diff --git a/src/write_zipper.rs b/src/write_zipper.rs
index b38eed05..93f96422 100644
--- a/src/write_zipper.rs
+++ b/src/write_zipper.rs
@@ -1343,7 +1343,10 @@ impl <'a, 'path, V: Clone + Send + Sync + Unpin, A: Allocator + 'a> WriteZipperC
     /// Internal method to re-borrow a WriteZipperCore without the `'path` lifetime
     fn as_static_path_zipper(&mut self) -> &mut WriteZipperCore<'a, 'static, V, A> {
         self.prepare_buffers();
-        debug_assert!(!self.key.origin_path.is_slice() || self.key.origin_path.len() == 0);
+        debug_assert!(
+            !self.key.origin_path.is_slice() || self.key.origin_path.len() == 0,
+            "a prepared zipper must not retain a borrowed origin path"
+        );
         unsafe{ &mut *(self as *mut WriteZipperCore<V, A>).cast() }
     }
 
@@ -2784,6 +2787,8 @@ impl<'k> KeyFields<'k> {
             self.prefix_buf.reserve(path_len.saturating_sub(self.prefix_buf.len()));
             if was_unallocated {
                 self.prefix_buf.extend(unsafe{ self.origin_path.as_slice_unchecked() });
+                //The path now lives in `prefix_buf`; release the borrowed slice.
+                self.origin_path.make_len();
             }
         }
         if self.prefix_idx.capacity() < stack_depth {
diff --git a/src/zipper_head.rs b/src/zipper_head.rs
index 4353d3f3..796832a6 100644
--- a/src/zipper_head.rs
+++ b/src/zipper_head.rs
@@ -1523,6 +1523,29 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(paths, vec![b"ax".to_vec(), b"bx".to_vec(), b"c".to_vec(), b"dx".to_vec()]);
     }
 
+    /// A `ZipperHead` from a write zipper made with a borrowed path, and the zipper used afterwards
+    #[test]
+    fn zipper_head_from_write_zipper_at_borrowed_path() {
+        let mut map = PathMap::<u64>::new();
+        map.set_val_at(&[1u8, 2, 3], 7);
+        {
+            let path = [1u8, 2];
+            let mut wz = map.write_zipper_at_path(&path);
+            {
+                let zh = wz.zipper_head();
+                let mut child = zh.write_zipper_at_exclusive_path(&[4u8]).unwrap();
+                child.set_val(1);
+            }
+            assert_eq!(wz.origin_path(), &[1u8, 2]);
+            wz.descend_to(&[5u8]);
+            wz.set_val(2);
+            assert_eq!(wz.origin_path(), &[1u8, 2, 5]);
+        }
+        assert_eq!(map.val_at(&[1u8, 2, 4]), Some(&1));
+        assert_eq!(map.val_at(&[1u8, 2, 5]), Some(&2));
+        assert_eq!(map.val_at(&[1u8, 2, 3]), Some(&7));
+    }
+
     /// An exclusive zipper at the head's own root, requested more than once, from a head whose
     /// root sits partway into a node
     #[test]