diff --git a/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockHandler.java b/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockHandler.java
index a806eb7fa..de2d53ba0 100644
--- a/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockHandler.java
+++ b/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockHandler.java
@@ -75,26 +75,22 @@ public class MockHandler implements ServerHandler {
     private boolean corsEnabled;
 
     protected static final ThreadLocal<Request> LOCAL_REQUEST = new ThreadLocal<>();
-    private String prefix = null;
-
-    public MockHandler withPrefix(String prefix) {
-        this.prefix = prefix;
-        return this;
-    }
+    private final String prefix;
 
     public MockHandler(Feature feature) {
         this(feature, null);
     }
 
     public MockHandler(Feature feature, Map<String, Object> args) {
-        this(Collections.singletonList(feature), args);
+        this(null, Collections.singletonList(feature), args);
     }
 
     public MockHandler(List<Feature> features) {
-        this(features, null);
+        this(null, features, null);
     }
 
-    public MockHandler(List<Feature> features, Map<String, Object> args) {
+    public MockHandler(String prefix, List<Feature> features, Map<String, Object> args) {
+        this.prefix = "/".equals(prefix) ? null : prefix;
         for (Feature feature : features) {
             FeatureRuntime featureRuntime = FeatureRuntime.of(Suite.forTempUse(HttpClientFactory.DEFAULT), feature, args);
             FeatureSection section = new FeatureSection();
diff --git a/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockServer.java b/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockServer.java
index 62929ae02..a7094dbc5 100644
--- a/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockServer.java
+++ b/karate-core/src/main/java/com/intuit/karate/core/MockServer.java
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public MockServer build() {
             } else {
                 sb.http(port);
             }
-            ServerHandler handler = watch ? new ReloadingMockHandler(features, args, prefix) : new MockHandler(features, args).withPrefix(prefix);
+            ServerHandler handler = watch ? new ReloadingMockHandler(features, args, prefix) : new MockHandler(prefix, features, args);
             HttpService service = new HttpServerHandler(handler);
             sb.service("prefix:" + (prefix == null ? "/" : prefix), service);
             return new MockServer(sb);
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ public ReloadingMockHandler(List<Feature> features, Map<String, Object> args, St
                 this.files.put(f.getResource().getFile(), f.getResource().getFile().lastModified());
             }
             logger.debug("watch mode init - {}", files);
-            handler = new MockHandler(features, args).withPrefix(prefix);
+            handler = new MockHandler(prefix, features, args);
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public Response handle(Request request) {
             boolean reload = files.entrySet().stream().reduce(false, (modified, entry) -> entry.getKey().lastModified() > entry.getValue(), (a, b) -> a || b);
             if (reload) {
                 List<Feature> features = files.keySet().stream().map(f -> Feature.read(f)).collect(Collectors.toList());
-                handler = new MockHandler(features, args).withPrefix(prefix);
+                handler = new MockHandler(prefix, features, args);
             }
             return handler.handle(request);
         }
diff --git a/karate-core/src/test/java/com/intuit/karate/core/mock/MockTest.java b/karate-core/src/test/java/com/intuit/karate/core/mock/MockTest.java
index 399632bba..134e2fba7 100644
--- a/karate-core/src/test/java/com/intuit/karate/core/mock/MockTest.java
+++ b/karate-core/src/test/java/com/intuit/karate/core/mock/MockTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ static HttpServer startMockServer() {
         MockServer server = MockServer.featurePaths(
                 "classpath:com/intuit/karate/core/mock/_simple.feature",
                 "classpath:com/intuit/karate/core/mock/_mock.feature")
+                .pathPrefix("/") // ensure cli default works
                 .build();
         System.setProperty("karate.server.port", server.getPort() + "");
         return server;