diff --git a/src/schema/rules/checks/dataset.yaml b/src/schema/rules/checks/dataset.yaml
index b0f0aba634..a569bc1f97 100644
--- a/src/schema/rules/checks/dataset.yaml
+++ b/src/schema/rules/checks/dataset.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ SubjectFolders:
       There are no subject directories (labeled "sub-*") in the root of this dataset.
     level: error
   selectors:
-    - path == 'dataset_description.json'
+    - path == '/dataset_description.json'
   checks:
     - length(dataset.subjects.sub_dirs) > 0
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ ParticipantIDMismtach:
       found in the participants.tsv file.
     level: error
   selectors:
-    - path == 'participants.tsv'
+    - path == '/participants.tsv'
   checks:
     - sorted(columns.participant_label) == sorted(dataset.subjects.sub_dirs)
 
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ PhenotypeSubjectsMissing:
       A phenotype/ .tsv file lists subjects that were not found in the dataset.
     level: error
   selectors:
-    - path == 'dataset_description.json'
+    - path == '/dataset_description.json'
   checks:
     - sorted(dataset.subjects.phenotype) == sorted(dataset.subjects.sub_dirs)
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ SamplesTSVMissing:
       See 'Modality agnostic files' section of the BIDS specification.
     level: error
   selectors:
-    - path == 'dataset_description.json'
+    - path == '/dataset_description.json'
     - '"micr" in dataset.modalities'
   checks:
     - "'samples.tsv' in dataset.files"
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ UnknownVersion:
       The BIDS Schema used for validation may be out of date.
     level: warning
   selectors:
-    - path == 'dataset_description.json'
+    - path == '/dataset_description.json'
   checks:
     - intersects([json.BIDSVersion], schema.meta.versions)
 
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ SingleSourceAuthors:
       'CITATION.cff' file found. The "Authors" field of 'dataset_description.json'
       must be removed to avoid inconsistency.
   selectors:
-    - path == 'CITATION.cff'
+    - path == '/CITATION.cff'
   checks:
     - '!("Authors" in dataset.dataset_description)'
 
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ SingleSourceCitationFields:
       The "HowToAckowledge", "License", and "ReferencesAndLinks" fields of
       'dataset_description.json' should be removed to avoid inconsistency.
   selectors:
-    - path == 'CITATION.cff'
+    - path == '/CITATION.cff'
   checks:
     - '!("HowToAcknowledge" in dataset.dataset_description)'
     - '!("License" in dataset.dataset_description)'
diff --git a/src/schema/rules/checks/general.yaml b/src/schema/rules/checks/general.yaml
index b0505250b3..3c03bac91d 100644
--- a/src/schema/rules/checks/general.yaml
+++ b/src/schema/rules/checks/general.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,6 @@ ReadmeFileSmall:
       Please consider expanding it with additional information about the dataset.
     level: warning
   selectors:
-    - match(path, '^README')
+    - match(path, '^/README')
   checks:
     - size > 150
diff --git a/src/schema/rules/tabular_data/modality_agnostic.yaml b/src/schema/rules/tabular_data/modality_agnostic.yaml
index f33f2b597d..fcaa4b32d4 100644
--- a/src/schema/rules/tabular_data/modality_agnostic.yaml
+++ b/src/schema/rules/tabular_data/modality_agnostic.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 Participants:
   selectors:
-    - path == "participants.tsv"
+    - path == "/participants.tsv"
   initial_columns:
     - participant_id
   columns:
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Participants:
 
 Samples:
   selectors:
-    - path == "samples.tsv"
+    - path == "/samples.tsv"
   columns:
     sample_id: required
     participant_id: required