diff --git a/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js b/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js
index 67ddb25cb3..3aff9e9dfa 100644
--- a/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js
+++ b/packages/vue-app/template/utils.js
@@ -597,6 +597,10 @@ function formatUrl (url, query) {
   let result = (protocol ? protocol + '://' : '//') + parts.shift()
 
   let path = parts.join('/')
+  if (path === '' && parts.length === 1) {
+    result += '/'
+  }
+
   let hash
   parts = path.split('#')
   if (parts.length === 2) {
diff --git a/test/dev/basic.ssr.test.js b/test/dev/basic.ssr.test.js
index 328ac3337a..b2a47737a2 100644
--- a/test/dev/basic.ssr.test.js
+++ b/test/dev/basic.ssr.test.js
@@ -152,24 +152,9 @@ describe('basic ssr', () => {
     expect(html).toContain('<h1>Index page</h1>')
   })
 
-  test('/redirect', async () => {
-    const { html, redirected } = await nuxt.server.renderRoute('/redirect')
-    expect(html).toContain('<div id="__nuxt"></div>')
-    expect(html).not.toContain('window.__NUXT__')
-    expect(redirected.path === '/').toBe(true)
-    expect(redirected.status === 302).toBe(true)
-  })
-
-  test('/redirect -> check redirected source', async () => {
-    // there are no transition properties in jsdom, ignore the error log
-    const window = await nuxt.server.renderAndGetWindow(url('/redirect'))
-    const html = window.document.body.innerHTML
-    expect(html).toContain('<h1>Index page</h1>')
-  })
-
-  test('/redirect -> external link', async () => {
+  describe('/redirect', () => {
     let _headers, _status
-    const { html } = await nuxt.server.renderRoute('/redirect-external', {
+    const renderContext = {
       res: {
         writeHead (status, headers) {
           _status = status
@@ -177,10 +162,43 @@ describe('basic ssr', () => {
         },
         end () { }
       }
+    }
+
+    test('/redirect', async () => {
+      const { html, redirected } = await nuxt.server.renderRoute('/redirect')
+      expect(html).toContain('<div id="__nuxt"></div>')
+      expect(html).not.toContain('window.__NUXT__')
+      expect(redirected.path === '/').toBe(true)
+      expect(redirected.status === 302).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    test('/redirect -> check redirected source', async () => {
+      // there are no transition properties in jsdom, ignore the error log
+      const window = await nuxt.server.renderAndGetWindow(url('/redirect'))
+      const html = window.document.body.innerHTML
+      expect(html).toContain('<h1>Index page</h1>')
+    })
+
+    test('/redirect -> external link', async () => {
+      const { html } = await nuxt.server.renderRoute('/redirect-external', renderContext)
+      expect(_status).toBe(302)
+      expect(_headers.Location).toBe('https://nuxtjs.org/api/')
+      expect(html).toContain('<div data-server-rendered="true"></div>')
+    })
+
+    test('/redirect -> external link without trailing slash', async () => {
+      const { html } = await nuxt.server.renderRoute('/redirect-external-no-slash', renderContext)
+      expect(_status).toBe(302)
+      expect(_headers.Location).toBe('https://nuxtjs.org/api')
+      expect(html).toContain('<div data-server-rendered="true"></div>')
+    })
+
+    test('/redirect -> external link with root domain url', async () => {
+      const { html } = await nuxt.server.renderRoute('/redirect-external-root', renderContext)
+      expect(_status).toBe(302)
+      expect(_headers.Location).toBe('https://nuxtjs.org/')
+      expect(html).toContain('<div data-server-rendered="true"></div>')
     })
-    expect(_status).toBe(302)
-    expect(_headers.Location).toBe('https://nuxtjs.org')
-    expect(html).toContain('<div data-server-rendered="true"></div>')
   })
 
   test('/special-state -> check window.__NUXT__.test = true', async () => {
diff --git a/test/e2e/basic.browser.test.js b/test/e2e/basic.browser.test.js
index cd519122cb..6998fb0296 100644
--- a/test/e2e/basic.browser.test.js
+++ b/test/e2e/basic.browser.test.js
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ describe('basic browser', () => {
     await page.nuxt.navigate('/redirect-external', false)
 
     await page.waitForFunction(
-      () => window.location.href === 'https://nuxtjs.org/'
+      () => window.location.href === 'https://nuxtjs.org/api/'
     )
     page.close()
   })
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external-no-slash.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external-no-slash.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cdd8cd9474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external-no-slash.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<template>
+  <div>Redirecting...</div>
+</template>
+
+<script>
+export default {
+  middleware ({ redirect }) {
+    return redirect('https://nuxtjs.org/api')
+  }
+}
+</script>
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external-root.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external-root.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1c712cb64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external-root.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<template>
+  <div>Redirecting...</div>
+</template>
+
+<script>
+export default {
+  middleware ({ redirect }) {
+    return redirect('https://nuxtjs.org/')
+  }
+}
+</script>
diff --git a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external.vue b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external.vue
index a1c712cb64..c2177fd153 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external.vue
+++ b/test/fixtures/basic/pages/redirect-external.vue
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 <script>
 export default {
   middleware ({ redirect }) {
-    return redirect('https://nuxtjs.org/')
+    return redirect('https://nuxtjs.org/api/')
   }
 }
 </script>