diff --git a/src/client.ts b/src/client.ts
index bb972d88..33c491e4 100644
--- a/src/client.ts
+++ b/src/client.ts
@@ -704,7 +704,10 @@ export class Client {
   }
 
   static async connect(params: ClientParams, logger?: Logger): Promise<Client> {
-    return new Client(logger ?? new NullLogger(), params).start()
+    return new Client(logger ?? new NullLogger(), {
+      ...params,
+      vhost: getVhostOrDefault(params.vhost),
+    }).start()
   }
 }
 
@@ -837,3 +840,5 @@ const extractConsumerId = (extendedConsumerId: string) => {
 const extractPublisherId = (extendedPublisherId: string) => {
   return parseInt(extendedPublisherId.split("@").shift() ?? "0")
 }
+
+const getVhostOrDefault = (vhost: string) => vhost ?? "/"
diff --git a/src/connection.ts b/src/connection.ts
index 19180f46..4b8e3246 100644
--- a/src/connection.ts
+++ b/src/connection.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ export class Connection {
           mechanism: this.params.mechanism ?? "PLAIN",
         })
         const { heartbeat } = await this.tune(this.params.heartbeat ?? 0)
-        await this.open({ virtualHost: this.params.vhost })
+        const connectionOpened = await this.open({ virtualHost: this.params.vhost })
+        if (!connectionOpened.ok) return rej(connectionOpened.error)
         if (!this.heartbeat.started) this.heartbeat.start(heartbeat)
         await this.exchangeCommandVersions()
         this.setupCompleted = true
@@ -461,12 +462,25 @@ export class Connection {
 
   private async open(params: { virtualHost: string }) {
     this.logger.debug(`Open ...`)
+    if (this.virtualHostIsNotValid(params.virtualHost)) {
+      const errorMessage = `[ERROR]: VirtualHost '${params.virtualHost}' is not valid`
+      this.logger.error(errorMessage)
+      return { ok: false, error: new Error(errorMessage) }
+    }
     const res = await this.sendAndWait<OpenResponse>(new OpenRequest(params))
     this.logger.debug(`Open response: ${res.ok} - '${inspect(res.properties)}'`)
     const advertisedHost = res.properties["advertised_host"] ?? ""
     const advertisedPort = parseInt(res.properties["advertised_port"] ?? "5552")
     this.serverEndpoint = { host: advertisedHost, port: advertisedPort }
-    return res
+    return { ok: true, response: res }
+  }
+
+  private virtualHostIsNotValid(virtualHost: string) {
+    if (!virtualHost || virtualHost.split("/").length !== 2) {
+      return true
+    }
+
+    return false
   }
 
   private async tune(heartbeatInterval: number): Promise<{ heartbeat: number }> {
diff --git a/test/e2e/connect.test.ts b/test/e2e/connect.test.ts
index 14232ef7..d44e3151 100644
--- a/test/e2e/connect.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/connect.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { expect } from "chai"
 import { Client, connect } from "../../src"
 import { createClient } from "../support/fake_data"
 import { Rabbit } from "../support/rabbit"
-import { eventually, username, password, getTestNodesFromEnv } from "../support/util"
+import { eventually, username, password, getTestNodesFromEnv, expectToThrowAsync } from "../support/util"
 import { Version } from "../../src/versions"
 import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto"
 import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises"
@@ -46,6 +46,26 @@ describe("connect", () => {
     }, 5000)
   }).timeout(10000)
 
+  it("throw exception if vhost is not valid", async () => {
+    const [firstNode] = getTestNodesFromEnv()
+
+    await expectToThrowAsync(
+      async () => {
+        client = await connect({
+          hostname: firstNode.host,
+          port: firstNode.port,
+          username,
+          password,
+          vhost: "",
+          frameMax: 0,
+          heartbeat: 0,
+        })
+      },
+      Error,
+      `[ERROR]: VirtualHost '' is not valid`
+    )
+  }).timeout(10000)
+
   it("using EXTERNAL auth", async () => {
     client = await createTlsClient()