diff --git a/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway.go b/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway.go
index ce6ed50da..c2831dfe1 100644
--- a/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway.go
+++ b/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway.go
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ type Gateway struct {
 }
 
 type GatewayConfig struct {
-	Headers   map[string][]string
-	BlockList *BlockList
-	Writable  bool
+	Headers      map[string][]string
+	BlockList    *BlockList
+	Writable     bool
+	PathPrefixes []string
 }
 
 func NewGateway(conf GatewayConfig) *Gateway {
@@ -48,10 +49,11 @@ func (g *Gateway) ServeOption() ServeOption {
 	}
 }
 
-func GatewayOption(writable bool) ServeOption {
+func GatewayOption(writable bool, prefixes []string) ServeOption {
 	g := NewGateway(GatewayConfig{
-		Writable:  writable,
-		BlockList: &BlockList{},
+		Writable:     writable,
+		BlockList:    &BlockList{},
+		PathPrefixes: prefixes,
 	})
 	return g.ServeOption()
 }
diff --git a/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go b/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
index 54ef9c7b7..d8bd7676f 100644
--- a/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
+++ b/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_handler.go
@@ -131,8 +131,13 @@ func (i *gatewayHandler) getOrHeadHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request
 	// It will be prepended to links in directory listings and the index.html redirect.
 	prefix := ""
 	if prefixHdr := r.Header["X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix"]; len(prefixHdr) > 0 {
-		log.Debugf("X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix: %s", prefixHdr[0])
-		prefix = prefixHdr[0]
+		prfx := prefixHdr[0]
+		for _, p := range i.config.PathPrefixes {
+			if prfx == p || strings.HasPrefix(prfx, p+"/") {
+				prefix = prfx
+				break
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	// IPNSHostnameOption might have constructed an IPNS path using the Host header.
diff --git a/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_test.go b/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_test.go
index d52d8f551..acff78262 100644
--- a/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_test.go
+++ b/gateway/core/corehttp/gateway_test.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ func newTestServerAndNode(t *testing.T, ns mockNamesys) (*httptest.Server, *core
 		ts.Listener,
 		VersionOption(),
 		IPNSHostnameOption(),
-		GatewayOption(false),
+		GatewayOption(false, []string{"/good-prefix"}),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ func TestIPNSHostnameRedirect(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	req.Host = "example.net"
-	req.Header.Set("X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix", "/prefix")
+	req.Header.Set("X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix", "/good-prefix")
 
 	res, err = doWithoutRedirect(req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -241,8 +241,8 @@ func TestIPNSHostnameRedirect(t *testing.T) {
 	hdr = res.Header["Location"]
 	if len(hdr) < 1 {
 		t.Errorf("location header not present")
-	} else if hdr[0] != "/prefix/foo/" {
-		t.Errorf("location header is %v, expected /prefix/foo/", hdr[0])
+	} else if hdr[0] != "/good-prefix/foo/" {
+		t.Errorf("location header is %v, expected /good-prefix/foo/", hdr[0])
 	}
 }
 
@@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ func TestIPNSHostnameBacklinks(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	req.Host = "example.net"
-	req.Header.Set("X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix", "/prefix")
+	req.Header.Set("X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix", "/good-prefix")
 
 	res, err = doWithoutRedirect(req)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -402,13 +402,57 @@ func TestIPNSHostnameBacklinks(t *testing.T) {
 	s = string(body)
 	t.Logf("body: %s\n", string(body))
 
-	if !strings.Contains(s, "Index of /prefix") {
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "Index of /good-prefix") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected a path in directory listing")
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(s, "<a href=\"/prefix/\">") {
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "<a href=\"/good-prefix/\">") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected backlink in directory listing")
 	}
-	if !strings.Contains(s, "<a href=\"/prefix/file.txt\">") {
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "<a href=\"/good-prefix/file.txt\">") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected file in directory listing")
+	}
+
+	// make request to directory listing with illegal prefix
+	req, err = http.NewRequest("GET", ts.URL, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	req.Host = "example.net"
+	req.Header.Set("X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix", "/bad-prefix")
+
+	res, err = doWithoutRedirect(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// make request to directory listing with evil prefix
+	req, err = http.NewRequest("GET", ts.URL, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	req.Host = "example.net"
+	req.Header.Set("X-Ipfs-Gateway-Prefix", "//good-prefix/foo")
+
+	res, err = doWithoutRedirect(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// expect correct backlinks without illegal prefix
+	body, err = ioutil.ReadAll(res.Body)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("error reading response: %s", err)
+	}
+	s = string(body)
+	t.Logf("body: %s\n", string(body))
+
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "Index of /") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected a path in directory listing")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "<a href=\"/\">") {
+		t.Fatalf("expected backlink in directory listing")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(s, "<a href=\"/file.txt\">") {
 		t.Fatalf("expected file in directory listing")
 	}
 }