diff --git a/app/api/middleware/encode/encode.go b/app/api/middleware/encode/encode.go
index 1c0805fb1..2db6b6f5b 100644
--- a/app/api/middleware/encode/encode.go
+++ b/app/api/middleware/encode/encode.go
@@ -270,6 +270,10 @@ func regexPathTerminatedWithMarker(
 // case 2: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxM/ (M is at the end and it should have a / after it)
 // case 3: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxM (M is at the end).
 func cutOutTerminatedPath(subPath string, marker string) (string, bool) {
+	// base case of marker being empty
+	if marker == "" {
+		return subPath, true
+	}
 	endsWithSlash := strings.HasSuffix(marker, "/")
 	if !endsWithSlash {
 		marker += "/"
diff --git a/app/api/middleware/encode/encode_test.go b/app/api/middleware/encode/encode_test.go
index 420a47556..a482e26e4 100644
--- a/app/api/middleware/encode/encode_test.go
+++ b/app/api/middleware/encode/encode_test.go
@@ -252,6 +252,13 @@ func TestCutOutTerminatedPath(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedPath:  "",
 			expectedFound: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name:          "empty marker",
+			subPath:       "/foo/bar",
+			marker:        "",
+			expectedPath:  "/foo/bar",
+			expectedFound: true,
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {