diff --git a/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/main/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/completion/FilePathCompletionParticipant.java b/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/main/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/completion/FilePathCompletionParticipant.java
index df8af4e812..efd7221d13 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/main/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/completion/FilePathCompletionParticipant.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/main/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/completion/FilePathCompletionParticipant.java
@@ -77,20 +77,20 @@ public class FilePathCompletionParticipant extends CompletionParticipantAdapter
 	public void onAttributeValue(String value, ICompletionRequest request, ICompletionResponse response,
 			CancelChecker cancelChecker) throws Exception {
 		// File path completion on attribute value
-		addCompletionItems(value, request, response);
+		addCompletionItems(value, request, response, false);
 	}
 
 	@Override
 	public void onDTDSystemId(String value, ICompletionRequest request, ICompletionResponse response,
 			CancelChecker cancelChecker) throws Exception {
 		// File path completion on DTD DOCTYPE SYSTEM
-		addCompletionItems(value, request, response);
+		addCompletionItems(value, request, response, true);
 	}
 
-	private static void addCompletionItems(String value, ICompletionRequest request, ICompletionResponse response)
+	private static void addCompletionItems(String value, ICompletionRequest request, ICompletionResponse response, boolean isInDoctype)
 			throws Exception {
 		String fullValue = value;
-		if (isEmpty(fullValue)) {
+		if (isEmpty(fullValue) && !isInDoctype) {
 			return;
 		}
 
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@ private static void addCompletionItems(String value, ICompletionRequest request,
 					return;
 				}
 			}
+		} else if (!hasPathBeginning(valuePath) && !isInDoctype) {
+			// the user probably didn't intend to complete a path
+			return;
 		}
 		// On Linux, Mac OS replace '\\' with '/'
 		if (!isWindows) {
@@ -259,4 +262,25 @@ private static void createFilePathCompletionItem(File f, Range replaceRange, ICo
 		response.addCompletionItem(item);
 	}
 
+	private static boolean hasPathBeginning(String currentText) {
+		if (currentText.startsWith("/")
+				|| currentText.startsWith("./")
+				|| currentText.startsWith("../")
+				|| currentText.startsWith("..\\")
+				|| currentText.startsWith(".\\")) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		return isAbsoluteWindowsPath(currentText);
+	}
+
+	private static boolean isAbsoluteWindowsPath(String currentText) {
+		if (currentText.length() < 3) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		if (Character.isLetter(currentText.charAt(0))) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		return currentText.charAt(1) == ':' && currentText.charAt(2) == '\\';
+	}
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/AbstractCacheBasedTest.java b/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/AbstractCacheBasedTest.java
index 47ff2f058c..101f2f8b5b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/AbstractCacheBasedTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/AbstractCacheBasedTest.java
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractCacheBasedTest {
 
 	@BeforeEach
 	public final void setupCache() throws Exception {
-		System.out.println(this.getClass().getName() + ": " + uuid);
 		clearCache();
 		FilesUtils.resetDeployPath();
 		Assertions.assertNotNull(parentDir);
diff --git a/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/FilePathCompletionTest.java b/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/FilePathCompletionTest.java
index 3e1764ff75..3076e56358 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/FilePathCompletionTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.lemminx/src/test/java/org/eclipse/lemminx/extensions/general/FilePathCompletionTest.java
@@ -66,15 +66,13 @@ public void testFilePathCompletionFolderABackSlash() throws BadLocationException
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionFolderB() throws BadLocationException {
 		String xml = "<a path=\"folderB/|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 16, 17, "xsdB1.xsd", "xmlB1.xml");
-		testCompletionFor(xml, 2, items);
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionFolderBBackSlash() throws BadLocationException {
 		String xml = "<a path=\"folderB\\|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 16, 17, "xsdB1.xsd", "xmlB1.xml");
-		testCompletionFor(xml, 2, items);
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -113,44 +111,42 @@ public void testFilePathCompletionFolderBAbsolutePathWithFileScheme() throws Bad
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionNestedA() throws BadLocationException {
-		String xml = "<a path=\"NestedA/|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 16, 17, "NestedB");
+		String xml = "<a path=\"./NestedA/|\">";
+		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 18, 19, "NestedB");
 		testCompletionFor(xml, 1, items);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionNestedABackSlash() throws BadLocationException {
-		String xml = "<a path=\"NestedA\\|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 16, 17, "NestedB");
+		String xml = "<a path=\"./NestedA\\|\">";
+		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 18, 19, "NestedB");
 		testCompletionFor(xml, 1, items);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionNestedBIncomplete() throws BadLocationException {
-		String xml = "<a path=\"NestedA/NestedB/ZZZ|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 24, 28, "nestedXSD.xsd");
+		String xml = "<a path=\"./NestedA/NestedB/ZZZ|\">";
+		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 26, 30, "nestedXSD.xsd");
 		testCompletionFor(xml, 1, items);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionNestedBIncompleteBackSlash() throws BadLocationException {
-		String xml = "<a path=\"NestedA\\NestedB\\ZZZ|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 24, 28, "nestedXSD.xsd");
+		String xml = "<a path=\".\\NestedA\\NestedB\\ZZZ|\">";
+		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 26, 30, "nestedXSD.xsd");
 		testCompletionFor(xml, 1, items);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionExtraTextInValue() throws BadLocationException {
 		String xml = "<a path=\"NAMESPACE_IGNORE_ME NestedA/NestedB/|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 44, 45, "nestedXSD.xsd");
-		testCompletionFor(xml, 1, items);
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionExtraTextInValueBackSlash() throws BadLocationException {
 		String xml = "<a path=\"NAMESPACE_IGNORE_ME NestedA\\NestedB\\|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 44, 45, "nestedXSD.xsd");
-		testCompletionFor(xml, 1, items);
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -166,11 +162,8 @@ public void testFilePathCompletionExtraTextInValueAbsolute() throws BadLocationE
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionExtraTextInValueAbsoluteBackSlash() throws BadLocationException {
 		String filePath = userDirBackSlash + "\\src\\test\\resources\\filePathCompletion\\NestedA\\NestedB\\";
-		int filePathLength = filePath.length();
 		String xml = "<a path=\"NAMESPACE_IGNORE_ME " + filePath + "|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 29 + filePathLength - 1, 29 + filePathLength,
-				"nestedXSD.xsd");
-		testCompletionFor(xml, 1, items);
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -262,22 +255,22 @@ public void testFilePathCompletionDTDFolderABackSlash() throws BadLocationExcept
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionDTDFolderB() throws BadLocationException {
-		String xml = "<!DOCTYPE foo SYSTEM \"folderB/|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 29, 30, "xsdB1.xsd", "xmlB1.xml");
+		String xml = "<!DOCTYPE foo SYSTEM \"./folderB/|\">";
+		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 31, 32, "xsdB1.xsd", "xmlB1.xml");
 		testCompletionFor(xml, 2, items);
 	}
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionDTDFolderBBackSlash() throws BadLocationException {
-		String xml = "<!DOCTYPE foo SYSTEM \"folderB\\|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 29, 30, "xsdB1.xsd", "xmlB1.xml");
+		String xml = "<!DOCTYPE foo SYSTEM \"./folderB\\|\">";
+		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("\\", 0, 31, 32, "xsdB1.xsd", "xmlB1.xml");
 		testCompletionFor(xml, 2, items);
 	}
 
 	@Test
-	public void testFilePathNoCompletion() throws BadLocationException {
+	public void testFilePathCompletionForEmptyDoctype() throws BadLocationException {
 		String xml = "<!DOCTYPE foo SYSTEM \"|\">";
-		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 5);
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -288,8 +281,8 @@ public void testFilePathNoCompletionMissingSystemId() throws BadLocationExceptio
 
 	@Test
 	public void testFilePathCompletionWithSpacesFolder() throws BadLocationException {
-		String xml = "<a path=\"folderC/|\">";
-		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 16, 17, "a@b", "with%20spaces");
+		String xml = "<a path=\"./folderC/|\">";
+		CompletionItem[] items = getCompletionItemList("/", 0, 18, 19, "a@b", "with%20spaces");
 		testCompletionFor(xml, 2, items);
 	}
 
@@ -301,6 +294,18 @@ public void testFilePathCompletionInsideSpecialChars() throws BadLocationExcepti
 		XMLAssert.testCompletionFor(xml, null, fileURI, 2, items);
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testFilePathCompletionWithBrokenAbsoluteWindowsPath() throws BadLocationException {
+		String xml = "<a path=\"C|\">";
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
+		xml = "<a path=\"C:|\">";
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
+		xml = "<a path=\"C\\\\|\">";
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
+		xml = "<a path=\"C::|\">";
+		testCompletionFor(xml, 0);
+	}
+
 	private static void testCompletionFor(String xml, CompletionItem... expectedItems) throws BadLocationException {
 		testCompletionFor(xml, null, expectedItems);
 	}