diff --git a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_novnc.py b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_novnc.py
index 7cf6d83..faa9782 100644
--- a/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_novnc.py
+++ b/tempest/api/compute/servers/test_novnc.py
@@ -68,7 +68,15 @@
 
     def _validate_novnc_html(self, vnc_url):
         """Verify we can connect to novnc and get back the javascript."""
-        resp = urllib3.PoolManager().request('GET', vnc_url)
+        cert_params = {}
+
+        if CONF.identity.disable_ssl_certificate_validation:
+            cert_params['cert_reqs'] = "CERT_NONE"
+        else:
+            cert_params["cert_reqs"] = "CERT_REQUIRED"
+            cert_params["ca_certs"] = CONF.identity.ca_certificates_file
+
+        resp = urllib3.PoolManager(**cert_params).request('GET', vnc_url)
         # Make sure that the GET request was accepted by the novncproxy
         self.assertEqual(resp.status, 200, 'Got a Bad HTTP Response on the '
                          'initial call: ' + six.text_type(resp.status))
diff --git a/tempest/common/compute.py b/tempest/common/compute.py
index cd85ede..51c097c 100644
--- a/tempest/common/compute.py
+++ b/tempest/common/compute.py
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@
         # so use it if present
         qparams = urlparse.parse_qs(url.query)
         path = qparams['path'][0] if 'path' in qparams else '/websockify'
-        reqdata = 'GET %s HTTP/1.1\r\n' % path
+        reqdata = 'GET /%s HTTP/1.1\r\n' % path
         reqdata += 'Host: %s' % url.hostname
         # Add port only if we have one specified
         if url.port: