diff --git a/src/host.rs b/src/host.rs
index 06ac7818..35a6b9fd 100644
--- a/src/host.rs
+++ b/src/host.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@ impl Host {
         ][..]).is_some() {
             return Err(ParseError::InvalidDomainCharacter)
         }
+        if domain.is_empty() {
+            return Err(ParseError::RelativeUrlWithoutBase)
+        }
         match parse_ipv4addr(&domain[..]) {
             Ok(Some(ipv4addr)) => Ok(Host::Ipv4(ipv4addr)),
             Ok(None) => Ok(Host::Domain(domain.to_ascii_lowercase())),
diff --git a/tests/tests.rs b/tests/tests.rs
index 45c403db..80c034e0 100644
--- a/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/tests/tests.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ extern crate url;
 
 use std::net::{Ipv4Addr, Ipv6Addr};
 use url::{Host, Url};
+use url::ParseError;
 
 #[test]
 fn new_file_paths() {
@@ -80,6 +81,10 @@ fn new_directory_paths() {
     if cfg!(unix) {
         assert_eq!(Url::from_directory_path(Path::new("relative")), Err(()));
         assert_eq!(Url::from_directory_path(Path::new("../relative")), Err(()));
+        assert_eq!(Url::parse("relative"), Err(ParseError::RelativeUrlWithoutBase));
+        assert_eq!(Url::parse("../relative"), Err(ParseError::RelativeUrlWithoutBase));
+        assert_eq!(Url::parse("./relative"), Err(ParseError::RelativeUrlWithoutBase));
+        assert_eq!(Url::parse("file://./foo"), Err(ParseError::RelativeUrlWithoutBase));
 
         let url = Url::from_directory_path(Path::new("/foo/bar")).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(url.host(), Some(&Host::Domain("".to_string())));