diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupport.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupport.java
index a2d1ac06..9a1c4e0f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupport.java
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ public abstract class LinkBuilderSupport<T extends LinkBuilder> implements LinkB
 			return getThis();
 		}
 
+		path = path.startsWith("/") ? path : "/".concat(path);
+
 		return slash(UriComponentsBuilder.fromUriString(path).build(), false);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupportUnitTest.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupportUnitTest.java
index 869a7c9a..1511af1d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupportUnitTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/core/LinkBuilderSupportUnitTest.java
@@ -53,6 +53,19 @@ public class LinkBuilderSupportUnitTest extends TestUtils {
 		assertThat(builder.toString(), endsWith("foo%20bar#foo"));
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @see #582
+	 */
+	@Test
+	public void appendsPathContainingColonsCorrectly() {
+
+		SampleLinkBuilder builder = new SampleLinkBuilder(UriComponentsBuilder.newInstance());
+
+		builder = builder.slash("47:11");
+
+		assertThat(builder.toString(), endsWith("47:11"));
+	}
+
 	static class SampleLinkBuilder extends LinkBuilderSupport<SampleLinkBuilder> {
 
 		public SampleLinkBuilder(UriComponentsBuilder builder) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java
index a6dc37c3..3cd2bb90 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/springframework/hateoas/mvc/ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest.java
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ public class ControllerLinkBuilderUnitTest extends TestUtils {
 	 * @see #192
 	 */
 	@Test
-	public void usesRootMappingOfTargetClassForMethodsOfParen() throws Exception {
+	public void usesRootMappingOfTargetClassForMethodsOfParent() throws Exception {
 
 		Method method = ParentControllerWithoutRootMapping.class.getMethod("someEmptyMappedMethod");