diff --git a/src/python/dm/daq_web_service/service/experimentSessionController.py b/src/python/dm/daq_web_service/service/experimentSessionController.py
index 8fa338a9036c84b903d25cb80efb8abed9bed58a..09786ff61b5aa64c87683864576546599ba1b0ac 100755
--- a/src/python/dm/daq_web_service/service/experimentSessionController.py
+++ b/src/python/dm/daq_web_service/service/experimentSessionController.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class ExperimentSessionController(DmSessionController):
         if not dataDirectory:
             raise InvalidRequest('Missing data directory.')
         dataDirectory = Encoder.decode(dataDirectory)
-        if not dataDirectory.startswith(os.sep):
+        if not dataDirectory.startswith('/') and not dataDirectory.count('://'):
             raise InvalidRequest('Data directory must be an absolute path.')
 
         daqInfo = {}
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class ExperimentSessionController(DmSessionController):
         if not dataDirectory:
             raise InvalidRequest('Missing data directory.')
         dataDirectory = Encoder.decode(dataDirectory)
-        if not dataDirectory.startswith(os.sep):
+        if not dataDirectory.startswith('/') and not dataDirectory.count('://'):
             raise InvalidRequest('Data directory must be an absolute path.')
 
         daqInfo = {}