diff --git a/physical/file.go b/physical/file.go
index 96150ac1954b8..aa94fcf57ed83 100644
--- a/physical/file.go
+++ b/physical/file.go
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ func newFileBackend(conf map[string]string) (Backend, error) {
 }
 
 func (b *FileBackend) Delete(path string) error {
+	if path == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	b.l.Lock()
 	defer b.l.Unlock()
 
@@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ func (b *FileBackend) Delete(path string) error {
 
 	err := os.Remove(fullPath)
 	if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to remove `%s`: %v", fullPath, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to remove %q: %v", fullPath, err)
 	}
 
 	err = b.cleanupLogicalPath(path)
@@ -53,9 +57,9 @@ func (b *FileBackend) Delete(path string) error {
 // cleanupLogicalPath is used to remove all empty nodes, begining with deepest
 // one, aborting on first non-empty one, up to top-level node.
 func (b *FileBackend) cleanupLogicalPath(path string) error {
-	nodes := strings.Split(path, "/")
+	nodes := strings.Split(path, fmt.Sprintf("%c", os.PathSeparator))
 	for i := len(nodes) - 1; i > 0; i-- {
-		fullPath := b.Path + "/" + strings.Join(nodes[:i], "/")
+		fullPath := filepath.Join(b.Path, filepath.Join(nodes[:i]...))
 
 		dir, err := os.Open(fullPath)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/physical/zookeeper.go b/physical/zookeeper.go
index e9985281c1e44..460b10239c53c 100644
--- a/physical/zookeeper.go
+++ b/physical/zookeeper.go
@@ -238,13 +238,17 @@ func (c *ZookeeperBackend) Get(key string) (*Entry, error) {
 func (c *ZookeeperBackend) Delete(key string) error {
 	defer metrics.MeasureSince([]string{"zookeeper", "delete"}, time.Now())
 
+	if key == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Delete the full path
 	fullPath := c.nodePath(key)
 	err := c.client.Delete(fullPath, -1)
 
 	// Mask if the node does not exist
 	if err != nil && err != zk.ErrNoNode {
-		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to remove `%s`: %v", fullPath, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("Failed to remove %q: %v", fullPath, err)
 	}
 
 	err = c.cleanupLogicalPath(key)
@@ -281,7 +285,7 @@ func (c *ZookeeperBackend) List(prefix string) ([]string, error) {
 		// and append the slash which is what Vault depends on
 		// for iteration
 		if stat.DataLength > 0 && stat.NumChildren > 0 {
-			msgFmt := "Node %s is both of data and leaf type ??"
+			msgFmt := "Node %q is both of data and leaf type ??"
 			panic(fmt.Sprintf(msgFmt, childPath))
 		} else if stat.DataLength == 0 {
 			// No, we cannot differentiate here on number of children as node