diff --git a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts
index 807d2203d..7aee91273 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts
@@ -22,26 +22,6 @@ const INTERPOLATION_TEST_REGEX = new RE2(INTERPOLATION_PATTERN_STRING);
 
 export const shouldUseSecretV2Bridge = (version: number) => version === 3;
 
-export const validateSecretPath = async (
-  data: {
-    projectId: string;
-    environment: string;
-    secretPath: string;
-  },
-  folderDAL: Pick<TSecretFolderDALFactory, "findBySecretPath">
-) => {
-  const { projectId, environment, secretPath } = data;
-
-  const folder = await folderDAL.findBySecretPath(projectId, environment, secretPath);
-
-  if (!folder) {
-    throw new NotFoundError({
-      message: `Folder with path '${secretPath}' in environment '${environment}' was not found. Please ensure the environment slug and secret path is correct.`,
-      name: "SecretPathNotFound"
-    });
-  }
-};
-
 /**
  * Grabs and processes nested secret references from a string
  *
diff --git a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts
index 3b68f69f4..b23cd0c56 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts
@@ -64,8 +64,7 @@ import {
   generatePaths,
   getAllSecretReferences,
   recursivelyGetSecretPaths,
-  reshapeBridgeSecret,
-  validateSecretPath
+  reshapeBridgeSecret
 } from "./secret-v2-bridge-fns";
 import {
   SecretOperations,
@@ -1041,15 +1040,6 @@ export const secretV2BridgeServiceFactory = ({
         projectId
       });
 
-    await validateSecretPath(
-      {
-        projectId,
-        environment,
-        secretPath: path
-      },
-      folderDAL
-    );
-
     const encryptedCachedSecrets = await keyStore.getItem(cacheKey);
     if (encryptedCachedSecrets) {
       try {
@@ -1084,12 +1074,22 @@ export const secretV2BridgeServiceFactory = ({
         currentPath: path
       });
 
-      if (!deepPaths) return { secrets: [], imports: [] };
+      if (!deepPaths?.length) {
+        throw new NotFoundError({
+          message: `Folder with path '${path}' in environment '${environment}' was not found. Please ensure the environment slug and secret path is correct.`,
+          name: "SecretPathNotFound"
+        });
+      }
 
       paths = deepPaths.map(({ folderId, path: p }) => ({ folderId, path: p }));
     } else {
       const folder = await folderDAL.findBySecretPath(projectId, environment, path);
-      if (!folder) return { secrets: [], imports: [] };
+      if (!folder) {
+        throw new NotFoundError({
+          message: `Folder with path '${path}' in environment '${environment}' was not found. Please ensure the environment slug and secret path is correct.`,
+          name: "SecretPathNotFound"
+        });
+      }
 
       paths = [{ folderId: folder.id, path }];
     }
diff --git a/backend/src/services/secret/secret-service.ts b/backend/src/services/secret/secret-service.ts
index 922193c6c..6bafa3ba6 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/secret/secret-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/secret/secret-service.ts
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ import {
 } from "./secret-types";
 import { TSecretVersionDALFactory } from "./secret-version-dal";
 import { TSecretVersionTagDALFactory } from "./secret-version-tag-dal";
-import { validateSecretPath } from "../secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns";
 
 type TSecretServiceFactoryDep = {
   secretDAL: TSecretDALFactory;
@@ -617,15 +616,6 @@ export const secretServiceFactory = ({
       actionProjectType: ActionProjectType.SecretManager
     });
 
-    await validateSecretPath(
-      {
-        projectId,
-        environment,
-        secretPath: path
-      },
-      folderDAL
-    );
-
     let paths: { folderId: string; path: string }[] = [];
 
     if (recursive) {
@@ -647,7 +637,12 @@ export const secretServiceFactory = ({
         }
       });
 
-      if (!deepPaths) return { secrets: [], imports: [] };
+      if (!deepPaths?.length) {
+        throw new NotFoundError({
+          message: `Folder with path '${path}' in environment '${environment}' was not found. Please ensure the environment slug and secret path is correct.`,
+          name: "SecretPathNotFound"
+        });
+      }
 
       paths = deepPaths.map(({ folderId, path: p }) => ({ folderId, path: p }));
     } else {
@@ -657,7 +652,12 @@ export const secretServiceFactory = ({
       });
 
       const folder = await folderDAL.findBySecretPath(projectId, environment, path);
-      if (!folder) return { secrets: [], imports: [] };
+      if (!folder) {
+        throw new NotFoundError({
+          message: `Folder with path '${path}' in environment '${environment}' was not found. Please ensure the environment slug and secret path is correct.`,
+          name: "SecretPathNotFound"
+        });
+      }
 
       paths = [{ folderId: folder.id, path }];
     }