diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.cpp b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
index 6b358b7b..56c3aa06 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <stack>
 #include <set>
 #include <vector>
+#include <regex>
 
 #include "pathut.h"
 #include "smallut.h"
@@ -761,6 +762,96 @@ bool urlisfileurl(const string& url)
     return url.find("file://") == 0;
 }
 
+static std::regex
+re_uriparse("^(([^:/?#]+):)?(//([^/?#]*))?([^?#]*)(\\?([^#]*))?(#(.*))?",
+            std::regex::extended);
+
+ParsedUri::ParsedUri(std::string uri)
+{
+    std::smatch mr;
+    parsed = regex_match(uri, mr, re_uriparse);
+    if (!parsed)
+        return;
+    // cf http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2396.txt
+    // scheme    = $2
+    // authority = $4
+    // path      = $5
+    // query     = $7
+    // fragment  = $9
+    if (mr[2].matched) {
+        scheme = mr[2].str();
+    }
+    if (mr[4].matched) {
+        string auth = mr[4].str();
+        // user:pass@host, user@host
+        string::size_type at = auth.find_first_of('@');
+        if (at != string::npos) {
+            host = auth.substr(at+1);
+            string::size_type colon = auth.find_first_of(':');
+            if (colon != string::npos && colon < at) {
+                user = auth.substr(0, colon);
+                pass = auth.substr(colon+1, at-colon-1);
+            } else {
+                user = auth.substr(0, at);
+            }
+        } else {
+            host.swap(auth);
+        }
+        string::size_type pc = host.find_first_of(':');
+        if (pc != string::npos) {
+            port = host.substr(pc+1);
+            host = host.substr(0, pc);
+        }
+    }
+    if (mr[5].matched) {
+        path = mr[5].str();
+    }
+    if (mr[7].matched) {
+        query = mr[7].str();
+        string::size_type pos=0, amp, eq;
+        string nm, val;
+        for (;;) {
+            nm.clear();
+            val.clear();
+            amp = query.find_first_of('&', pos);
+            //cerr << "pos " << pos << " amp " << amp << endl;
+            if (amp > pos && amp != string::npos) {
+                eq = query.find_first_of('=', pos);
+                if (eq > amp || eq == string::npos) {
+                    nm = query.substr(pos, amp-pos);
+                } else {
+                    nm = query.substr(pos, eq-pos);
+                    val = query.substr(eq+1, amp-eq-1);
+                }
+                pos = amp + 1;
+            } else if (amp == string::npos) {
+                if (pos < query.size()-1) {
+                    eq = query.find_first_of('=', pos);
+                    if (eq == string::npos) {
+                        nm = query.substr(pos);
+                    } else {
+                        nm = query.substr(pos, eq-pos);
+                        val = query.substr(eq+1);
+                    }
+                }
+                pos = query.size()-1;
+            } else {
+                pos++;
+            }
+            if (!nm.empty()) {
+                parsedquery.push_back(pair<string,string>(nm, val));
+            }
+            if (pos >= query.size()-1) {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        
+    }
+    if (mr[9].matched) {
+        fragment = mr[9].str();
+    }
+}
+
 bool readdir(const string& dir, string& reason, set<string>& entries)
 {
     struct stat st;
diff --git a/src/utils/pathut.h b/src/utils/pathut.h
index d3586589..1ab6b12f 100644
--- a/src/utils/pathut.h
+++ b/src/utils/pathut.h
@@ -120,6 +120,22 @@ extern bool path_isdesc(const std::string& top, const std::string& sub);
 /// Turn absolute path into file:// url
 extern std::string path_pathtofileurl(const std::string& path);
 
+/// URI parser, loosely from rfc2396.txt
+class ParsedUri {
+public:
+    ParsedUri(std::string uri);
+    bool parsed{false};
+    std::string scheme;
+    std::string user;
+    std::string pass;
+    std::string host;
+    std::string port;
+    std::string path;
+    std::string query;
+    std::vector<std::pair<std::string,std::string>> parsedquery;
+    std::string fragment;
+};
+
 #ifdef _WIN32
 /// Convert \ separators to /
 void path_slashize(std::string& s);