diff --git a/src/fondant/manifest.py b/src/fondant/manifest.py
index c0ba456dd..b94439ac7 100644
--- a/src/fondant/manifest.py
+++ b/src/fondant/manifest.py
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ def evolve(  # noqa : PLR0912 (too many branches)
                 # Update subset location as this is currently always rewritten
                 evolved_manifest.subsets[subset_name]._specification[
                     "location"
-                ] = f"{self.pipeline_name}/{self.run_id}/{component_id}/{subset_name}"
+                ] = f"/{self.pipeline_name}/{self.run_id}/{component_id}/{subset_name}"
 
             # Subset is not yet in manifest, add it
             else:
diff --git a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/4/output_manifest.json b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/4/output_manifest.json
index 4b824a0fb..e5d318645 100644
--- a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/4/output_manifest.json
+++ b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/4/output_manifest.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
    },
    "subsets":{
       "images":{
-         "location":"test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
+         "location":"/test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
          "fields":{
             "width":{
                "type":"int32"
diff --git a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/5/output_manifest.json b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/5/output_manifest.json
index 4f9ee5604..a30b7840a 100644
--- a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/5/output_manifest.json
+++ b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/5/output_manifest.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
    },
    "subsets":{
       "images":{
-         "location":"test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
+         "location":"/test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
          "fields":{
             "encoding":{
                "type":"string"
diff --git a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/6/output_manifest.json b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/6/output_manifest.json
index 57cb50734..abe68ed17 100644
--- a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/6/output_manifest.json
+++ b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/6/output_manifest.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
    },
    "subsets":{
       "images":{
-         "location":"test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
+         "location":"/test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
          "fields":{
             "encoding":{
                "type":"string"
diff --git a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/7/output_manifest.json b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/7/output_manifest.json
index 2ec76c1ae..5aad56ccb 100644
--- a/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/7/output_manifest.json
+++ b/tests/example_specs/evolution_examples/7/output_manifest.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
    },
    "subsets":{
       "images":{
-         "location":"test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
+         "location":"/test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images",
          "fields":{
             "data":{
                "type":"string"
diff --git a/tests/test_manifest_evolution.py b/tests/test_manifest_evolution.py
index f07e5d498..6ff5dae16 100644
--- a/tests/test_manifest_evolution.py
+++ b/tests/test_manifest_evolution.py
@@ -46,5 +46,5 @@ def test_component_spec_location_update():
 
     assert (
         evolved_manifest._specification["subsets"]["images"]["location"]
-        == "test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images"
+        == "/test_pipeline/12345/example_component/images"
     )