diff --git a/hugolib/page__meta.go b/hugolib/page__meta.go
index 3c694ab41..5a27d1913 100644
--- a/hugolib/page__meta.go
+++ b/hugolib/page__meta.go
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ params:
 
 	params["iscjklanguage"] = pcfg.IsCJKLanguage
 
-	if err := pcfg.Validate(false); err != nil {
+	if err := pcfg.Init(false); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl.go b/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl.go
index 72909a40b..6b369567b 100644
--- a/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl.go
+++ b/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl.go
@@ -68,12 +68,9 @@ func (p *pagesFromDataTemplateContext) toPathMap(v any) (string, map[string]any,
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", nil, err
 	}
-	pathv, ok := m["path"]
-	if !ok {
-		return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("path not set")
-	}
-	path, err := cast.ToStringE(pathv)
-	if err != nil || path == "" {
+
+	path, err := cast.ToStringE(m["path"])
+	if err != nil {
 		return "", nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid path %q", path)
 	}
 	return path, m, nil
@@ -99,7 +96,7 @@ func (p *pagesFromDataTemplateContext) AddPage(v any) (string, error) {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	if err := pd.Validate(true); err != nil {
+	if err := pd.Init(true); err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
@@ -336,5 +333,3 @@ func (p *PagesFromTemplate) Execute(ctx context.Context) (BuildInfo, error) {
 
 	return bi, nil
 }
-
-//////////////
diff --git a/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl_integration_test.go b/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl_integration_test.go
index db06fb4a4..ffd0c5f5b 100644
--- a/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl_integration_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/pagesfromdata/pagesfromgotmpl_integration_test.go
@@ -195,14 +195,7 @@ baseURL = "https://example.com"
 		b, err := hugolib.TestE(t, files)
 		b.Assert(err, qt.IsNotNil)
 		b.Assert(err.Error(), qt.Contains, "_content.gotmpl:1:4")
-		b.Assert(err.Error(), qt.Contains, "error calling AddPage: path not set")
-	})
-
-	t.Run("AddPage, path starting with slash", func(t *testing.T) {
-		files := strings.ReplaceAll(filesTemplate, "DICT", `(dict "kind" "page" "title" "p1" "path" "/foo")`)
-		b, err := hugolib.TestE(t, files)
-		b.Assert(err, qt.IsNotNil)
-		b.Assert(err.Error(), qt.Contains, `path "/foo" must not start with a /`)
+		b.Assert(err.Error(), qt.Contains, "error calling AddPage: empty path is reserved for the home page")
 	})
 
 	t.Run("AddPage, lang set", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -233,23 +226,6 @@ baseURL = "https://example.com"
 	})
 }
 
-func TestPagesFromGoTmplAddResourceErrors(t *testing.T) {
-	filesTemplate := `
--- hugo.toml --
-disableKinds = ["taxonomy", "term", "rss", "sitemap"]
-baseURL = "https://example.com"
--- content/docs/_content.gotmpl --
-{{ $.AddResource  DICT }}
-`
-
-	t.Run("missing Path", func(t *testing.T) {
-		files := strings.ReplaceAll(filesTemplate, "DICT", `(dict "name" "r1")`)
-		b, err := hugolib.TestE(t, files)
-		b.Assert(err, qt.IsNotNil)
-		b.Assert(err.Error(), qt.Contains, "error calling AddResource: path not set")
-	})
-}
-
 func TestPagesFromGoTmplEditGoTmpl(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	b := hugolib.TestRunning(t, filesPagesFromDataTempleBasic)
@@ -915,3 +891,21 @@ Title: {{ .Title }}|Content: {{ .Content }}|
 
 	b.AssertFileContent("public/s1/index.html", "Title: baz|")
 }
+
+func TestPagesFromGoTmplHome(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	files := ` 
+-- hugo.toml --
+disableKinds = ["taxonomy", "term", "rss", "sitemap"]
+baseURL = "https://example.com"
+-- layouts/all.html --
+{{ .Kind }}: {{ .Title }}|
+-- content/_content.gotmpl --
+{{ $.AddPage (dict  "title" "My Home!" "kind" "home" ) }}
+
+`
+	b := hugolib.Test(t, files)
+
+	b.AssertFileContent("public/index.html", "home: My Home!|")
+}
diff --git a/resources/page/pagemeta/page_frontmatter.go b/resources/page/pagemeta/page_frontmatter.go
index 9018acb71..5cbef5681 100644
--- a/resources/page/pagemeta/page_frontmatter.go
+++ b/resources/page/pagemeta/page_frontmatter.go
@@ -149,13 +149,12 @@ var DefaultPageConfig = PageConfig{
 	Build: DefaultBuildConfig,
 }
 
-func (p *PageConfig) Validate(pagesFromData bool) error {
+func (p *PageConfig) Init(pagesFromData bool) error {
 	if pagesFromData {
-		if p.Path == "" {
-			return errors.New("path must be set")
-		}
-		if strings.HasPrefix(p.Path, "/") {
-			return fmt.Errorf("path %q must not start with a /", p.Path)
+		p.Path = strings.TrimPrefix(p.Path, "/")
+
+		if p.Path == "" && p.Kind != kinds.KindHome {
+			return fmt.Errorf("empty path is reserved for the home page")
 		}
 		if p.Lang != "" {
 			return errors.New("lang must not be set")
@@ -295,9 +294,6 @@ type ResourceConfig struct {
 }
 
 func (rc *ResourceConfig) Validate() error {
-	if rc.Path == "" {
-		return errors.New("path must be set")
-	}
 	if rc.Content.Markup != "" {
 		return errors.New("markup must not be set, use mediaType")
 	}