diff --git a/backend/src/ee/services/permission/project-permission.ts b/backend/src/ee/services/permission/project-permission.ts
index 3dc7daddc..e9ba49127 100644
--- a/backend/src/ee/services/permission/project-permission.ts
+++ b/backend/src/ee/services/permission/project-permission.ts
@@ -163,6 +163,27 @@ export type ProjectPermissionSet =
   | [ProjectPermissionActions.Create, ProjectPermissionSub.SecretRollback]
   | [ProjectPermissionActions.Edit, ProjectPermissionSub.Kms];
 
+const SECRET_PATH_MISSING_SLASH_ERR_MSG = "Invalid Secret Path; it must start with a '/'";
+const SECRET_PATH_PERMISSION_OPERATOR_SCHEMA = z.union([
+  z.string().refine((val) => val.startsWith("/"), SECRET_PATH_MISSING_SLASH_ERR_MSG),
+  z
+    .object({
+      [PermissionConditionOperators.$EQ]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$EQ].refine(
+        (val) => val.startsWith("/"),
+        SECRET_PATH_MISSING_SLASH_ERR_MSG
+      ),
+      [PermissionConditionOperators.$NEQ]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$NEQ].refine(
+        (val) => val.startsWith("/"),
+        SECRET_PATH_MISSING_SLASH_ERR_MSG
+      ),
+      [PermissionConditionOperators.$IN]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$IN].refine(
+        (val) => val.every((el) => el.startsWith("/")),
+        SECRET_PATH_MISSING_SLASH_ERR_MSG
+      ),
+      [PermissionConditionOperators.$GLOB]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$GLOB]
+    })
+    .partial()
+]);
 // akhilmhdh: don't modify this for v2
 // if you want to update create a new schema
 const SecretConditionV1Schema = z
@@ -177,17 +198,7 @@ const SecretConditionV1Schema = z
         })
         .partial()
     ]),
-    secretPath: z.union([
-      z.string(),
-      z
-        .object({
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$EQ]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$EQ],
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$NEQ]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$NEQ],
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$IN]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$IN],
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$GLOB]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$GLOB]
-        })
-        .partial()
-    ])
+    secretPath: SECRET_PATH_PERMISSION_OPERATOR_SCHEMA
   })
   .partial();
 
@@ -204,17 +215,7 @@ const SecretConditionV2Schema = z
         })
         .partial()
     ]),
-    secretPath: z.union([
-      z.string(),
-      z
-        .object({
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$EQ]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$EQ],
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$NEQ]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$NEQ],
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$IN]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$IN],
-          [PermissionConditionOperators.$GLOB]: PermissionConditionSchema[PermissionConditionOperators.$GLOB]
-        })
-        .partial()
-    ]),
+    secretPath: SECRET_PATH_PERMISSION_OPERATOR_SCHEMA,
     secretName: z.union([
       z.string(),
       z
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/ProjectRoleModifySection.utils.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/ProjectRoleModifySection.utils.tsx
index 3a9e311fd..dc850581f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/ProjectRoleModifySection.utils.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/ProjectRoleModifySection.utils.tsx
@@ -80,6 +80,19 @@ const ConditionSchema = z
       return true;
     },
     { message: "Duplicate operator found for a condition" }
+  )
+  .refine(
+    (val) =>
+      val
+        .filter(
+          (el) => el.lhs === "secretPath" && el.operator !== PermissionConditionOperators.$GLOB
+        )
+        .every((el) =>
+          el.operator === PermissionConditionOperators.$IN
+            ? el.rhs.split(",").every((i) => i.trim().startsWith("/"))
+            : el.rhs.trim().startsWith("/")
+        ),
+    { message: "Invalid Secret Path. Must start with '/'" }
   );
 
 export const projectRoleFormSchema = z.object({
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/SecretPermissionConditions.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/SecretPermissionConditions.tsx
index 0956ab958..ab893cb09 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/SecretPermissionConditions.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/project/RoleDetailsBySlugPage/components/SecretPermissionConditions.tsx
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ export const SecretPermissionConditions = ({ position = 0, isDisabled }: Props)
     name: `permissions.secrets.${position}.conditions`
   });
 
+  const conditionErrorMessage =
+    errors?.permissions?.secrets?.[position]?.conditions?.message ||
+    errors?.permissions?.secrets?.[position]?.conditions?.root?.message;
+
   return (
     <div className="mt-6 border-t border-t-mineshaft-600 bg-mineshaft-800 pt-2">
       <p className="mt-2 text-gray-300">Conditions</p>
@@ -147,10 +151,10 @@ export const SecretPermissionConditions = ({ position = 0, isDisabled }: Props)
           );
         })}
       </div>
-      {errors?.permissions?.secrets?.[position]?.conditions?.message && (
+      {conditionErrorMessage && (
         <div className="flex items-center space-x-2 py-2 text-sm text-gray-400">
           <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faWarning} className="text-red" />
-          <span>{errors?.permissions?.secrets?.[position]?.conditions?.message}</span>
+          <span>{conditionErrorMessage}</span>
         </div>
       )}
       <div>