diff --git a/snakebids/tests/strategies.py b/snakebids/tests/strategies.py
index 1c1f0975..dbebb19c 100644
--- a/snakebids/tests/strategies.py
+++ b/snakebids/tests/strategies.py
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ def paths(
     max_segments: int | None = None,
     absolute: bool | None = None,
     resolve: bool = False,
-    scheme: bool | None = None,  # for prefixing urls with e.g. "gs://..."
 ) -> st.SearchStrategy[Path]:
     paths = st.lists(
         st.text(path_characters, min_size=1),
@@ -73,25 +72,6 @@ def paths(
 
     absolute_paths = paths.map(lambda p: Path("/", p))
 
-    assert not (
-        scheme and absolute
-    ), "Path schemes prepends relative path, so don't set absolute_paths=True!"
-
-    # absolute path and path schemes are not compatible
-    # implicitly set the other if None is provided
-    if absolute and scheme is None:
-        scheme = False
-    elif scheme and absolute is None:
-        absolute = False
-
-    if scheme is not False:
-        scheme_st = schemes()
-        if scheme is None:
-            # probabilistically return a schemed path
-            scheme_st = st.one_of(st.none(), scheme_st)
-            scheme_st = scheme_st.map(lambda s: "" if s is None else s)
-        relative_paths = st.tuples(scheme_st, relative_paths).map(lambda t: t[0] + t[1])
-
     if absolute:
         result = absolute_paths
     elif absolute is False:
@@ -105,6 +85,30 @@ def paths(
     return result
 
 
+def schemed_paths(
+    *,
+    min_segments: int = 0,
+    max_segments: int | None = None,
+) -> st.SearchStrategy[str]:
+    """schemed paths are those beginning with scheme://.
+
+    These paths are incompatible with paths() because pathlib.Path turns // into /
+    when parsing, and paths() returns Path objects by default. That's why we have a
+    separate function for schemed paths.
+
+    This function returns un-schemed paths as well, occasionally
+    """
+    scheme_st: st.SearchStrategy[str] = (st.none() | schemes()).map(
+        lambda s: "" if s is None else s
+    )
+    paths_st: st.SearchStrategy[str] = paths(
+        min_segments=min_segments,
+        max_segments=max_segments,
+        absolute=False,
+    ).map(lambda p: str(p))
+    return st.tuples(scheme_st, paths_st).map(lambda t: t[0] + t[1])
+
+
 def bids_entity(
     *,
     blacklist_entities: Container[BidsEntity | str] | None = None,
diff --git a/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py b/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py
index a645bffb..73963292 100644
--- a/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py
+++ b/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py
@@ -1616,7 +1616,7 @@ class TestRecogPathSchemes:
     )
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(("path", "path_type"), PATH_AND_TYPES)
-    def test_is_local_relative(self, path, path_type):
+    def test_is_local_relative(self, path: str, path_type: str):
         isnet = path_type == "NETWORK"
         is_local_relative = path_type == "RELATIVE"
 
@@ -1633,11 +1633,11 @@ def test_is_local_relative(self, path, path_type):
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         ("path", "path_type"), [tup for tup in PATH_AND_TYPES if tup[1] == "RELATIVE"]
     )
-    def test_path_subclassing(self, path, path_type):
+    def test_path_subclassing(self, path: str, path_type: str):
         # Google cloud is not posix, for mocking purpose however we just
         # need a class that is a subclass of Path
         class MockGCSPath(PosixPath):
-            def __init__(self, *pathsegments):
+            def __init__(self, *pathsegments: str):
                 super().__init__(*pathsegments)
 
             def __str__(self):  # __fspath__ calls __str__ by default