diff --git a/snakebids/core/input_generation.py b/snakebids/core/input_generation.py
index 01d69fee..8ae79287 100644
--- a/snakebids/core/input_generation.py
+++ b/snakebids/core/input_generation.py
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ def _is_network_fs_path(path: Path | str):
     """
     # StackOverflow reference: (by Kukanani)
     # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/8357098/how-can-i-check-if-a-url-is-absolute-using-python
-    return bool(urlparse(path).netloc)  # netloc="" for non-local paths
+    return bool(urlparse(str(path)).netloc)  # netloc="" for non-local paths
 
 
 def _gen_bids_layout(
diff --git a/snakebids/tests/strategies.py b/snakebids/tests/strategies.py
index 0c837c18..c4a24fda 100644
--- a/snakebids/tests/strategies.py
+++ b/snakebids/tests/strategies.py
@@ -37,18 +37,31 @@
 valid_entities: tuple[str, ...] = tuple(BidsConfig.load("bids").entities.keys())
 
 path_characters = st.characters(blacklist_characters=["/", "\x00"], codec="UTF-8")
+# see StackOverflow
+# https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1547899/which-characters-make-a-url-invalid#1547940
+scheme_characters_str = (
+    "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789-._~?#[]@!$&'()*+,;="
+)
+scheme_characters = st.sampled_from(scheme_characters_str)
 
 
 def nothing() -> Any:
     return st.nothing()  # type: ignore
 
 
+def schemes() -> st.SearchStrategy[str | None]:  # generate the prefix part of a url
+    fixed = st.sampled_from(["C://", "c:\\", "gs://", "s3://"])
+    random = st.text(scheme_characters, min_size=1, max_size=5)
+    return st.one_of(st.none(), random, fixed)
+
+
 def paths(
     *,
     min_segments: int = 0,
     max_segments: int | None = None,
     absolute: bool | None = None,
     resolve: bool = False,
+    prefix_st: st.SearchStrategy[str | None] = None,  # for urls e.g. "gs://..."
 ) -> st.SearchStrategy[Path]:
     paths = st.lists(
         st.text(path_characters, min_size=1),
@@ -67,6 +80,11 @@ def paths(
     else:
         result = absolute_paths | relative_paths
 
+    # append scheme prefix if argument prefix_st is provided
+    if prefix_st:
+        prefix_st = prefix_st.map(lambda s: "" if s is None else s)  # string prefix
+        result = st.tuples(prefix_st, result).map(lambda t: t[0] + t[1])
+
     if resolve:
         return result.map(lambda p: p.resolve())
 
diff --git a/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py b/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py
index 78f86f47..27dae7fe 100644
--- a/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py
+++ b/snakebids/tests/test_generate_inputs.py
@@ -1893,15 +1893,26 @@ def test_when_all_custom_paths_no_layout_indexed(
     spy.assert_not_called()
 
 
+@st.composite
+def scheme_bids_component_strategy(draw, **kwargs):
+    root = draw(sb_st.schemes())
+    bids_path_strategy = sb_st.bids_components(root=root, **kwargs)
+    return draw(bids_path_strategy)
+
+
 class TestParseBidsPath:
-    @given(component=sb_st.bids_components(max_values=1, restrict_patterns=True))
+    @given(
+        component=scheme_bids_component_strategy(max_values=1, restrict_patterns=True)
+    )
     def test_splits_wildcards_from_path(self, component: BidsComponent):
         path = component.expand()[0]
         entities = [BidsEntity.normalize(e).entity for e in component.zip_lists]
         tpl_path, matches = _parse_bids_path(path, entities)
         assert tpl_path.format(**matches) == path
 
-    @given(component=sb_st.bids_components(max_values=1, restrict_patterns=True))
+    @given(
+        component=scheme_bids_component_strategy(max_values=1, restrict_patterns=True)
+    )
     def test_one_match_found_for_each_entity(self, component: BidsComponent):
         path = component.expand()[0]
         entities = [BidsEntity.normalize(e).entity for e in component.zip_lists]
@@ -1911,7 +1922,7 @@ def test_one_match_found_for_each_entity(self, component: BidsComponent):
         }
 
     @given(
-        component=sb_st.bids_components(
+        component=scheme_bids_component_strategy(
             max_values=1, restrict_patterns=True, extra_entities=False
         ),
         entity=sb_st.bids_entity(),