diff --git a/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template.go b/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template.go
index cc21dccac..5afaf9a7f 100644
--- a/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template.go
+++ b/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template.go
@@ -237,7 +237,10 @@ func buildLocation(input interface{}) string {
 
 	path := location.Path
 	if len(location.Redirect.Target) > 0 && location.Redirect.Target != path {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("~* %s", path)
+		if path == "/" {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("~* %s", path)
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("~* ^%s", path)
 	}
 
 	return path
diff --git a/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template_test.go b/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template_test.go
index fde02e3ef..244232306 100644
--- a/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template_test.go
+++ b/controllers/nginx/pkg/template/template_test.go
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ var (
 	rewrite /(.*) /jenkins/$1 break;
 	proxy_pass http://upstream-name;
 	`, false},
-		"redirect /something to /": {"/something", "/", "~* /something", `
+		"redirect /something to /": {"/something", "/", "~* ^/something", `
 	rewrite /something/(.*) /$1 break;
 	rewrite /something / break;
 	proxy_pass http://upstream-name;
 	`, false},
-		"redirect /something-complex to /not-root": {"/something-complex", "/not-root", "~* /something-complex", `
+		"redirect /something-complex to /not-root": {"/something-complex", "/not-root", "~* ^/something-complex", `
 	rewrite /something-complex/(.*) /not-root/$1 break;
 	proxy_pass http://upstream-name;
 	`, false},
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ var (
 	subs_filter '<head(.*)>' '<head$1><base href="$scheme://$server_name/jenkins/">' r;
 	subs_filter '<HEAD(.*)>' '<HEAD$1><base href="$scheme://$server_name/jenkins/">' r;
 	`, true},
-		"redirect /something to / and rewrite": {"/something", "/", "~* /something", `
+		"redirect /something to / and rewrite": {"/something", "/", "~* ^/something", `
 	rewrite /something/(.*) /$1 break;
 	rewrite /something / break;
 	proxy_pass http://upstream-name;
 	subs_filter '<head(.*)>' '<head$1><base href="$scheme://$server_name/">' r;
 	subs_filter '<HEAD(.*)>' '<HEAD$1><base href="$scheme://$server_name/">' r;
 	`, true},
-		"redirect /something-complex to /not-root and rewrite": {"/something-complex", "/not-root", "~* /something-complex", `
+		"redirect /something-complex to /not-root and rewrite": {"/something-complex", "/not-root", "~* ^/something-complex", `
 	rewrite /something-complex/(.*) /not-root/$1 break;
 	proxy_pass http://upstream-name;
 	subs_filter '<head(.*)>' '<head$1><base href="$scheme://$server_name/not-root/">' r;