diff --git a/config/versioncontrol.tcsh b/config/versioncontrol.tcsh
index a104b00..50df34f 100644
--- a/config/versioncontrol.tcsh
+++ b/config/versioncontrol.tcsh
@@ -61,5 +61,5 @@ alias	cvsdeath 'find . -name CVS -print -prune -exec rm -r {} \;'
 # then "git fetch <nick>" and view with "gdifR <nick>"
 alias	gdifR	'git diff master..\!:1/master |& difvu -'
 # to merge all the changes, use "gmergR <nick>"
-alias	gmergR	'git git merge -s resolve \!:1/master'
+alias	gmergR	'git merge -s resolve \!:1/master'
 
diff --git a/world/drivers/ldmud/library/library.c b/world/drivers/ldmud/library/library.c
index 8f08186..94f6fde 100644
--- a/world/drivers/ldmud/library/library.c
+++ b/world/drivers/ldmud/library/library.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ inherit PRO_PATH "http/library2";
 # ifdef SANDBOX
 inherit NET_PATH "library/sandbox";
 # endif
-inherit NET_PATH "library/base64";
 inherit NET_PATH "library/hmac";
 inherit NET_PATH "library/dns";
 inherit NET_PATH "library/htbasics";
diff --git a/world/net/http/fetch.c b/world/net/http/fetch.c
index e72338e..8b17dff 100644
--- a/world/net/http/fetch.c
+++ b/world/net/http/fetch.c
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@ inherit NET_PATH "queue2";
 inherit NET_PATH "queue";
 #endif
 
+// additional headers. we keep them lower-case to ensure we have no
+// double items in there. HTTP ignores case by spec.
+volatile mapping rheaders = ([ "user-agent": SERVER_VERSION ]);
+
 volatile mapping headers, fheaders;
-volatile mapping rheaders = (["User-Agent": SERVER_VERSION]);
 volatile string http_message;
 volatile int http_status, port, fetching, ssl;
 volatile string buffer, thehost, url, fetched, host, resource, method;
@@ -59,10 +62,10 @@ varargs void fetch(string murl, string meth, mixed body, mapping hdrs) {
 object load() { return ME; }
 
 void sAuth(string user, string password) {
-	rheaders["Authorization"] = "Basic " + encode_base64(user +":"+ password);
+	rheaders["authorization"] = "basic "+ encode_base64(user +":"+ password);
 }
 
-string sAgent(string a) { return rheaders["User-Agent"] = a; }
+string sAgent(string a) { return rheaders["user-agent"] = a; }
 
 // net/place/news code follows.
 
@@ -76,13 +79,15 @@ void connect() {
 			P0(("%O couldn't parse %O\n", ME, url))
 			return 0;
 		}
-		thehost = lower_case(thehost);
+		//thehost = lower_case(thehost); // why? who needs that?
 		ssl = t == "s";
 	}
 	P4(("URL, THEHOST: %O, %O\n", url, thehost))
-	unless (port) 
-	    unless (sscanf(thehost, "%s:%d", thehost, port) == 2)
-		port = ssl? HTTPS_SERVICE: HTTP_SERVICE;
+	unless (port) {
+		unless (sscanf(thehost, "%s:%d", thehost, port) == 2)
+		    port = ssl? HTTPS_SERVICE: HTTP_SERVICE;
+		rheaders["host"] = thehost;
+	}
 	P2(("Resolving %O and connecting.\n", thehost))
 	::connect(thehost, port);
 }
@@ -103,10 +108,10 @@ varargs int real_logon(int failure) {
 	    body = rbody;
 	} else if (mappingp(rbody) && sizeof(rbody)) {
 	    body = make_query_string(rbody);
-	    unless (rheaders["Content-Type"])
-		rheaders["Content-Type"] = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
+	    unless (rheaders["content-type"])
+		rheaders["content-type"] = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
 	}
-	if (strlen(body)) rheaders["Content-Length"] = strlen(body);
+	if (strlen(body)) rheaders["content-length"] = strlen(body);
 
 	buffer = "";
 	foreach (string key, string value : rheaders) {
@@ -118,8 +123,7 @@ varargs int real_logon(int failure) {
 	P2(("%O fetching /%s from %O\n", ME, resource, host))
 	P4(("%O using %O\n", ME, buffer))
 	emit(method + " /"+ resource +" HTTP/1.0\r\n"
-		 "Host: "+ host +"\r\n"
-		 + buffer + "\r\n" + body);
+	     + buffer + "\r\n" + body);
 
 	buffer = "";
 	next_input_to(#'parse_status);
@@ -189,9 +193,9 @@ disconnected(remainder) {
 	P2(("%O got disconnected.. %O\n", ME, remainder))
 	headers["_fetchtime"] = isotime(ctime(time()), 1);
 	if (headers["last-modified"])
-	    rheaders["If-Modified-Since"] = headers["last-modified"];
+	    rheaders["if-modified-since"] = headers["last-modified"];
 	//if (headers["etag"])
-	//    rheaders["If-None-Match"] = headers["etag"]; // heise does not work with etag
+	//    rheaders["if-none-match"] = headers["etag"]; // heise does not work with etag
 
 	fetched = buffer;
 	if (remainder) fetched += remainder;
@@ -240,11 +244,11 @@ string qHeader(mixed key) {
 }
 
 string qReqHeader(string key) {
-	return rheaders[key];
+	return rheaders[lower_case(key)];
 }
 
 void sReqHeader(string key, string value) {
-	rheaders[key] = value;
+	rheaders[lower_case(key)] = value;
 }
 
 varargs void refetch(closure cb, int willbehave) {
@@ -252,12 +256,7 @@ varargs void refetch(closure cb, int willbehave) {
 	unless (fetching) connect();
 }
 
-void reset() {
-	fetched = 0;
+protected create() {
 	qCreate();
 	qInit(ME, 150, 5);
 }
-
-protected create() {
-	reset();
-}
diff --git a/world/net/http/library.i b/world/net/http/library.i
index fc173b4..424734f 100644
--- a/world/net/http/library.i
+++ b/world/net/http/library.i
@@ -134,18 +134,15 @@ string urldecode(string txt) {
 	return txt;
 }
 
-static string xx2c(string xx) {
-    string c = " ";
-    c[0] = hex2int(xx);
-    return c;
-}
-
+#if 0	// inline this instead, see below
 static string c2xx(string c) {
-    return "%" + upper_case(sprintf("%x", c[0]));
+    return "%"+ upper_case(sprintf("%x", c[0]));
 }
+#endif
 
 string urlencode(string txt) {
-    return regreplace(txt, "[^A-Za-z0-9._~-]", #'c2xx, 1);
+    return regreplace(txt, "[^A-Za-z0-9._~-]", (:
+		"%"+ upper_case(sprintf("%x", $1[0])) :), 1);
 }
 
 #ifndef DEFAULT_HT_TYPE
@@ -192,7 +189,7 @@ default:
     return 0;
 }
 
-mapping parse_query(mapping query, string qs) {
+mapping url_parse_query(mapping query, string qs) {
     foreach (string pair : explode(qs, "&")) {
 	string key, val;
 
diff --git a/world/net/http/oauth.c b/world/net/http/oauth.c
index 5aaca48..d418c88 100644
--- a/world/net/http/oauth.c
+++ b/world/net/http/oauth.c
@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@ varargs void fetch(object ua, string url, string method, mapping get, mapping po
     foreach (string key, string value : oauth)
 	p += (strlen(p) ? "," : "") + key + "=\"" + urlencode(to_string(value)) + "\"";
 
-    ua->fetch(url, method, post, (["Authorization": "OAuth " + p]));
+    ua->fetch(url, method, post, (["authorization": "OAuth " + p]));
 }
 
 void parse_request_token(string body, mapping headers) {
     P3((">> oauth:parse_request_token(%O, %O)\n", body, headers))
     request_params = ([]);
-    parse_query(request_params, body);
+    url_parse_query(request_params, body);
     if (strlen(request_params["oauth_token"]) && strlen(request_params["oauth_token_secret"])) {
 	shared_memory("oauth_request_tokens")[request_params["oauth_token"]] = ME;
 	sendmsg(user, "_notice_oauth_authorize_url", "Open [_url] to perform authorization.",
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void parse_request_token(string body, mapping headers) {
 void parse_access_token(string body, mapping headers) {
     P3((">> oauth:parse_access_token(%O, %O)\n", body, headers))
     access_params = ([]);
-    parse_query(access_params, body);
+    url_parse_query(access_params, body);
     if (strlen(access_params["oauth_token"]) && strlen(access_params["oauth_token_secret"])) {
 	sendmsg(user, "_notice_oauth_success", "OAuth successful.");
     } else {
diff --git a/world/net/http/server.c b/world/net/http/server.c
index 847ceed..3bbde54 100644
--- a/world/net/http/server.c
+++ b/world/net/http/server.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ process() {
     P4(("found cookie: %O\n", t))
     if (t && sscanf(t, "psyced=\"%s\"", t)) {
 	P3(("got cookie: %O\n", t))
-	query = parse_query(query, t);
+	query = url_parse_query(query, t);
 	P4(("parsed cookie: %O\n", query))
     }
 #ifdef GENERIC_COOKIES	// we might need them someday..?
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ process() {
 #endif
     if (sscanf(url, "%s?%s", file, qs)) {
 	P3(("got query: %O\n", qs))
-	query = parse_query(query, qs);
+	query = url_parse_query(query, qs);
     } else {
 	file = url;
     }
diff --git a/world/net/library/hmac.c b/world/net/library/hmac.c
index b319439..881756b 100644
--- a/world/net/library/hmac.c
+++ b/world/net/library/hmac.c
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
-#include <net.h>
+#include "base64.c"
 
-inherit NET_PATH "library/base64";
-
-#include HTTP_PATH "library.i"
+#if 0 // inline this (see below)
+static string xx2c(string xx) {
+    string c = " ";
+    c[0] = hex2int(xx);
+    return c;
+}
+#endif
 
 string hmac_bin(int method, string key, string arg) {
-    return regreplace(hmac(method, key, arg), "..", #'xx2c, 1); //'
+    string c = " ";
+    return regreplace(hmac(method, key, arg), "..", (:
+	    c[0] = hex2int($1);
+	    return c;
+						    :), 1);
 }
 
 string hmac_base64(int method, string key, string arg) {