diff --git a/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplate.java b/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplate.java
index 81f9b45efdb42..6358947867666 100644
--- a/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplate.java
+++ b/java/src/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplate.java
@@ -141,15 +141,21 @@ public UrlTemplate(String template) {
   }
 
   /**
-   * @return A {@link Match} with all parameters filled if successful, null otherwise. Remove
-   *     subPath from matchAgainst before matching.
+   * Matches a URL against this template after stripping a leading prefix.
+   *
+   * <p>The {@code prefix} is treated literally (not as a regex) and stripped from the start of
+   * {@code matchAgainst} before matching, unless it is empty or {@code "/"}.
+   *
+   * @param matchAgainst the URL (or path) to match against this template
+   * @param prefix a literal prefix to strip from {@code matchAgainst} before matching
+   * @return a {@link Match} with all parameters filled if successful, {@code null} otherwise
    */
   public UrlTemplate.@Nullable Match match(@Nullable String matchAgainst, @Nullable String prefix) {
     if (matchAgainst == null || prefix == null) {
       return null;
     }
     if (!prefix.isEmpty() && !prefix.equals("/")) {
-      matchAgainst = matchAgainst.replaceFirst(prefix, "");
+      matchAgainst = matchAgainst.replaceFirst(Pattern.quote(prefix), "");
     }
     return match(matchAgainst);
   }
diff --git a/java/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplateTest.java b/java/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplateTest.java
index cfc91bbf06898..55310eb820bd6 100644
--- a/java/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplateTest.java
+++ b/java/test/org/openqa/selenium/remote/http/UrlTemplateTest.java
@@ -96,4 +96,15 @@ void noPartialMatches() {
     assertThat(new UrlTemplate("/session").match("/session-no")).isNull();
     assertThat(new UrlTemplate("/session").match("/no-session-no")).isNull();
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void shouldNotThrowWhenPrefixContainsRegexMetacharacters() {
+    // The prefix contains '(', a regex metacharacter; stripping it must treat it literally
+    // rather than as a pattern (which would throw PatternSyntaxException).
+    UrlTemplate.Match match =
+        new UrlTemplate("/session/{id}").match("/wd(hub/session/1234", "/wd(hub");
+
+    assertThat(match).isNotNull();
+    assertThat(match.getParameters()).containsExactlyInAnyOrderEntriesOf(Map.of("id", "1234"));
+  }
 }