diff --git a/doc/client-proxy.md b/doc/client-proxy.md
index 59ba00f28..9a3e8b8b2 100644
--- a/doc/client-proxy.md
+++ b/doc/client-proxy.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ By default, Layman will not adjust URLs in its response to contain also URL path
 
 ## X-Forwarded-Prefix HTTP header
 
-The value of the `X-Forwarded-Prefix` HTTP header will be used as prefix in some URL paths of Layman response.
+The value of the `X-Forwarded-Prefix` HTTP header will be used as prefix in some URL paths of Layman response and is required to match regular expression `^(?:/[a-z0-9_-]+)*$`.
 
 For example, if you send request to `/layman-client-proxy/rest/publications` with HTTP header `X-Forwarded-Prefix=/layman-client-proxy` then response will change to
 
diff --git a/src/layman/error_list.py b/src/layman/error_list.py
index 3b045f2d8..b0eccf9bb 100644
--- a/src/layman/error_list.py
+++ b/src/layman/error_list.py
@@ -54,4 +54,5 @@
     51: (500, 'Error when generating thumbnail'),
     52: (400, 'GeoServer HTTP or connection error'),
     53: (500, 'Error when publishing on GeoServer. It happens for example for raster files with wrong explicit CRS.'),
+    54: (400, 'Wrong header value'),
 }
diff --git a/src/layman/util.py b/src/layman/util.py
index 12cb8c60f..5412e6e32 100644
--- a/src/layman/util.py
+++ b/src/layman/util.py
@@ -548,4 +548,15 @@ def ensure_home_dir():
 
 
 def get_x_forwarded_prefix(request_headers):
-    return request_headers.get('X-Forwarded-Prefix')
+    header_key = 'X-Forwarded-Prefix'
+    header_value = request_headers.get(header_key)
+    if header_value and not re.match(CLIENT_PROXY_PATTERN, header_value):
+        raise LaymanError(54,
+                          {'header': header_key,
+                           'message': f'Optional header {header_key} is expected to be valid URL subpath starting with slash, or empty string.',
+                           'expected': f'Expected header matching regular expression {CLIENT_PROXY_PATTERN}',
+                           'found': header_value,
+
+                           }
+                          )
+    return header_value
diff --git a/src/layman/util_test.py b/src/layman/util_test.py
index 3ec02cce6..4691e17f9 100644
--- a/src/layman/util_test.py
+++ b/src/layman/util_test.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import importlib
 import pytest
 
+from test_tools import util as test_util
 from . import app, settings, LaymanError, util
 
 
@@ -143,3 +144,23 @@ def test__url_for(endpoint, internal, params, expected_url):
 def test_get_x_forwarded_prefix(headers, exp_result):
     result = util.get_x_forwarded_prefix(headers)
     assert result == exp_result
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('headers, exp_error', [
+    pytest.param(
+        {'X-Forwarded-Prefix': 'layman-proxy'},
+        {
+            'http_code': 400,
+            'code': 54,
+            'data': {
+                'header': 'X-Forwarded-Prefix',
+                'message': 'Optional header X-Forwarded-Prefix is expected to be valid URL subpath starting with slash, or empty string.',
+                'expected': 'Expected header matching regular expression ^(?:/[a-z0-9_-]+)*$',
+                'found': 'layman-proxy',
+            },
+        }, id='without_slash'),
+])
+def test_get_x_forwarded_prefix_raises(headers, exp_error):
+    with pytest.raises(LaymanError) as exc_info:
+        util.get_x_forwarded_prefix(headers)
+    test_util.assert_error(exp_error, exc_info)