diff --git a/server/modelpath.go b/server/modelpath.go
index 354eeed7..d498c467 100644
--- a/server/modelpath.go
+++ b/server/modelpath.go
@@ -73,18 +73,6 @@ func ParseModelPath(name string) ModelPath {
 
 var errModelPathInvalid = errors.New("invalid model path")
 
-func (mp ModelPath) Validate() error {
-	if mp.Repository == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%w: model repository name is required", errModelPathInvalid)
-	}
-
-	if strings.Contains(mp.Tag, ":") {
-		return fmt.Errorf("%w: ':' (colon) is not allowed in tag names", errModelPathInvalid)
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (mp ModelPath) GetNamespaceRepository() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", mp.Namespace, mp.Repository)
 }
@@ -105,7 +93,11 @@ func (mp ModelPath) GetShortTagname() string {
 
 // GetManifestPath returns the path to the manifest file for the given model path, it is up to the caller to create the directory if it does not exist.
 func (mp ModelPath) GetManifestPath() (string, error) {
-	return filepath.Join(envconfig.Models(), "manifests", mp.Registry, mp.Namespace, mp.Repository, mp.Tag), nil
+	if p := filepath.Join(mp.Registry, mp.Namespace, mp.Repository, mp.Tag); filepath.IsLocal(p) {
+		return filepath.Join(envconfig.Models(), "manifests", p), nil
+	}
+
+	return "", errModelPathInvalid
 }
 
 func (mp ModelPath) BaseURL() *url.URL {
diff --git a/server/modelpath_test.go b/server/modelpath_test.go
index 849e0fa7..ef26266b 100644
--- a/server/modelpath_test.go
+++ b/server/modelpath_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package server
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -154,3 +155,10 @@ func TestParseModelPath(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestInsecureModelpath(t *testing.T) {
+	mp := ParseModelPath("../../..:something")
+	if _, err := mp.GetManifestPath(); !errors.Is(err, errModelPathInvalid) {
+		t.Errorf("expected error: %v", err)
+	}
+}