diff --git a/registry/storage/driver/azure/azure.go b/registry/storage/driver/azure/azure.go
index 4e6d9a20..028239fd 100644
--- a/registry/storage/driver/azure/azure.go
+++ b/registry/storage/driver/azure/azure.go
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ func New(params *Parameters) (*Driver, error) {
 	d := &driver{
 		azClient:      azClient,
 		client:        client,
-		rootDirectory: params.RootDirectory}
+		rootDirectory: params.RootDirectory,
+	}
 	return &Driver{baseEmbed: baseEmbed{Base: base.Base{StorageDriver: d}}}, nil
 }
 
@@ -420,6 +421,13 @@ func (d *driver) listBlobs(ctx context.Context, virtPath string) ([]string, erro
 }
 
 func (d *driver) blobName(path string) string {
+	// avoid returning an empty blob name.
+	// this will happen when rootDirectory is unset, and path == "/",
+	// which is what we get from the storage driver health check Stat call.
+	if d.rootDirectory == "" && path == "/" {
+		return path
+	}
+
 	return strings.TrimLeft(strings.TrimRight(d.rootDirectory, "/")+path, "/")
 }
 
diff --git a/registry/storage/driver/testsuites/testsuites.go b/registry/storage/driver/testsuites/testsuites.go
index 58f6b6d6..27923aa3 100644
--- a/registry/storage/driver/testsuites/testsuites.go
+++ b/registry/storage/driver/testsuites/testsuites.go
@@ -824,6 +824,15 @@ func (suite *DriverSuite) TestStatCall(c *check.C) {
 	c.Assert(fi.Path(), check.Equals, dirPath)
 	c.Assert(fi.Size(), check.Equals, int64(0))
 	c.Assert(fi.IsDir(), check.Equals, true)
+
+	// The storage healthcheck performs this exact call to Stat.
+	// PathNotFoundErrors are not considered health check failures.
+	_, err = suite.StorageDriver.Stat(suite.ctx, "/")
+	// Some drivers will return a not found here, while others will not
+	// return an error at all. If we get an error, ensure it's a not found.
+	if err != nil {
+		c.Assert(err, check.FitsTypeOf, storagedriver.PathNotFoundError{})
+	}
 }
 
 // TestPutContentMultipleTimes checks that if storage driver can overwrite the content