diff --git a/swift/common/swob.py b/swift/common/swob.py
index 026632033c..df94233360 100755
--- a/swift/common/swob.py
+++ b/swift/common/swob.py
@@ -758,10 +758,12 @@ class Request(object):
         the path segment.
         """
         path_info = self.path_info
+        if not path_info or path_info[0] != '/':
+            return None
         try:
             slash_loc = path_info.index('/', 1)
         except ValueError:
-            return None
+            slash_loc = len(path_info)
         self.script_name += path_info[:slash_loc]
         self.path_info = path_info[slash_loc:]
         return path_info[1:slash_loc]
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_swob.py b/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
index 7c85f9c64a..44c41c98b8 100755
--- a/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
@@ -300,6 +300,18 @@ class TestRequest(unittest.TestCase):
         req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank('blahblah')
         self.assertEquals(req.path_info_pop(), None)
 
+    def test_path_info_pop_last(self):
+        req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank('/last')
+        self.assertEquals(req.path_info_pop(), 'last')
+        self.assertEquals(req.path_info, '')
+        self.assertEquals(req.script_name, '/last')
+
+    def test_path_info_pop_none(self):
+        req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank('/')
+        self.assertEquals(req.path_info_pop(), '')
+        self.assertEquals(req.path_info, '')
+        self.assertEquals(req.script_name, '/')
+
     def test_copy_get(self):
         req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank(
             '/hi/there', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'POST'})