diff --git a/java/src/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/networktables/NetworkTable.java b/java/src/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/networktables/NetworkTable.java
index a2d1eb6c8f..5a58168baa 100644
--- a/java/src/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/networktables/NetworkTable.java
+++ b/java/src/edu/wpi/first/wpilibj/networktables/NetworkTable.java
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ public class NetworkTable implements ITable, IRemote {
   public synchronized static NetworkTable getTable(String key) {
     if (!running)
       initialize();
-    if (key.isEmpty())
+    if (key.isEmpty() || key.charAt(0) == PATH_SEPARATOR)
       return new NetworkTable(key);
     return new NetworkTable(PATH_SEPARATOR + key);
   }
diff --git a/src/networktables/NetworkTable.cpp b/src/networktables/NetworkTable.cpp
index bfcf7057b3..267da1f085 100644
--- a/src/networktables/NetworkTable.cpp
+++ b/src/networktables/NetworkTable.cpp
@@ -82,12 +82,14 @@ const char* NetworkTable::LoadPersistent(
 
 std::shared_ptr<NetworkTable> NetworkTable::GetTable(StringRef key) {
   if (!s_running) Initialize();
-  llvm::SmallString<128> path;
-  if (!key.empty()) {
+  if (key.empty() || key[0] == PATH_SEPARATOR_CHAR) {
+    return std::make_shared<NetworkTable>(key, private_init());
+  } else {
+    llvm::SmallString<128> path;
     path += PATH_SEPARATOR_CHAR;
     path += key;
+    return std::make_shared<NetworkTable>(path, private_init());
   }
-  return std::make_shared<NetworkTable>(path, private_init());
 }
 
 NetworkTable::NetworkTable(StringRef path, const private_init&)
diff --git a/test/unit/NetworkTableTest.cpp b/test/unit/NetworkTableTest.cpp
index 084c658ca5..24ad29f7d2 100644
--- a/test/unit/NetworkTableTest.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/NetworkTableTest.cpp
@@ -18,3 +18,10 @@ TEST_F(NetworkTableTest, ContainsKey) {
   ASSERT_TRUE(nt->ContainsKey("testkey"));
 }
 
+TEST_F(NetworkTableTest, LeadingSlash) {
+  auto nt = NetworkTable::GetTable("leadingslash");
+  auto nt2 = NetworkTable::GetTable("/leadingslash");
+  ASSERT_FALSE(nt->ContainsKey("testkey"));
+  nt2->PutNumber("testkey", 5);
+  ASSERT_TRUE(nt->ContainsKey("testkey"));
+}