diff --git a/vertx-web-api-contract/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/api/validation/impl/BaseValidationHandler.java b/vertx-web-api-contract/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/api/validation/impl/BaseValidationHandler.java
index 2642df07b5..e0d26e36b2 100644
--- a/vertx-web-api-contract/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/api/validation/impl/BaseValidationHandler.java
+++ b/vertx-web-api-contract/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/api/validation/impl/BaseValidationHandler.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ private Map<String, RequestParameter> validatePathParams(RoutingContext routingC
 
     for (ParameterValidationRule rule : pathParamsRules.values()) {
       String name = rule.getName();
-      if (routingContext.hasPathParam(name)) {
+      if (name != null) {
         String pathParam = routingContext.pathParam(name);
         if (pathParam != null || !rule.isOptional() ) {
             RequestParameter parsedParam = rule.validateSingleParam(pathParam);
diff --git a/vertx-web-validation/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/validation/impl/ValidationHandlerImpl.java b/vertx-web-validation/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/validation/impl/ValidationHandlerImpl.java
index 62cb707937..751d5e31ed 100644
--- a/vertx-web-validation/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/validation/impl/ValidationHandlerImpl.java
+++ b/vertx-web-validation/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/validation/impl/ValidationHandlerImpl.java
@@ -187,8 +187,12 @@ private void runPredicates(RoutingContext context) throws BadRequestException {
 
   private Future<Map<String, RequestParameter>> validatePathParams(RoutingContext routingContext) {
     // Validation process validate only params that are registered in the validation -> extra params are allowed
-    Map<String, List<String>> pathParams = new HashMap<>();
-    routingContext.forEachPathParam((name, params) -> pathParams.put(name, Collections.singletonList(params)));
+    Map<String, List<String>> pathParams = routingContext
+      .pathParams()
+      .entrySet()
+      .stream()
+      .map(e -> new SimpleImmutableEntry<>(e.getKey(), Collections.singletonList(e.getValue())))
+      .collect(Collectors.toMap(Map.Entry::getKey, Map.Entry::getValue));
 
     Map<String, RequestParameter> parsedParams = new HashMap<>();
 
diff --git a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RoutingContext.java b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RoutingContext.java
index c6149bd490..782a13eda8 100644
--- a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RoutingContext.java
+++ b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RoutingContext.java
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 import java.time.Instant;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.function.BiConsumer;
 
 import static io.vertx.codegen.annotations.GenIgnore.PERMITTED_TYPE;
 
@@ -614,11 +613,10 @@ default LanguageHeader preferredLanguage() {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Returns a map of named parameters as defined in path declaration with their actual values
-   *
-   * @return the map of named parameters
+   * Add a new one or replace an existing path parameter
+   * @throws NullPointerException when the name or value is null
    */
-  Map<String, String> pathParams();
+  void addOrReplacePathParam(String name, String value);
 
   /**
    * Remove a path parameter
@@ -627,16 +625,11 @@ default LanguageHeader preferredLanguage() {
   boolean removePathParam(String s);
 
   /**
-   * Iterate over all the path parameters
+   * Returns an unmodifiable map of named parameters as defined in path declaration with their actual values
    *
-   * @param pathParamsConsumer the consumer for each path parameter
-   */
-  void forEachPathParam(BiConsumer<String, String> pathParamsConsumer);
-
-  /**
-   * @return {@code true} if the context has a path parameter with the specified {@code name}, {@code false} otherwise.
+   * @return the map of named parameters
    */
-  boolean hasPathParam(String name);
+  Map<String, String> pathParams();
 
   /**
    * Gets the value of a single path parameter
diff --git a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RouteState.java b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RouteState.java
index 5febac4c9a..736e9d8800 100644
--- a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RouteState.java
+++ b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RouteState.java
@@ -1030,8 +1030,7 @@ public int matches(RoutingContextImplBase context, String mountPoint, boolean fa
           if (!exactPath) {
             context.matchRest = m.start("rest");
             // always replace
-            context.pathParams()
-              .put("*", path.substring(context.matchRest));
+            context.addOrReplacePathParam("*", path.substring(context.matchRest));
           }
 
           if (!isEmpty(groups)) {
@@ -1162,8 +1161,7 @@ private boolean pathMatches(String mountPoint, RoutingContext ctx) {
 
     if (exactPath) {
       // exact path has no "rest"
-      ctx.pathParams()
-        .remove("*");
+      ctx.removePathParam("*");
 
       return pathMatchesExact(thePath, requestPath, pathEndsWithSlash);
     } else {
@@ -1184,8 +1182,7 @@ private boolean pathMatches(String mountPoint, RoutingContext ctx) {
           // because the mount path ended with a wildcard we are relaxed in the check
           if (thePath.regionMatches(0, requestPath, 0, pathLen - 1)) {
             // handle the "rest" as path param *, always known to be empty
-            ctx.pathParams()
-              .put("*", "/");
+            ctx.addOrReplacePathParam("*", "/");
             return true;
           }
         }
@@ -1193,8 +1190,8 @@ private boolean pathMatches(String mountPoint, RoutingContext ctx) {
 
       if (requestPath.startsWith(thePath)) {
         // handle the "rest" as path param *
-        ctx.pathParams()
-          .put("*", URIDecoder.decodeURIComponent(requestPath.substring(thePath.length()), false));
+        ctx.addOrReplacePathParam("*",
+          URIDecoder.decodeURIComponent(requestPath.substring(thePath.length()), false));
         return true;
       }
       return false;
@@ -1267,7 +1264,7 @@ private void addPathParam(RoutingContext context, String name, String value) {
     if (!request.params().contains(name)) {
       request.params().add(name, decodedValue);
     }
-    context.pathParams().put(name, decodedValue);
+    context.addOrReplacePathParam(name, decodedValue);
   }
 
   boolean hasNextContextHandler(RoutingContextImplBase context) {
diff --git a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextDecorator.java b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextDecorator.java
index b598376fdb..a88caaa08a 100644
--- a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextDecorator.java
+++ b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextDecorator.java
@@ -254,6 +254,16 @@ public void reroute(HttpMethod method, String path) {
     decoratedContext.reroute(method, path);
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public void addOrReplacePathParam(String name, String value) {
+    decoratedContext.addOrReplacePathParam(name, value);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean removePathParam(String s) {
+    return decoratedContext.removePathParam(s);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public Map<String, String> pathParams() {
     return decoratedContext.pathParams();
diff --git a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextImpl.java b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextImpl.java
index 44a64f5a7e..2cc4e7238d 100644
--- a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextImpl.java
+++ b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextImpl.java
@@ -441,28 +441,40 @@ public void reroute(HttpMethod method, String path) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void forEachPathParam(final BiConsumer<String, String> pathParamsConsumer) {
-    if (pathParams != null) {
-      pathParams.forEach(pathParamsConsumer);
-    }
+  public void addOrReplacePathParam(final String name, final String value) {
+    Objects.requireNonNull(name, "name");
+    Objects.requireNonNull(value, "value");
+    getOrCreatePathParams().put(name, value);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public boolean hasPathParam(final String name) {
-    if (pathParams != null) {
-      return pathParams.containsKey(name);
+  public Map<String, String> pathParams() {
+    if (pathParams == null || pathParams.isEmpty()) {
+      return Collections.emptyMap();
     }
-    return false;
+    return Collections.unmodifiableMap(pathParams);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Map<String, String> pathParams() {
-    return getPathParams();
+  public boolean removePathParam(String s) {
+    if (s == null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    if (pathParams != null) {
+      return pathParams.remove(s) != null;
+    }
+    return false;
   }
 
   @Override
   public @Nullable String pathParam(String name) {
-    return getPathParams().get(name);
+    if (name == null) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    if (pathParams != null) {
+      return pathParams.get(name);
+    }
+    return null;
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -506,9 +518,10 @@ private MultiMap getQueryParams(Charset charset) {
     return queryParams;
   }
 
-  private Map<String, String> getPathParams() {
+  private Map<String, String> getOrCreatePathParams() {
     if (pathParams == null) {
-      pathParams = new HashMap<>();
+      // let's start small
+      pathParams = new HashMap<>(1);
     }
     return pathParams;
   }
diff --git a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextWrapper.java b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextWrapper.java
index 0836bb6eea..256857e3be 100644
--- a/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextWrapper.java
+++ b/vertx-web/src/main/java/io/vertx/ext/web/impl/RoutingContextWrapper.java
@@ -310,18 +310,18 @@ public void reroute(HttpMethod method, String path) {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Map<String, String> pathParams() {
-    return inner.pathParams();
+  public void addOrReplacePathParam(final String name, final String value) {
+    inner.addOrReplacePathParam(name, value);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public boolean hasPathParam(final String name) {
-    return inner.hasPathParam(name);
+  public boolean removePathParam(final String s) {
+    return inner.removePathParam(s);
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void forEachPathParam(final BiConsumer<String, String> pathParamsConsumer) {
-    inner.forEachPathParam(pathParamsConsumer);
+  public Map<String, String> pathParams() {
+    return inner.pathParams();
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/vertx-web/src/test/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RouterTest.java b/vertx-web/src/test/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RouterTest.java
index 9310f91695..ae982dd734 100644
--- a/vertx-web/src/test/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RouterTest.java
+++ b/vertx-web/src/test/java/io/vertx/ext/web/RouterTest.java
@@ -863,8 +863,7 @@ public void testPercentEncoding() throws Exception {
   @Test
   public void testPathParamsAreFulfilled() throws Exception {
     router.route("/blah/:abc/quux/:def/eep/:ghi").handler(rc -> {
-      Map<String, String> params = rc.pathParams();
-      rc.response().setStatusMessage(params.get("abc") + params.get("def") + params.get("ghi")).end();
+      rc.response().setStatusMessage(rc.pathParam("abc") + rc.pathParam("def") + rc.pathParam("ghi")).end();
     });
     testPattern("/blah/tim/quux/julien/eep/nick", "timjuliennick");
   }
@@ -877,11 +876,10 @@ public void testPathParamsDoesNotOverrideQueryParam() throws Exception {
     final String queryParamValue2 = "queryParamValue2";
     final String sep = ",";
     router.route("/blah/:" + paramName + "/test").handler(rc -> {
-      Map<String, String> params = rc.pathParams();
       MultiMap queryParams = rc.request().params();
       List<String> values = queryParams.getAll(paramName);
       String qValue = values.stream().collect(Collectors.joining(sep));
-      rc.response().setStatusMessage(params.get(paramName) + "|" + qValue).end();
+      rc.response().setStatusMessage(rc.pathParam(paramName) + "|" + qValue).end();
     });
     testRequest(HttpMethod.GET,
       "/blah/" + pathParamValue + "/test?" + paramName + "=" + queryParamValue1 + "&" + paramName + "=" + queryParamValue2,