diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java
index 39cd5c439b..8f02b9c5ff 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/HandleIdentifierProvider.java
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ public class HandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
     @Override
     public boolean supports(String identifier)
     {
-    	String prefix = handleService.getPrefix();
+        String prefix = handleService.getPrefix();
         String canonicalPrefix = DSpaceServicesFactory.getInstance().getConfigurationService().getProperty("handle.canonical.prefix");
         if (identifier == null)
         {
             return false;
         }
         // return true if handle has valid starting pattern
-        if (identifier.startsWith(prefix)
+        if (identifier.startsWith(prefix + "/")
                 || identifier.startsWith(canonicalPrefix)
                 || identifier.startsWith("hdl:")
                 || identifier.startsWith("info:hdl")
@@ -71,10 +71,11 @@ public class HandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
         //Check additional prefixes supported in the config file
         String[] additionalPrefixes = DSpaceServicesFactory.getInstance().getConfigurationService().getArrayProperty("handle.additional.prefixes");
         for(String additionalPrefix: additionalPrefixes) {
-            if (identifier.startsWith(additionalPrefix)) {
+            if (identifier.startsWith(additionalPrefix + "/")) {
                 return true;
             }
         }
+
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java
index fc6eeb85b7..c23c6e19e9 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
             return false;
         }
         // return true if handle has valid starting pattern
-        if (identifier.startsWith(prefix)
+        if (identifier.startsWith(prefix + "/")
                 || identifier.startsWith(canonicalPrefix)
                 || identifier.startsWith("hdl:")
                 || identifier.startsWith("info:hdl")
@@ -87,13 +87,15 @@ public class VersionedHandleIdentifierProvider extends IdentifierProvider {
         {
             return true;
         }
-        // return true if base prefix matches in case of multi-instance deployment with derived prefixes demarcated by a dot "." 
-        if(prefix.contains(".")) {
-            String[] splitPrefix = prefix.split("\\.");
-            if(splitPrefix.length > 1 && identifier.startsWith(splitPrefix[0])) {
+
+        //Check additional prefixes supported in the config file
+        String[] additionalPrefixes = DSpaceServicesFactory.getInstance().getConfigurationService().getArrayProperty("handle.additional.prefixes");
+        for(String additionalPrefix: additionalPrefixes) {
+            if (identifier.startsWith(additionalPrefix + "/")) {
                 return true;
             }
         }
+
         // otherwise, assume invalid handle
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java
index a52c4fda64..0e2f8b3f57 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/identifier/VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public class VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles extends Ident
             return false;
         }
         // return true if handle has valid starting pattern
-        if (identifier.startsWith(prefix)
+        if (identifier.startsWith(prefix + "/")
                 || identifier.startsWith(canonicalPrefix)
                 || identifier.startsWith("hdl:")
                 || identifier.startsWith("info:hdl")
@@ -83,13 +83,15 @@ public class VersionedHandleIdentifierProviderWithCanonicalHandles extends Ident
         {
             return true;
         }
-        // return true if base prefix matches in case of multi-instance deployment with derived prefixes demarcated by a dot "." 
-        if(prefix.contains(".")) {
-            String[] splitPrefix = prefix.split("\\.");
-            if(splitPrefix.length > 1 && identifier.startsWith(splitPrefix[0])) {
+
+        //Check additional prefixes supported in the config file
+        String[] additionalPrefixes = DSpaceServicesFactory.getInstance().getConfigurationService().getArrayProperty("handle.additional.prefixes");
+        for(String additionalPrefix: additionalPrefixes) {
+            if (identifier.startsWith(additionalPrefix + "/")) {
                 return true;
             }
         }
+
         // otherwise, assume invalid handle
         return false;
     }