diff --git a/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags.go b/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags.go
index af91c258..521d5ab5 100644
--- a/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags.go
+++ b/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags.go
@@ -4,15 +4,13 @@
 package flags
 
 import (
-	"strings"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/url"
+	"path"
 )
 
 const (
-	httpScheme  = "http"
-	httpsScheme = "https"
-
-	httpSchemePrefix  = "http://"
-	httpsSchemePrefix = "https://"
+	httpScheme = "http"
 )
 
 type RegistryURI struct {
@@ -25,25 +23,28 @@ func (v RegistryURI) String() string {
 	return v.raw
 }
 
-func (v *RegistryURI) Set(value string) error {
+func (v *RegistryURI) Set(value string) (err error) {
 	v.raw = value
-	v.scheme, v.address = parsePossibleURI(value)
+	v.scheme, v.address, err = parsePossibleURI(value)
 
-	return nil
+	return
 }
 
-func parsePossibleURI(value string) (string, string) {
-	scheme := ""
-	address := value
-	if strings.HasPrefix(value, httpSchemePrefix) {
-		scheme = httpScheme
-		address = strings.TrimPrefix(value, httpSchemePrefix)
-	} else if strings.HasPrefix(value, httpsSchemePrefix) {
-		scheme = httpsScheme
-		address = strings.TrimPrefix(value, httpsSchemePrefix)
+func parsePossibleURI(raw string) (scheme string, address string, err error) {
+	u, err := url.ParseRequestURI(raw)
+	if err != nil || u.Host == "" {
+		// parse again with a scheme to make it a valid URI
+		u, err = url.ParseRequestURI("dummy://" + raw)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("could not parse raw url: %q, error: %w", raw, err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		// only set the scheme when set by the caller
+		scheme = u.Scheme
 	}
 
-	return scheme, address
+	address = path.Join(u.Host, u.Path)
+	return
 }
 
 func (v RegistryURI) Scheme() string {
diff --git a/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags_test.go b/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags_test.go
index ad30a636..37d0b5a1 100644
--- a/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mindthegap/flags/custom_flags_test.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func Test_parsePossibleURI(t *testing.T) {
 		tt := tests[ti]
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			scheme, address := parsePossibleURI(tt.in)
+			scheme, address, _ := parsePossibleURI(tt.in)
 			require.Equal(t, tt.expectedScheme, scheme)
 			require.Equal(t, tt.expectedAddress, address)
 		})