diff --git a/AllTests-mainnet.md b/AllTests-mainnet.md
index 56b8e5dc6..4437aba75 100644
--- a/AllTests-mainnet.md
+++ b/AllTests-mainnet.md
@@ -570,6 +570,11 @@ OK: 24/24 Fail: 0/24 Skip: 0/24
 + BeaconBlockType                                                                            OK
 ```
 OK: 1/1 Fail: 0/1 Skip: 0/1
+## Validator Client test suite
+```diff
++ normalizeUri() test vectors                                                                OK
+```
+OK: 1/1 Fail: 0/1 Skip: 0/1
 ## Validator change pool testing suite
 ```diff
 + addValidatorChangeMessage/getAttesterSlashingMessage                                       OK
@@ -680,4 +685,4 @@ OK: 2/2 Fail: 0/2 Skip: 0/2
 OK: 9/9 Fail: 0/9 Skip: 0/9
 
 ---TOTAL---
-OK: 389/394 Fail: 0/394 Skip: 5/394
+OK: 390/395 Fail: 0/395 Skip: 5/395
diff --git a/beacon_chain/validator_client/common.nim b/beacon_chain/validator_client/common.nim
index a3e7385e9..b53b1fa01 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/validator_client/common.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/validator_client/common.nim
@@ -501,44 +501,44 @@ proc parseRoles*(data: string): Result[set[BeaconNodeRole], cstring] =
       return err("Invalid beacon node role string found")
   ok(res)
 
-proc normalizeUri*(remoteUri: Uri): Uri =
-  var r = remoteUri
-  if (len(r.scheme) == 0) and (len(r.username) == 0) and
-     (len(r.password) == 0) and (len(r.hostname) == 0) and
-     (len(r.port) == 0) and (len(r.path) > 0):
-    # When `scheme` is not specified and `port` is not specified - whole
-    # hostname is stored in `path`.`query` and `anchor` could still be present.
-    # test.com
-    # test.com?q=query
-    # test.com?q=query#anchor=anchor
-    parseUri("http://" & $remoteUri & ":" & $defaultEth2RestPort)
-  elif (len(r.scheme) > 0) and (len(r.username) == 0) and
-       (len(r.password) == 0) and (len(r.hostname) == 0) and
-       (len(r.port) == 0) and (len(r.path) > 0):
-    # When `scheme` is not specified but `port` is specified - whole
-    # hostname is stored in `scheme` and `port` is in `path`.
-    # 192.168.0.1:5052
-    # test.com:5052
-    # test.com:5052?q=query
-    # test.com:5052?q=query#anchor=anchor
-    parseUri("http://" & $remoteUri)
-  elif (len(r.scheme) > 0) and (len(r.hostname) > 0):
-    # When `scheme` is specified, but `port` is not we use default.
-    # http://192.168.0.1
-    # http://test.com
-    # http://test.com?q=query
-    # http://test.com?q=query#anchor=anchor
-    if len(r.port) == 0: r.port = $defaultEth2RestPort
-    r
-  else:
-    remoteUri
+proc normalizeUri*(r: Uri): Result[Uri, cstring] =
+  const
+    MissingPortNumber = cstring("Missing port number")
+    MissingHostname = cstring("Missing hostname")
+    UnknownScheme = cstring("Unknown scheme value")
+
+  if ($r).toLowerAscii().startsWith("http://") or
+     ($r).toLowerAscii().startsWith("https://"):
+    # When a scheme is provided, only a hostname is required
+    if len(r.hostname) == 0: return err(MissingHostname)
+    return ok(r)
+
+  # Check for unknown scheme
+  if ($r).contains("://"):
+    return err(UnknownScheme)
+
+  # Add the default scheme (http)
+  let normalized =
+    if ($r).startsWith("//"):
+      parseUri("http:" & $r)
+    else:
+      parseUri("http://" & $r)
+
+  if len(normalized.hostname) == 0:
+    return err(MissingHostname)
+
+  if len(normalized.port) == 0:
+    return err(MissingPortNumber)
+
+  ok(normalized)
 
 proc init*(t: typedesc[BeaconNodeServerRef], remote: Uri,
            index: int): Result[BeaconNodeServerRef, string] =
   doAssert(index >= 0)
   let
     flags = {RestClientFlag.CommaSeparatedArray}
-    remoteUri = normalizeUri(remote)
+    remoteUri = normalizeUri(remote).valueOr:
+      return err("Invalid URL: " & $error)
     client =
       block:
         let res = RestClientRef.new($remoteUri, flags = flags)
diff --git a/tests/all_tests.nim b/tests/all_tests.nim
index a37985d65..e49a51e77 100644
--- a/tests/all_tests.nim
+++ b/tests/all_tests.nim
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ import # Unit test
   ./test_signing_node,
   ./consensus_spec/all_tests as consensus_all_tests,
   ./slashing_protection/test_fixtures,
-  ./slashing_protection/test_slashing_protection_db
+  ./slashing_protection/test_slashing_protection_db,
+  ./test_validator_client
 
 when not defined(i386):
   # Avoids "Out of memory" CI failures
diff --git a/tests/test_validator_client.nim b/tests/test_validator_client.nim
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e798dc896
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_validator_client.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+# beacon_chain
+# Copyright (c) 2018-2023 Status Research & Development GmbH
+# Licensed and distributed under either of
+#   * MIT license (license terms in the root directory or at https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).
+#   * Apache v2 license (license terms in the root directory or at https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0).
+# at your option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to those terms.
+
+{.push raises: [].}
+{.used.}
+
+import std/strutils
+import unittest2
+import ../beacon_chain/validator_client/common
+
+const
+  HostNames = [
+    "[2001:db8::1]",
+    "127.0.0.1",
+    "hostname.com",
+    "localhost",
+    "username:password@[2001:db8::1]",
+    "username:password@127.0.0.1",
+    "username:password@hostname.com",
+    "username:password@localhost",
+  ]
+
+  GoodTestVectors = [
+    ("http://$1",
+     "ok(http://$1)"),
+    ("http://$1?q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1?q=query)"),
+    ("http://$1?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1?q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("http://$1/subpath/",
+     "ok(http://$1/subpath/)"),
+    ("http://$1/subpath/q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1/subpath/q=query)"),
+    ("http://$1/subpath/q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1/subpath/q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("http://$1/subpath",
+     "ok(http://$1/subpath)"),
+    ("http://$1/subpath?q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1/subpath?q=query)"),
+    ("http://$1/subpath?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1/subpath?q=query#anchor)"),
+
+    ("https://$1",
+     "ok(https://$1)"),
+    ("https://$1?q=query",
+     "ok(https://$1?q=query)"),
+    ("https://$1?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(https://$1?q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("https://$1/subpath/",
+     "ok(https://$1/subpath/)"),
+    ("https://$1/subpath/q=query",
+     "ok(https://$1/subpath/q=query)"),
+    ("https://$1/subpath/q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(https://$1/subpath/q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("https://$1/subpath",
+     "ok(https://$1/subpath)"),
+    ("https://$1/subpath?q=query",
+     "ok(https://$1/subpath?q=query)"),
+    ("https://$1/subpath?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(https://$1/subpath?q=query#anchor)"),
+
+    ("$1:5052",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052)"),
+    ("$1:5052?q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052?q=query)"),
+    ("$1:5052?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052?q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("$1:5052/subpath/",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath/)"),
+    ("$1:5052/subpath/q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath/q=query)"),
+    ("$1:5052/subpath/q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath/q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("$1:5052/subpath",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath)"),
+    ("$1:5052/subpath?q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath?q=query)"),
+    ("$1:5052/subpath?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath?q=query#anchor)"),
+
+    ("bnode://$1:5052",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052?q=query",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052?q=query#anchor",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052/subpath/",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052/subpath/q=query",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052/subpath/q=query#anchor",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052/subpath",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052/subpath?q=query",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+    ("bnode://$1:5052/subpath?q=query#anchor",
+     "err(Unknown scheme value)"),
+
+    ("//$1:5052",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052)"),
+    ("//$1:5052?q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052?q=query)"),
+    ("//$1:5052?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052?q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("//$1:5052/subpath/",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath/)"),
+    ("//$1:5052/subpath/q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath/q=query)"),
+    ("//$1:5052/subpath/q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath/q=query#anchor)"),
+    ("//$1:5052/subpath",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath)"),
+    ("//$1:5052/subpath?q=query",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath?q=query)"),
+    ("//$1:5052/subpath?q=query#anchor",
+     "ok(http://$1:5052/subpath?q=query#anchor)"),
+
+    ("//$1", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1?q=query", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1?q=query#anchor", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1/subpath/", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1/subpath/q=query", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1/subpath/q=query#anchor", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1/subpath", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1/subpath?q=query", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("//$1/subpath?q=query#anchor", "err(Missing port number)"),
+
+    ("$1", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1?q=query", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1?q=query#anchor", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1/subpath/", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1/subpath/q=query", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1/subpath/q=query#anchor", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1/subpath", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1/subpath?q=query", "err(Missing port number)"),
+    ("$1/subpath?q=query#anchor", "err(Missing port number)"),
+
+    ("", "err(Missing hostname)")
+  ]
+
+suite "Validator Client test suite":
+  test "normalizeUri() test vectors":
+    for hostname in HostNames:
+      for vector in GoodTestVectors:
+        let expect = vector[1] % (hostname)
+        check $normalizeUri(parseUri(vector[0] % (hostname))) == expect