diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java
index 89c1f7dbd..ccb4d18a1 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/client/utils/URIUtils.java
@@ -354,13 +354,14 @@ public class URIUtils {
      *
      * @param uri the original URI
      * @return the URI without dot segments
+     *
+     * @since 4.5
      */
-    static URI normalizeSyntax(final URI uri) throws URISyntaxException {
+    public static URI normalizeSyntax(final URI uri) throws URISyntaxException {
         if (uri.isOpaque() || uri.getAuthority() == null) {
             // opaque and file: URIs
             return uri;
         }
-        Args.check(uri.isAbsolute(), "Base URI must be absolute");
         final URIBuilder builder = new URIBuilder(uri);
         final List<String> inputSegments = URLEncodedUtils.parsePathSegments(uri.getPath());
         final Stack<String> outputSegments = new Stack<String>();
diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultRedirectStrategy.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultRedirectStrategy.java
index 9417aaa66..fbca9293c 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultRedirectStrategy.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultRedirectStrategy.java
@@ -146,13 +146,14 @@ public class DefaultRedirectStrategy implements RedirectStrategy {
         final RequestConfig config = clientContext.getRequestConfig();
 
         URI uri = createLocationURI(location);
-        if (config.isNormalizeUri()) {
-            uri = uri.normalize();
-        }
 
-        // rfc2616 demands the location value be a complete URI
-        // Location       = "Location" ":" absoluteURI
         try {
+            if (config.isNormalizeUri()) {
+                uri = URIUtils.normalizeSyntax(uri);
+            }
+
+            // rfc2616 demands the location value be a complete URI
+            // Location       = "Location" ":" absoluteURI
             if (!uri.isAbsolute()) {
                 if (!config.isRelativeRedirectsAllowed()) {
                     throw new ProtocolException("Relative redirect location '"