diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/create_cmd.py b/src/borg/archiver/create_cmd.py
index b9c45967..fb9f3cfa 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/create_cmd.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/create_cmd.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from ..archive import FilesystemObjectProcessors, MetadataCollector, ChunksProce
 from ..cache import Cache
 from ..constants import *  # NOQA
 from ..compress import CompressionSpec
-from ..helpers import comment_validator, ChunkerParams
+from ..helpers import comment_validator, ChunkerParams, PathSpec
 from ..helpers import archivename_validator, FilesCacheMode
 from ..helpers import eval_escapes
 from ..helpers import timestamp, archive_ts_now
@@ -937,4 +937,6 @@ class CreateMixIn:
         )
 
         subparser.add_argument("name", metavar="NAME", type=archivename_validator, help="specify the archive name")
-        subparser.add_argument("paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=str, action="extend", help="paths to archive")
+        subparser.add_argument(
+            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=PathSpec, action="extend", help="paths to archive"
+        )
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/diff_cmd.py b/src/borg/archiver/diff_cmd.py
index 2118b888..492a26fc 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/diff_cmd.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/diff_cmd.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import os
 from ._common import with_repository, with_archive, build_matcher, Highlander
 from ..archive import Archive
 from ..constants import *  # NOQA
-from ..helpers import BaseFormatter, DiffFormatter, archivename_validator, BorgJsonEncoder
+from ..helpers import BaseFormatter, DiffFormatter, archivename_validator, PathSpec, BorgJsonEncoder
 from ..manifest import Manifest
 from ..logger import create_logger
 
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class DiffMixIn:
             "paths",
             metavar="PATH",
             nargs="*",
-            type=str,
+            type=PathSpec,
             help="paths of items inside the archives to compare; patterns are supported",
         )
         define_exclusion_group(subparser)
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/extract_cmd.py b/src/borg/archiver/extract_cmd.py
index 452b9a9a..7be8a32f 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/extract_cmd.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/extract_cmd.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from ._common import with_repository, with_archive
 from ._common import build_filter, build_matcher
 from ..archive import BackupError, BackupOSError
 from ..constants import *  # NOQA
-from ..helpers import archivename_validator
+from ..helpers import archivename_validator, PathSpec
 from ..helpers import remove_surrogates
 from ..helpers import HardLinkManager
 from ..helpers import ProgressIndicatorPercent
@@ -177,6 +177,6 @@ class ExtractMixIn:
         )
         subparser.add_argument("name", metavar="NAME", type=archivename_validator, help="specify the archive name")
         subparser.add_argument(
-            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=str, help="paths to extract; patterns are supported"
+            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=PathSpec, help="paths to extract; patterns are supported"
         )
         define_exclusion_group(subparser, strip_components=True)
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/key_cmds.py b/src/borg/archiver/key_cmds.py
index bdc93a55..cd658b72 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/key_cmds.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/key_cmds.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from ..constants import *  # NOQA
 from ..crypto.key import AESOCBRepoKey, CHPORepoKey, Blake2AESOCBRepoKey, Blake2CHPORepoKey
 from ..crypto.key import AESOCBKeyfileKey, CHPOKeyfileKey, Blake2AESOCBKeyfileKey, Blake2CHPOKeyfileKey
 from ..crypto.keymanager import KeyManager
+from ..helpers import PathSpec
 from ..manifest import Manifest
 
 from ._common import with_repository
@@ -194,7 +195,7 @@ class KeysMixIn:
             help="export repository key for backup",
         )
         subparser.set_defaults(func=self.do_key_export)
-        subparser.add_argument("path", metavar="PATH", nargs="?", type=str, help="where to store the backup")
+        subparser.add_argument("path", metavar="PATH", nargs="?", type=PathSpec, help="where to store the backup")
         subparser.add_argument(
             "--paper",
             dest="paper",
@@ -237,7 +238,7 @@ class KeysMixIn:
         )
         subparser.set_defaults(func=self.do_key_import)
         subparser.add_argument(
-            "path", metavar="PATH", nargs="?", type=str, help="path to the backup ('-' to read from stdin)"
+            "path", metavar="PATH", nargs="?", type=PathSpec, help="path to the backup ('-' to read from stdin)"
         )
         subparser.add_argument(
             "--paper",
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/list_cmd.py b/src/borg/archiver/list_cmd.py
index ead30776..c2a2acb0 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/list_cmd.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/list_cmd.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ from ._common import with_repository, build_matcher, Highlander
 from ..archive import Archive
 from ..cache import Cache
 from ..constants import *  # NOQA
-from ..helpers import ItemFormatter, BaseFormatter, archivename_validator
+from ..helpers import ItemFormatter, BaseFormatter, archivename_validator, PathSpec
 from ..manifest import Manifest
 
 from ..logger import create_logger
@@ -119,6 +119,6 @@ class ListMixIn:
         )
         subparser.add_argument("name", metavar="NAME", type=archivename_validator, help="specify the archive name")
         subparser.add_argument(
-            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=str, help="paths to list; patterns are supported"
+            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=PathSpec, help="paths to list; patterns are supported"
         )
         define_exclusion_group(subparser)
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/mount_cmds.py b/src/borg/archiver/mount_cmds.py
index 5445cfd0..74c70f24 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/mount_cmds.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/mount_cmds.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import os
 from ._common import with_repository, Highlander
 from ..constants import *  # NOQA
 from ..helpers import EXIT_ERROR
+from ..helpers import PathSpec
 from ..helpers import umount
 from ..manifest import Manifest
 from ..remote import cache_if_remote
@@ -180,6 +181,6 @@ class MountMixIn:
         )
         define_archive_filters_group(parser)
         parser.add_argument(
-            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=str, help="paths to extract; patterns are supported"
+            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=PathSpec, help="paths to extract; patterns are supported"
         )
         define_exclusion_group(parser, strip_components=True)
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/recreate_cmd.py b/src/borg/archiver/recreate_cmd.py
index f6b2a1ff..f1803a48 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/recreate_cmd.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/recreate_cmd.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from ._common import build_matcher
 from ..archive import ArchiveRecreater
 from ..constants import *  # NOQA
 from ..compress import CompressionSpec
-from ..helpers import archivename_validator, comment_validator, ChunkerParams
+from ..helpers import archivename_validator, comment_validator, PathSpec, ChunkerParams
 from ..helpers import timestamp
 from ..manifest import Manifest
 
@@ -205,5 +205,5 @@ class RecreateMixIn:
         )
 
         subparser.add_argument(
-            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=str, help="paths to recreate; patterns are supported"
+            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=PathSpec, help="paths to recreate; patterns are supported"
         )
diff --git a/src/borg/archiver/tar_cmds.py b/src/borg/archiver/tar_cmds.py
index 0504f97e..e54e3fac 100644
--- a/src/borg/archiver/tar_cmds.py
+++ b/src/borg/archiver/tar_cmds.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from ..helpers import dash_open
 from ..helpers import msgpack
 from ..helpers import create_filter_process
 from ..helpers import ChunkIteratorFileWrapper
-from ..helpers import archivename_validator, comment_validator, ChunkerParams
+from ..helpers import archivename_validator, comment_validator, PathSpec, ChunkerParams
 from ..helpers import remove_surrogates
 from ..helpers import timestamp, archive_ts_now
 from ..helpers import basic_json_data, json_print
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ class TarMixIn:
         subparser.add_argument("name", metavar="NAME", type=archivename_validator, help="specify the archive name")
         subparser.add_argument("tarfile", metavar="FILE", help='output tar file. "-" to write to stdout instead.')
         subparser.add_argument(
-            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=str, help="paths to extract; patterns are supported"
+            "paths", metavar="PATH", nargs="*", type=PathSpec, help="paths to extract; patterns are supported"
         )
         define_exclusion_group(subparser, strip_components=True)
 
diff --git a/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py b/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py
index 595928ca..64f66078 100644
--- a/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py
+++ b/src/borg/helpers/__init__.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from .misc import ChunkIteratorFileWrapper, open_item, chunkit, iter_separated,
 from .parseformat import bin_to_hex, safe_encode, safe_decode
 from .parseformat import text_to_json, binary_to_json, remove_surrogates, join_cmd
 from .parseformat import eval_escapes, decode_dict, positive_int_validator, interval
-from .parseformat import SortBySpec, ChunkerParams, FilesCacheMode, partial_format, DatetimeWrapper
+from .parseformat import PathSpec, SortBySpec, ChunkerParams, FilesCacheMode, partial_format, DatetimeWrapper
 from .parseformat import format_file_size, parse_file_size, FileSize, parse_storage_quota
 from .parseformat import sizeof_fmt, sizeof_fmt_iec, sizeof_fmt_decimal, Location, text_validator
 from .parseformat import format_line, replace_placeholders, PlaceholderError, relative_time_marker_validator
diff --git a/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py b/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py
index 9e77e427..aeb07f83 100644
--- a/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py
+++ b/src/borg/helpers/parseformat.py
@@ -284,6 +284,12 @@ class PlaceholderReplacer:
 replace_placeholders = PlaceholderReplacer()
 
 
+def PathSpec(text):
+    if not text:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError("Empty strings are not accepted as paths.")
+    return text
+
+
 def SortBySpec(text):
     from ..manifest import AI_HUMAN_SORT_KEYS