaemon()
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			node := harness.NewT(t).NewNode().Init()
+			sockDir := node.Dir
+			sockAddr := tc.getSockMultiaddr(sockDir)
+			node.UpdateConfig(func(cfg *config.Config) {
+				//cfg.Addresses.API = append(cfg.Addresses.API, sockPath)
+				cfg.Addresses.API = []string{sockAddr}
+			})
+			t.Log("Starting daemon with unix socket:", sockAddr)
+			node.StartDaemon()
 
-	unixMaddr, err := multiaddr.NewMultiaddr(sockAddr)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+			unixMaddr, err := multiaddr.NewMultiaddr(sockAddr)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	apiClient, err := rpcapi.NewApi(unixMaddr)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+			apiClient, err := rpcapi.NewApi(unixMaddr)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	var ver struct {
-		Version string
-	}
-	err = apiClient.Request("version").Exec(context.Background(), &ver)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.NotEmpty(t, ver)
-	t.Log("Got version:", ver.Version)
+			var ver struct {
+				Version string
+			}
+			err = apiClient.Request("version").Exec(context.Background(), &ver)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NotEmpty(t, ver)
+			t.Log("Got version:", ver.Version)
 
-	var res struct {
-		ID string
-	}
-	err = apiClient.Request("id").Exec(context.Background(), &res)
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.NotEmpty(t, res)
-	t.Log("Got ID:", res.ID)
+			var res struct {
+				ID string
+			}
+			err = apiClient.Request("id").Exec(context.Background(), &res)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.NotEmpty(t, res)
+			t.Log("Got ID:", res.ID)
 
-	node.StopDaemon()
+			node.StopDaemon()
+		})
+	}
 }