diff --git a/dandiapi/api/tests/factories.py b/dandiapi/api/tests/factories.py
index 31090804d..eace897e9 100644
--- a/dandiapi/api/tests/factories.py
+++ b/dandiapi/api/tests/factories.py
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ class DraftAssetFactory(factory.django.DjangoModelFactory):
     class Meta:
         model = Asset
 
-    path = factory.Faker('file_path', extension='nwb')
+    path = factory.Faker('file_path', absolute=False, extension='nwb')
     blob = factory.SubFactory(AssetBlobFactory)
 
     @factory.lazy_attribute
diff --git a/dandiapi/api/tests/test_asset.py b/dandiapi/api/tests/test_asset.py
index 680f9de53..c59cf0f74 100644
--- a/dandiapi/api/tests/test_asset.py
+++ b/dandiapi/api/tests/test_asset.py
@@ -538,6 +538,47 @@ def test_asset_create(api_client, user, draft_version, asset_blob):
     assert draft_version.status == Version.Status.PENDING
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'path,expected_status_code',
+    [
+        ('foo.txt', 200),
+        ('/foo', 400),
+        ('', 400),
+        ('/', 400),
+        ('./foo', 400),
+        ('../foo', 400),
+        ('foo/.', 400),
+        ('foo/..', 400),
+        ('foo/./bar', 400),
+        ('foo/../bar', 400),
+        ('foo//bar', 400),
+        ('foo\0bar', 400),
+        ('foo/.bar', 200),
+    ],
+)
+@pytest.mark.django_db
+def test_asset_create_path_validation(
+    api_client, user, draft_version, asset_blob, path, expected_status_code
+):
+    assign_perm('owner', user, draft_version.dandiset)
+    api_client.force_authenticate(user=user)
+
+    metadata = {
+        'schemaVersion': settings.DANDI_SCHEMA_VERSION,
+        'encodingFormat': 'application/x-nwb',
+        'path': path,
+    }
+
+    resp = api_client.post(
+        f'/api/dandisets/{draft_version.dandiset.identifier}'
+        f'/versions/{draft_version.version}/assets/',
+        {'metadata': metadata, 'blob_id': asset_blob.blob_id},
+        format='json',
+    )
+
+    assert resp.status_code == expected_status_code, resp.data
+
+
 @pytest.mark.django_db
 def test_asset_create_embargo(api_client, user, draft_version, embargoed_asset_blob):
     assign_perm('owner', user, draft_version.dandiset)
@@ -740,7 +781,7 @@ def test_asset_create_no_path(api_client, user, draft_version, asset_blob):
         format='json',
     )
     assert resp.status_code == 400
-    assert resp.data == {'metadata': ['No path specified in metadata.']}
+    assert resp.data == {'metadata': ['No path specified in metadata.']}, resp.data
 
 
 @pytest.mark.django_db
diff --git a/dandiapi/api/views/asset.py b/dandiapi/api/views/asset.py
index 8e772c274..78d7c165f 100644
--- a/dandiapi/api/views/asset.py
+++ b/dandiapi/api/views/asset.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     MinioStorage = type('FakeMinioStorage', (), {})
 
 import os.path
+from pathlib import PurePosixPath
 from urllib.parse import urlencode
 
 from django.core.paginator import EmptyPage, Page, Paginator
@@ -250,10 +251,31 @@ def validate(self, data):
             raise serializers.ValidationError(
                 {'blob_id': 'Exactly one of blob_id or zarr_id must be specified.'}
             )
-
-        if 'path' not in data['metadata']:
+        if 'path' not in data['metadata'] or not data['metadata']['path']:
             raise serializers.ValidationError({'metadata': 'No path specified in metadata.'})
 
+        path = data['metadata']['path']
+        # paths starting with /
+        if PurePosixPath(path).is_absolute():
+            raise serializers.ValidationError(
+                {'metadata': 'Absolute path not allowed for an asset'}
+            )
+
+        sub_paths = path.split('/')
+        # checking for . in path
+        for sub_path in sub_paths:
+            if len(set(sub_path)) == 1 and sub_path[0] == '.':
+                raise serializers.ValidationError(
+                    {'metadata': 'Invalid characters (.) in file path'}
+                )
+
+        # match characters repeating more than once
+        multiple_occurrence_regex = '[/]{2,}'
+        if '\0' in path:
+            raise serializers.ValidationError({'metadata': 'Invalid characters (\0) in file name'})
+        if re.search(multiple_occurrence_regex, path):
+            raise serializers.ValidationError({'metadata': 'Invalid characters (/)) in file name'})
+
         return data