diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.h b/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.h
index 869282e..62a64bf 100755
--- a/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.h
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.h
@@ -239,10 +239,10 @@ typedef enum {
 /**
  Creates an `NSMutableURLRequest` object with the specified HTTP method and path.
  
- If the HTTP method is `GET`, the parameters will be used to construct a url-encoded query string that is appended to the request's URL. Otherwise, the parameters will be encoded according to the value of the `parameterEncoding` property, and set as the request body.
+ If the HTTP method is `GET`, `HEAD`, or `DELETE`, the parameters will be used to construct a url-encoded query string that is appended to the request's URL. Otherwise, the parameters will be encoded according to the value of the `parameterEncoding` property, and set as the request body.
  
- @param method The HTTP method for the request, such as `GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, or `DELETE`.
- @param path The path to be appended to the HTTP client's base URL and used as the request URL.
+ @param method The HTTP method for the request, such as `GET`, `POST`, `PUT`, or `DELETE`. This parameter must not be `nil`.
+ @param path The path to be appended to the HTTP client's base URL and used as the request URL. If `nil`, no path will be appended to the base URL.
  @param parameters The parameters to be either set as a query string for `GET` requests, or the request HTTP body.
   
  @return An `NSMutableURLRequest` object 
diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m b/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m
index 81745ce..bf6da78 100755
--- a/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFHTTPClient.m
@@ -423,6 +423,12 @@ static void AFNetworkReachabilityReleaseCallback(const void *info) {}
                                       path:(NSString *)path
                                 parameters:(NSDictionary *)parameters
 {
+    NSCParameterAssert(method);
+    
+    if (!path) {
+        path = @"";
+    }
+    
     NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:path relativeToURL:self.baseURL];
 	NSMutableURLRequest *request = [[NSMutableURLRequest alloc] initWithURL:url];
     [request setHTTPMethod:method];