diff --git a/libraries/networking/src/AddressManager.cpp b/libraries/networking/src/AddressManager.cpp
index 50e2657622..7d1318fedd 100644
--- a/libraries/networking/src/AddressManager.cpp
+++ b/libraries/networking/src/AddressManager.cpp
@@ -242,7 +242,10 @@ bool AddressManager::handleUrl(const QUrl& lookupUrlIn, LookupTrigger trigger) {
 
     QUrl lookupUrl = lookupUrlIn;
 
-    qCDebug(networking) << "Trying to go to URL" << lookupUrl.toString();
+    if (!lookupUrl.host().isEmpty() && !lookupUrl.path().isEmpty()) {
+        // Assignment clients ping for empty url until assigned. Don't spam.
+        qCDebug(networking) << "Trying to go to URL" << lookupUrl.toString();
+    }
 
     if (lookupUrl.scheme().isEmpty() && !lookupUrl.path().startsWith("/")) {
         // 'urls' without schemes are taken as domain names, as opposed to
@@ -263,8 +266,8 @@ bool AddressManager::handleUrl(const QUrl& lookupUrlIn, LookupTrigger trigger) {
     if (lookupUrl.scheme() == URL_SCHEME_HIFI) {
         if (lookupUrl.host().isEmpty()) {
             // this was in the form hifi:/somewhere or hifi:somewhere.  Fix it by making it hifi://somewhere
-            static const QRegExp HIFI_SCHEME_REGEX = QRegExp(URL_SCHEME_HIFI + ":\\/?", Qt::CaseInsensitive);
-            lookupUrl = QUrl(lookupUrl.toString().replace(HIFI_SCHEME_REGEX, URL_SCHEME_HIFI + "://"));
+            static const QRegExp HIFI_SCHEME_REGEX = QRegExp(URL_SCHEME_HIFI + ":\\/?($|\\w+)", Qt::CaseInsensitive);
+            lookupUrl = QUrl(lookupUrl.toString().replace(HIFI_SCHEME_REGEX, URL_SCHEME_HIFI + "://\\1"));
         }
 
         DependencyManager::get<NodeList>()->flagTimeForConnectionStep(LimitedNodeList::ConnectionStep::LookupAddress);