diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.err b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.err
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..99d6fdf35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.err
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+error: Parsing URL
+  --> tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.hurl:1:5
+   |
+ 1 | GET localhost:8000
+   |     ^ expecting http://, https:// or {{
+   |
+
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.exit b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.exit
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d8263ee98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.hurl b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.hurl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2626e08ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.hurl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+GET localhost:8000
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.ps1 b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..68c73ccbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Set-StrictMode -Version latest
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+hurl tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.hurl
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.sh b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..9165bf4ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -Eeuo pipefail
+hurl tests_error_parser/invalid_url_1.hurl
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.err b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.err
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bfae406bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.err
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+error: Parsing URL
+  --> tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.hurl:1:5
+   |
+ 1 | GET http:localhost:8000
+   |     ^ expecting http://, https:// or {{
+   |
+
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.exit b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.exit
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d8263ee98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+2
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.hurl b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.hurl
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0fa8679f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.hurl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+GET http:localhost:8000
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.ps1 b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c0a0f25ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Set-StrictMode -Version latest
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+hurl tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.hurl
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.sh b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..957c302a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -Eeuo pipefail
+hurl tests_error_parser/invalid_url_2.hurl
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.err b/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.err
index 323504f5f..a05d3ccad 100644
--- a/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.err
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.err
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 error: Parsing URL
-  --> tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.hurl:2:5
+  --> tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.hurl:4:5
    |
- 2 | GET "http://localhost:8000"
-   |     ^ illegal character <">
+ 4 | GET "http://localhost:8000"
+   |     ^ expecting http://, https:// or {{
    |
 
diff --git a/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.hurl b/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.hurl
index fb139b13f..fd27717fe 100644
--- a/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.hurl
+++ b/integration/tests_error_parser/url_bad_prefix.hurl
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-# Url are are `value-string` in Hurl format.
+# URL in Hurl are not quoted strings:
+# it's should be:
+# GET http://localhost:8000
 GET "http://localhost:8000"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/hurl_core/src/error/mod.rs b/packages/hurl_core/src/error/mod.rs
index b8d8a1c99..641148f7b 100644
--- a/packages/hurl_core/src/error/mod.rs
+++ b/packages/hurl_core/src/error/mod.rs
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ impl Error for parser::Error {
             ParseError::InvalidCookieAttribute { .. } => "Parsing cookie attribute".to_string(),
             ParseError::OddNumberOfHexDigits { .. } => "Parsing hex bytearray".to_string(),
             ParseError::UrlIllegalCharacter(_) => "Parsing URL".to_string(),
+            ParseError::UrlInvalidStart => "Parsing URL".to_string(),
             ParseError::Multiline => "Parsing multiline".to_string(),
             ParseError::GraphQlVariables => "Parsing GraphQL variables".to_string(),
             _ => format!("{self:?}"),
@@ -112,6 +113,7 @@ impl Error for parser::Error {
                 "expecting an even number of hex digits".to_string()
             }
             ParseError::UrlIllegalCharacter(c) => format!("illegal character <{c}>"),
+            ParseError::UrlInvalidStart => "expecting http://, https:// or {{".to_string(),
             ParseError::Multiline => "the multiline is not valid".to_string(),
             ParseError::GraphQlVariables => "GraphQL variables is not a valid JSON object".to_string(),
             _ => format!("{self:?}"),
diff --git a/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/error.rs b/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/error.rs
index 5089bbaef..be1c5351f 100644
--- a/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/error.rs
+++ b/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/error.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ pub enum ParseError {
     InvalidCookieAttribute,
     OddNumberOfHexDigits,
     UrlIllegalCharacter(char),
+    UrlInvalidStart,
     InvalidOption,
     Multiline,
     GraphQlVariables,
diff --git a/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/url.rs b/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/url.rs
index 34a71dd03..75d6bb7fd 100644
--- a/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/url.rs
+++ b/packages/hurl_core/src/parser/url.rs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use crate::parser::reader::Reader;
 use crate::parser::{expr, ParseResult};
 
 pub fn url(reader: &mut Reader) -> ParseResult<'static, Template> {
-    // Can not be json-encoded, nor empty.
+    // Can not be JSON-encoded, nor empty.
     // But more restrictive: whitelist characters, not empty
 
     let start = reader.state.clone();
@@ -37,13 +37,11 @@ pub fn url(reader: &mut Reader) -> ParseResult<'static, Template> {
         });
     }
 
-    // Urls must begin with http/https or { (templates).
-    let first_char = reader.peek();
-    if first_char != Some('h') && first_char != Some('{') {
+    if !url_prefix_valid(reader) {
         return Err(Error {
             pos: reader.state.pos.clone(),
             recoverable: false,
-            inner: ParseError::UrlIllegalCharacter(first_char.unwrap()),
+            inner: ParseError::UrlInvalidStart,
         });
     }
 
@@ -110,7 +108,7 @@ pub fn url(reader: &mut Reader) -> ParseResult<'static, Template> {
         });
     }
 
-    // url should be followed by a line terminator
+    // URLs should be followed by a line terminator
     let save = reader.state.clone();
     if line_terminator(reader).is_err() {
         reader.state = save;
@@ -133,6 +131,18 @@ pub fn url(reader: &mut Reader) -> ParseResult<'static, Template> {
     })
 }
 
+/// Returns true if url starts with http://, https:// or {{
+fn url_prefix_valid(reader: &mut Reader) -> bool {
+    let prefixes = ["https://", "http://", "{{"];
+    for expected_p in prefixes.iter() {
+        let current_p = reader.peek_n(expected_p.len());
+        if &current_p == expected_p {
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+    false
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -256,7 +266,7 @@ mod tests {
         let mut reader = Reader::new(" # eol");
         let error = url(&mut reader).err().unwrap();
         assert_eq!(error.pos, Pos { line: 1, column: 1 });
-        assert_eq!(error.inner, ParseError::UrlIllegalCharacter(' '));
+        assert_eq!(error.inner, ParseError::UrlInvalidStart);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -272,9 +282,11 @@ mod tests {
             "http://www.google.com/?q=go+language",
             "http://www.google.com/?q=go%20language",
             "http://www.google.com/a%20b?q=c+d",
-            "http:www.google.com/?q=go+language",
-            "http:www.google.com/?q=go+language",
-            "http:%2f%2fwww.google.com/?q=go+language",
+            // The following URLs are supported in the Go test file
+            // but are not considered as valid URLs by curl
+            // "http:www.google.com/?q=go+language",
+            // "http:www.google.com/?q=go+language",
+            // "http:%2f%2fwww.google.com/?q=go+language",
             "http://user:password@google.com",
             "http://user:password@google.com",
             "http://j@ne:password@google.com",
@@ -319,4 +331,22 @@ mod tests {
             assert!(url(&mut reader).is_ok());
         }
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_invalid_urls() {
+        // from official url_test.go file
+        let invalid_urls = [
+            "foo.com",
+            "httpfoo.com",
+            "http:foo.com",
+            "https:foo.com",
+            "https:/foo.com",
+            "{https://foo.com",
+        ];
+
+        for s in invalid_urls {
+            let mut reader = Reader::new(s);
+            assert!(url(&mut reader).is_err());
+        }
+    }
 }