diff --git a/libraries/androidutils/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/androidutils/text/TextUtils.kt b/libraries/androidutils/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/androidutils/text/TextUtils.kt
index dde63e79a6..5e78c3c1ac 100644
--- a/libraries/androidutils/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/androidutils/text/TextUtils.kt
+++ b/libraries/androidutils/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/androidutils/text/TextUtils.kt
@@ -13,3 +13,5 @@ import java.nio.charset.Charset
 
 fun String.urlEncoded(charset: Charset = Charsets.UTF_8): String = URLEncoder.encode(this, charset.name())
 fun String.urlDecoded(charset: Charset = Charsets.UTF_8): String = URLDecoder.decode(this, charset.name())
+
+fun String.takeIfNotBlank(): String? = ifBlank { null }
diff --git a/libraries/wellknown/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/wellknown/impl/DefaultWellknownRetriever.kt b/libraries/wellknown/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/wellknown/impl/DefaultWellknownRetriever.kt
index df72eddb25..b6e3063a7b 100644
--- a/libraries/wellknown/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/wellknown/impl/DefaultWellknownRetriever.kt
+++ b/libraries/wellknown/impl/src/main/kotlin/io/element/android/libraries/wellknown/impl/DefaultWellknownRetriever.kt
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ import dev.zacsweers.metro.AssistedFactory
 import dev.zacsweers.metro.AssistedInject
 import dev.zacsweers.metro.ContributesBinding
 import io.element.android.features.enterprise.api.EnterpriseService
+import io.element.android.libraries.androidutils.text.takeIfNotBlank
 import io.element.android.libraries.core.extensions.mapCatchingExceptions
+import io.element.android.libraries.core.extensions.runCatchingExceptions
 import io.element.android.libraries.core.uri.ensureProtocol
 import io.element.android.libraries.di.annotations.AppCoroutineScope
 import io.element.android.libraries.matrix.api.GetUrlResolver
@@ -53,7 +55,8 @@ class DefaultWellknownRetriever(
             return WellknownRetrieverResult.Success(overriddenElementWellKnown)
         }
 
-        val checkedHost = URL(host.ensureProtocol()).host ?: host
+        // The passed `host` function may be a full URL, in that case we're only interested in the actual host
+        val checkedHost = runCatchingExceptions { URL(host.ensureProtocol()).host.takeIfNotBlank() }.getOrNull() ?: host
 
         // We instantiate different stores for different sources, so that we can cache them separately.
         // The ESS_CONFIG source is cached with a prefix to differentiate it from the WELLKNOWN_ENDPOINT.