diff --git a/api/kv.go b/api/kv.go
index 5262243a1..867592490 100644
--- a/api/kv.go
+++ b/api/kv.go
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ func (k *KV) Keys(prefix, separator string, q *QueryOptions) ([]string, *QueryMe
 }
 
 func (k *KV) getInternal(key string, params map[string]string, q *QueryOptions) (*http.Response, *QueryMeta, error) {
-	r := k.c.newRequest("GET", "/v1/kv/"+key)
+	r := k.c.newRequest("GET", "/v1/kv/"+strings.TrimPrefix(key, "/"))
 	r.setQueryOptions(q)
 	for param, val := range params {
 		r.params.Set(param, val)
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ func (k *KV) DeleteTree(prefix string, w *WriteOptions) (*WriteMeta, error) {
 }
 
 func (k *KV) deleteInternal(key string, params map[string]string, q *WriteOptions) (bool, *WriteMeta, error) {
-	r := k.c.newRequest("DELETE", "/v1/kv/"+key)
+	r := k.c.newRequest("DELETE", "/v1/kv/"+strings.TrimPrefix(key, "/"))
 	r.setWriteOptions(q)
 	for param, val := range params {
 		r.params.Set(param, val)