diff --git a/test/test_cli.py b/test/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..05cd32a64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+# volatility3 command line tests
+#
+# These require no memory image, but the conftest --volatility option must
+# still be supplied for collection to succeed.
+
+#
+# IMPORTS
+#
+
+import argparse
+from urllib.request import urlopen
+
+import pytest
+
+from volatility3.cli import CommandLine
+from volatility3.framework import contexts, interfaces
+from volatility3.framework.configuration import requirements
+
+
+#
+# HELPER CLASSES AND FUNCTIONS
+#
+
+
+class URIConfigurable(interfaces.configuration.ConfigurableInterface):
+    """A configurable offering nothing but a single URIRequirement."""
+
+    @classmethod
+    def get_requirements(cls):
+        return [
+            requirements.URIRequirement(
+                name="testfile", description="A file to be located"
+            )
+        ]
+
+
+def populate_uri_requirement(value: str):
+    """Run the given value through the command line's config population.
+
+    Args:
+        value: The value as it would arrive from the command line
+    Returns:
+        The value as it was stored in the context's configuration
+    """
+
+    context = contexts.Context()
+    CommandLine().populate_config(
+        context,
+        {"testplugin": URIConfigurable},
+        argparse.Namespace(testfile=value),
+        "plugins.TestPlugin",
+    )
+
+    return context.config["plugins.TestPlugin.testfile"]
+
+
+#
+# TESTS
+#
+
+
+def test_uri_requirement_path_becomes_an_openable_url(tmp_path):
+    """A filesystem path must become a URL the framework can actually open.
+
+    The URL used to be assembled by hand, which left an empty authority
+    section in place on platforms where pathname2url already returns a
+    leading "///".
+    """
+
+    testfile = tmp_path / "memory dump.raw"
+    testfile.write_bytes(b"volatility")
+
+    location = populate_uri_requirement(str(testfile))
+
+    assert location == testfile.as_uri()
+    with urlopen(location) as fp:
+        assert fp.read() == b"volatility"
+
+
+def test_uri_requirement_leaves_a_url_alone(tmp_path):
+    """A value that already carries a scheme must be passed through as is."""
+
+    testfile = tmp_path / "memory.raw"
+    testfile.write_bytes(b"volatility")
+    url = testfile.as_uri()
+
+    assert populate_uri_requirement(url) == url
+
+
+def test_uri_requirement_rejects_a_missing_file(tmp_path):
+    """A path that does not exist must be reported rather than converted."""
+
+    with pytest.raises(FileNotFoundError):
+        populate_uri_requirement(str(tmp_path / "absent.raw"))
diff --git a/volatility3/cli/__init__.py b/volatility3/cli/__init__.py
index 83019ff18..88b8c67de 100644
--- a/volatility3/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/volatility3/cli/__init__.py
@@ -17,11 +17,12 @@ import io
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import pathlib
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import traceback
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple, Type, Union
-from urllib import parse, request
+from urllib import parse
 
 try:
     import argcomplete
@@ -743,7 +744,10 @@ class CommandLine:
                                     raise FileNotFoundError(
                                         f"Non-existent file {value} passed to URIRequirement"
                                     )
-                                value = f"file://{request.pathname2url(os.path.abspath(value))}"
+                                # as_uri builds a correctly formed file URL on
+                                # every platform, whereas prefixing the scheme
+                                # by hand leaves too many slashes on Windows
+                                value = pathlib.Path(os.path.abspath(value)).as_uri()
                     if isinstance(requirement, requirements.ListRequirement):
                         if not isinstance(value, list):
                             raise TypeError(