diff --git a/lib/rexml/parsers/xpathparser.rb b/lib/rexml/parsers/xpathparser.rb
index a6d76fdc..b0b82e2f 100644
--- a/lib/rexml/parsers/xpathparser.rb
+++ b/lib/rexml/parsers/xpathparser.rb
@@ -591,14 +591,15 @@ def PathExpr path, parsed
         path = path.lstrip
         n = []
         rest = FilterExpr( path, n )
-        if rest != path
+        if rest == path
+          rest = LocationPath(rest, n)
+        else
           if rest and rest[0] == ?/
             rest = RelativeLocationPath(rest, n)
             parsed.concat(n)
             return rest
           end
         end
-        rest = LocationPath(rest, n) if rest =~ /\A[\/\.\@\[\w*]/
         parsed.concat(n)
         rest
       end
diff --git a/test/parser/test_xpath.rb b/test/parser/test_xpath.rb
index 5d62afee..6a4a6c48 100644
--- a/test/parser/test_xpath.rb
+++ b/test/parser/test_xpath.rb
@@ -111,5 +111,18 @@ def test_filter_string_double_quote
                      abbreviate("a/b[attribute::name='double \" quote']/c"))
       end
     end
+
+    def test_mult_and_spaces
+      parser = REXML::Parsers::XPathParser.new
+      assert_equal(parser.parse("1 * 2 * 3"), parser.parse("1*2*3"))
+      assert_equal(parser.parse("a[( ( 1 + 2 ) * 3 + 4 * ( 5 + 6 ) ) * 7 < 8]"), parser.parse("a[((1+2)*3+4*(5+6))*7<8]"))
+      # number(a/b) * 2
+      assert_equal(parser.parse("(a/b) * 2"), parser.parse("(a/b)*2"))
+      assert_equal(parser.parse("a/b * 2"), parser.parse("a/b*2"))
+      # number(a/b/*) * 2
+      assert_equal(parser.parse("a/b/* * 2"), parser.parse("a/b/**2"))
+      # number(*) * number(*/*) * number(*)
+      assert_equal(parser.parse("* * */* * *"), parser.parse("***/***"))
+    end
   end
 end