diff --git a/native/spark-expr/src/url_funcs/parse_url.rs b/native/spark-expr/src/url_funcs/parse_url.rs
index c60ed1247a8..b4ff94302c0 100644
--- a/native/spark-expr/src/url_funcs/parse_url.rs
+++ b/native/spark-expr/src/url_funcs/parse_url.rs
@@ -181,11 +181,16 @@ fn parse_url_component<'a>(
         fragment,
     } = decompose_uri(value);
 
-    if scheme.is_none() {
-        if value.contains("://") {
-            return Err(invalid_url_err(value));
-        }
-        return Ok(None);
+    // A value without a scheme is a relative reference; a leading ':' is an empty
+    // scheme name, which java.net.URI rejects ("Expected scheme name at index 0").
+    if scheme.is_none() && value.starts_with(':') {
+        return Err(invalid_url_err(value));
+    }
+
+    // java.net.URI rejects an empty authority ("//", "http://") unless a path,
+    // query or fragment follows it ("Expected authority").
+    if authority == Some("") && path.is_empty() && query.is_none() && fragment.is_none() {
+        return Err(invalid_url_err(value));
     }
 
     // java.net.URI rejects unbalanced brackets in authority
@@ -795,4 +800,52 @@ mod tests {
         let result = parse_url_component("http://[::1/path", "HOST", None);
         assert!(result.is_err());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_relative_reference() -> Result<()> {
+        // Expected values are from Spark 4.1.1 (java.net.URI).
+        for (url, part, key, expected) in [
+            ("/shop?ref=abc&id=42#top", "PATH", None, Some("/shop")),
+            ("/shop?ref=abc&id=42#top", "QUERY", Some("id"), Some("42")),
+            ("/shop?ref=abc&id=42#top", "REF", None, Some("top")),
+            ("/shop?ref=abc&id=42#top", "HOST", None, None),
+            ("?id=7", "FILE", None, Some("?id=7")),
+            ("notaurl", "PATH", None, Some("notaurl")),
+            ("a/b:c?id=1", "PATH", None, Some("a/b:c")),
+            (
+                "//user:pw@example.com:8080/p",
+                "HOST",
+                None,
+                Some("example.com"),
+            ),
+            (
+                "//user:pw@example.com:8080/p",
+                "USERINFO",
+                None,
+                Some("user:pw"),
+            ),
+            ("///p?id=3", "AUTHORITY", None, None),
+            ("//?id=4", "QUERY", None, Some("id=4")),
+            ("/r?to=http://x.com/a&id=1", "QUERY", Some("id"), Some("1")),
+        ] {
+            assert_eq!(
+                parse_url_component(url, part, key)?,
+                expected,
+                "{url} {part}"
+            );
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_invalid_relative_reference() {
+        for url in [":", ":foo", "://missing-scheme", "//", "http://"] {
+            for part in ["HOST", "PATH", "PROTOCOL", "FILE"] {
+                assert!(
+                    parse_url_component(url, part, None).is_err(),
+                    "{url} {part}"
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url.sql b/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url.sql
index fc87e3d77c2..fe6a42871e5 100644
--- a/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url.sql
+++ b/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url.sql
@@ -170,3 +170,33 @@ SELECT parse_url('http://host:abc/', 'AUTHORITY')
 -- unbalanced IPv6 bracket is invalid
 query
 SELECT parse_url('http://[::1/path', 'AUTHORITY')
+
+-- relative references (no scheme) are parsed like java.net.URI
+statement
+CREATE TABLE test_parse_url_relative(url string) USING parquet
+
+statement
+INSERT INTO test_parse_url_relative VALUES
+  ('/'),
+  ('notaurl'),
+  ('a/b:c?id=1'),
+  ('?id=7'),
+  ('#frag'),
+  ('/p#a?id=1'),
+  ('/shop/item/123?ref=abc&id=42#top'),
+  ('/r?to=http://x.com/a&id=1'),
+  ('//example.com'),
+  ('//user:pw@example.com:8080/p?id=1#f'),
+  ('///p?id=3'),
+  ('//#f'),
+  ('//?id=4'),
+  (':foo'),
+  ('//'),
+  ('http://'),
+  ('http://example.com/r?to=https://y.com&id=9')
+
+query
+SELECT url, parse_url(url, 'HOST'), parse_url(url, 'PATH'), parse_url(url, 'QUERY'),
+  parse_url(url, 'REF'), parse_url(url, 'PROTOCOL'), parse_url(url, 'FILE'),
+  parse_url(url, 'AUTHORITY'), parse_url(url, 'USERINFO'), parse_url(url, 'QUERY', 'id')
+FROM test_parse_url_relative
diff --git a/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url_ansi.sql b/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url_ansi.sql
index b3a0ed779da..a8edbcb4f5d 100644
--- a/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url_ansi.sql
+++ b/spark/src/test/resources/sql-tests/expressions/url/parse_url_ansi.sql
@@ -55,3 +55,17 @@ SELECT parse_url('', 'HOST')
 -- unbalanced IPv6 bracket throws in ANSI mode
 query expect_error(http://[::1/path)
 SELECT parse_url('http://[::1/path', 'AUTHORITY')
+
+-- relative references do not throw in ANSI mode
+query
+SELECT parse_url('/shop?ref=abc&id=42', 'QUERY', 'id')
+
+query
+SELECT parse_url('//example.com/p', 'HOST')
+
+-- a leading ':' or an empty authority with nothing after it throws in ANSI mode
+query expect_error(:foo)
+SELECT parse_url(':foo', 'PATH')
+
+query expect_error(http://)
+SELECT parse_url('http://', 'PROTOCOL')