diff --git a/dlt/sources/helpers/rest_client/paginators.py b/dlt/sources/helpers/rest_client/paginators.py
index c098ea667f..48dfdf6e4f 100644
--- a/dlt/sources/helpers/rest_client/paginators.py
+++ b/dlt/sources/helpers/rest_client/paginators.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from typing import Optional
+from urllib.parse import urlparse, urljoin
 
 from dlt.sources.helpers.requests import Response, Request
 from dlt.common import jsonpath
@@ -102,6 +103,12 @@ def update_request(self, request: Request) -> None:
 
 class BaseNextUrlPaginator(BasePaginator):
     def update_request(self, request: Request) -> None:
+        # Handle relative URLs
+        if self.next_reference:
+            parsed_url = urlparse(self.next_reference)
+            if not parsed_url.scheme:
+                self.next_reference = urljoin(request.url, self.next_reference)
+
         request.url = self.next_reference
 
 
diff --git a/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_client.py b/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_client.py
index 7a4c55f9a6..88653efefe 100644
--- a/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_client.py
@@ -74,6 +74,23 @@ def test_default_paginator(self, rest_client: RESTClient):
 
         assert_pagination(pages)
 
+    def test_excplicit_paginator(self, rest_client: RESTClient):
+        pages_iter = rest_client.paginate(
+            "/posts", paginator=JSONResponsePaginator(next_url_path="next_page")
+        )
+        pages = list(pages_iter)
+
+        assert_pagination(pages)
+
+    def test_excplicit_paginator_relative_next_url(self, rest_client: RESTClient):
+        pages_iter = rest_client.paginate(
+            "/posts_relative_next_url",
+            paginator=JSONResponsePaginator(next_url_path="next_page"),
+        )
+        pages = list(pages_iter)
+
+        assert_pagination(pages)
+
     def test_paginate_with_hooks(self, rest_client: RESTClient):
         def response_hook(response: Response, *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
             if response.status_code == 404:
diff --git a/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_paginators.py b/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_paginators.py
index 64cfb8a9e2..bd38a2e421 100644
--- a/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_paginators.py
+++ b/tests/sources/helpers/rest_client/test_paginators.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from requests.models import Response
+from requests.models import Response, Request
 
 from dlt.sources.helpers.rest_client.paginators import (
     SinglePagePaginator,
@@ -89,6 +89,73 @@ def test_update_state(self, test_case):
         assert paginator.next_reference == test_case["expected"]["next_reference"]
         assert paginator.has_next_page == test_case["expected"]["has_next_page"]
 
+    # Test update_request from BaseNextUrlPaginator
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "test_case",
+        [
+            # Test with absolute URL
+            {
+                "next_reference": "http://example.com/api/resource?page=2",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com/api/resource",
+                "expected": "http://example.com/api/resource?page=2",
+            },
+            # Test with relative URL
+            {
+                "next_reference": "/api/resource?page=2",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com/api/resource",
+                "expected": "http://example.com/api/resource?page=2",
+            },
+            # Test with more nested path
+            {
+                "next_reference": "/api/resource/subresource?page=3&sort=desc",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com/api/resource/subresource",
+                "expected": "http://example.com/api/resource/subresource?page=3&sort=desc",
+            },
+            # Test with 'page' in path
+            {
+                "next_reference": "/api/page/4/items?filter=active",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com/api/page/3/items",
+                "expected": "http://example.com/api/page/4/items?filter=active",
+            },
+            # Test with complex query parameters
+            {
+                "next_reference": "/api/resource?page=3&category=books&sort=author",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com/api/resource?page=2",
+                "expected": "http://example.com/api/resource?page=3&category=books&sort=author",
+            },
+            # Test with URL having port number
+            {
+                "next_reference": "/api/resource?page=2",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com:8080/api/resource",
+                "expected": "http://example.com:8080/api/resource?page=2",
+            },
+            # Test with HTTPS protocol
+            {
+                "next_reference": "https://secure.example.com/api/resource?page=2",
+                "request_url": "https://secure.example.com/api/resource",
+                "expected": "https://secure.example.com/api/resource?page=2",
+            },
+            # Test with encoded characters in URL
+            {
+                "next_reference": "/api/resource?page=2&query=%E3%81%82",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com/api/resource",
+                "expected": "http://example.com/api/resource?page=2&query=%E3%81%82",
+            },
+            # Test with missing 'page' parameter in next_reference
+            {
+                "next_reference": "/api/resource?sort=asc",
+                "request_url": "http://example.com/api/resource?page=1",
+                "expected": "http://example.com/api/resource?sort=asc",
+            },
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_update_request(self, test_case):
+        paginator = JSONResponsePaginator()
+        paginator.next_reference = test_case["next_reference"]
+        request = Mock(Request, url=test_case["request_url"])
+        paginator.update_request(request)
+        assert request.url == test_case["expected"]
+
 
 class TestSinglePagePaginator:
     def test_update_state(self):