diff --git a/lib/container_registry/path.rb b/lib/container_registry/path.rb
index 6e8d62b77c7..f76c6489381 100644
--- a/lib/container_registry/path.rb
+++ b/lib/container_registry/path.rb
@@ -14,24 +14,23 @@ module ContainerRegistry
 
     def initialize(path)
       @path = path
-      @nodes = path.to_s.split('/')
-    end
-
-    def to_s
-      @path
     end
 
     def valid?
       @path =~ Gitlab::Regex.container_repository_name_regex &&
-        @nodes.size > 1 &&
-        @nodes.size < Namespace::NUMBER_OF_ANCESTORS_ALLOWED
+        nodes.size > 1 &&
+        nodes.size < Namespace::NUMBER_OF_ANCESTORS_ALLOWED
+    end
+
+    def nodes
+      @nodes ||= @path.to_s.split('/')
     end
 
     def components
       raise InvalidRegistryPathError unless valid?
 
-      @components ||= @nodes.size.downto(2).map do |length|
-        @nodes.take(length).join('/')
+      @components ||= nodes.size.downto(2).map do |length|
+        nodes.take(length).join('/')
       end
     end
 
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ module ContainerRegistry
     end
 
     def repository_project
-      @project ||= Project.where_full_path_in(components.first(3))&.first
+      @project ||= Project.where_full_path_in(components.first(3)).first
     end
 
     def repository_name
@@ -59,5 +58,9 @@ module ContainerRegistry
 
       @path.remove(%r(^?#{Regexp.escape(repository_project.full_path)}/?))
     end
+
+    def to_s
+      @path
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/lib/container_registry/path_spec.rb b/spec/lib/container_registry/path_spec.rb
index 1973da65f0a..825c61beeb3 100644
--- a/spec/lib/container_registry/path_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/container_registry/path_spec.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,14 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 describe ContainerRegistry::Path do
   subject { described_class.new(path) }
 
+  describe '#nodes' do
+    let(:path) { 'path/to/some/project' }
+
+    it 'splits elements by a forward slash' do
+      expect(subject.nodes).to eq %w[path to some project]
+    end
+  end
+
   describe '#components' do
     context 'when repository path is valid' do
       let(:path) { 'path/to/some/project' }