diff --git a/loader/loader.go b/loader/loader.go
index 461639ed19..8a838afb62 100644
--- a/loader/loader.go
+++ b/loader/loader.go
@@ -582,7 +582,9 @@ func SplitPrefix(path string) ([]string, string) {
 	}
 	parts := strings.SplitN(path, ":", 2)
 	if len(parts) == 2 && len(parts[0]) > 0 {
-		return strings.Split(parts[0], "."), parts[1]
+		if strings.HasPrefix(parts[1], "file:///") || len(parts[0]) > 1 {
+			return strings.Split(parts[0], "."), parts[1]
+		}
 	}
 	return nil, path
 }
diff --git a/loader/loader_test.go b/loader/loader_test.go
index 01c4d2e21e..952690f87e 100644
--- a/loader/loader_test.go
+++ b/loader/loader_test.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
+	"runtime"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -808,15 +809,19 @@ func TestLoadFileURL(t *testing.T) {
 	files := map[string]string{
 		"/a/a/1.json": `1`,        // this will load as a directory (e.g., file://a/a)
 		"b.json":      `{"b": 2}`, // this will load as a normal file
-		"c.json":      `3`,        // this will loas as rooted file
+		"c.json":      `3`,        // this will load as rooted file
+		"d.json":      `{"d": 4}`, // this will load as a normal file without the prefix file:///
 	}
 	test.WithTempFS(files, func(rootDir string) {
 
 		paths := mustListPaths(rootDir, false)[1:]
 		sort.Strings(paths)
-
-		for i := range paths {
-			paths[i] = "file://" + paths[i]
+		fileURLPrefix := "file://"
+		if IsWindows() {
+			fileURLPrefix = "file:///"
+		}
+		for i := range paths[:3] {
+			paths[i] = fileURLPrefix + paths[i]
 		}
 
 		paths[2] = "c:" + paths[2]
@@ -826,13 +831,18 @@ func TestLoadFileURL(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		exp := parseJSON(`{"a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3}`)
+		exp := parseJSON(`{"a": 1, "b": 2, "c": 3, "d":4}`)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(exp, result.Documents) {
 			t.Fatalf("Expected %v but got %v", exp, result.Documents)
 		}
 	})
 }
 
+// IsWindows: checks if the user's OS is Windows
+func IsWindows() bool {
+	return runtime.GOOS == "windows"
+}
+
 func TestUnsupportedURLScheme(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := NewFileLoader().All([]string{"http://openpolicyagent.org"})
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "unsupported URL scheme: http://openpolicyagent.org") {
@@ -879,6 +889,15 @@ func TestSplitPrefix(t *testing.T) {
 			wantParts: []string{"x", "y"},
 			wantPath:  "file:///c:/a/b/c",
 		},
+		{
+			input:    "c:/a/b/c",
+			wantPath: "c:/a/b/c",
+		},
+		{
+			input:     "c:file:///c:/a/b/c",
+			wantParts: []string{"c"},
+			wantPath:  "file:///c:/a/b/c",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range tests {