diff --git a/src/zipper.rs b/src/zipper.rs
index 9916df38..84f4fd6c 100644
--- a/src/zipper.rs
+++ b/src/zipper.rs
@@ -1119,9 +1119,10 @@ fn k_path_default_internal<Z: ZipperMoving + ?Sized, Obs: PathObserver>(z: &mut
                 if z.depth() == base_idx + k { return true }
             }
         }
-        //A sibling step replaces the last byte rather than adding one, so the observer sees the old
-        //byte retracted before the new one arrives
+        if z.depth() == base_idx { return false }
         if let Some(byte) = z.to_next_sibling_byte() {
+            //A sibling step replaces the last byte rather than adding one, so the observer sees the old
+            //byte retracted before the new one arrives
             obs.ascend(1);
             obs.descend_to_byte(byte);
             if z.depth() == base_idx + k { return true }
@@ -4817,6 +4818,22 @@ pub(crate) mod zipper_iteration_tests {
                     crate::zipper::zipper_iteration_tests::run_test(&mut temp_store, $make_z, b"", crate::zipper::zipper_iteration_tests::k_path_zero)
                 }
 
+                #[test]
+                fn [<$z_name _k_path_walk_at_a_leaf>]() {
+                    use crate::zipper::zipper_iteration_tests::{k_path_walk_at_a_leaf, run_test};
+                    const LEAF_KEYS: &[&[u8]] = &[&[1u8]];
+                    for (keys, path, has_child) in [
+                        (&[][..], &[][..], false),
+                        (LEAF_KEYS, &[1u8][..], false),
+                        (LEAF_KEYS, &[][..], true),
+                    ] {
+                        let mut temp_store = $read_keys(keys);
+                        run_test(&mut temp_store, $make_z, b"", |zipper| {
+                            k_path_walk_at_a_leaf(zipper, path, has_child)
+                        });
+                    }
+                }
+
                 #[test]
                 fn [<$z_name _k_path_test2>]() {
                     let paths = crate::zipper::zipper_iteration_tests::k_path_test2_paths();
@@ -4942,6 +4959,19 @@ pub(crate) mod zipper_iteration_tests {
         assert_eq!(zipper.path(), b"a");
     }
 
+    /// A k-path walk must stop at an empty root or leaf without stepping to a sibling.
+    pub fn k_path_walk_at_a_leaf<Z: ZipperIteration + ZipperPath>(mut zipper: Z, path: &[u8], has_child: bool) {
+        for k in 0..3 {
+            zipper.reset();
+            zipper.descend_to(path);
+            let found = zipper.descend_first_k_path(k);
+            assert_eq!(found, has_child && k == 1, "{path:?} k={k}");
+            if !found {
+                assert_eq!(zipper.path(), path, "{path:?} k={k}");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /// This is a toy encoding where `:n:` precedes a symbol `n` characters long
     pub const K_PATH_TEST1_KEYS: &[&[u8]] = &[
         b":5:above:3:the:4:fray:",