diff --git a/extensions/adblock.c b/extensions/adblock.c
index 6e8b3f7f..c76ddba7 100644
--- a/extensions/adblock.c
+++ b/extensions/adblock.c
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ adblock_preferences_renderer_toggle_toggled_cb (GtkCellRendererToggle* renderer,
             ADBLOCK_FILTER_SET (filter, TRUE);
             if (gtk_cell_renderer_toggle_get_active (renderer))
             {
-                if (!strncmp (filter, "http", 4))
+                if (midori_uri_is_http (filter))
                 {
                     gchar* filename = adblock_get_filename_for_uri (filter);
                     g_unlink (filename);
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ adblock_resource_request_starting_cb (WebKitWebView*         web_view,
 
     page_uri = webkit_web_view_get_uri (web_view);
     /* Skip checks on about: pages */
-    if (!(page_uri && *page_uri) || !strncmp (page_uri, "about:", 6))
+    if (midori_uri_is_blank (page_uri))
         return;
 
     /* Never filter the main page itself */
@@ -935,7 +935,7 @@ adblock_window_object_cleared_cb (WebKitWebView*  web_view,
 
     page_uri = webkit_web_view_get_uri (web_view);
     /* Don't add adblock css into speeddial and about: pages */
-    if (!(page_uri && *page_uri) || !strncmp (page_uri, "about:", 6))
+    if (midori_uri_is_blank (page_uri))
         return;
 
     g_free (sokoke_js_script_eval (js_context, blockscript, NULL));
diff --git a/extensions/colorful-tabs.c b/extensions/colorful-tabs.c
index f8a47fb1..672797e6 100644
--- a/extensions/colorful-tabs.c
+++ b/extensions/colorful-tabs.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ colorful_tabs_view_notify_uri_cb (MidoriView*      view,
                                   MidoriExtension* extension)
 {
     GtkWidget* label;
-    SoupURI* uri;
+    gchar* hostname;
     gchar* colorstr;
     GdkColor color;
     GdkColor fgcolor;
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ colorful_tabs_view_notify_uri_cb (MidoriView*      view,
 
     label = midori_view_get_proxy_tab_label (view);
 
-    if ((uri = soup_uri_new (midori_view_get_display_uri (view)))
-      && uri->host && (katze_object_get_enum (view, "load-status") == MIDORI_LOAD_FINISHED))
+    if ((hostname = midori_uri_parse (midori_view_get_display_uri (view), NULL))
+      && katze_object_get_enum (view, "load-status") == MIDORI_LOAD_FINISHED)
     {
         icon = midori_view_get_icon (view);
 
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@ colorful_tabs_view_notify_uri_cb (MidoriView*      view,
         }
         else
         {
-            gchar* hash = g_compute_checksum_for_string (G_CHECKSUM_MD5, uri->host, 1);
+            gchar* hash = g_compute_checksum_for_string (G_CHECKSUM_MD5, hostname, 1);
             colorstr = g_strndup (hash, 6 + 1);
             g_free (hash);
             colorstr[0] = '#';
             gdk_color_parse (colorstr, &color);
         }
-        soup_uri_free (uri);
+        g_free (hostname);
 
         if ((color.red   < 35000)
          && (color.green < 35000)
diff --git a/extensions/web-cache.c b/extensions/web-cache.c
index b038db8f..1980d53d 100644
--- a/extensions/web-cache.c
+++ b/extensions/web-cache.c
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ web_cache_session_request_queued_cb (SoupSession*     session,
     SoupURI* soup_uri = soup_message_get_uri (msg);
     gchar* uri = soup_uri_to_string (soup_uri, FALSE);
 
-    if (uri && g_str_has_prefix (uri, "http") && !g_strcmp0 (msg->method, "GET"))
+    if (midori_uri_is_http (uri) && !g_strcmp0 (msg->method, "GET"))
     {
         gchar* filename = web_cache_get_cached_path (extension, uri);
         GHashTable* cache_headers;
diff --git a/katze/katze-net.c b/katze/katze-net.c
index 6bb457eb..f873d08c 100644
--- a/katze/katze-net.c
+++ b/katze/katze-net.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "katze-net.h"
+#include "midori-core.h"
 
 #include <glib/gstdio.h>
 #include <libsoup/soup.h>
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ katze_net_load_uri (KatzeNet*          net,
     priv->user_data = user_data;
     priv->request = request;
 
-    if (g_str_has_prefix (uri, "http://") || g_str_has_prefix (uri, "https://"))
+    if (midori_uri_is_http (uri))
     {
         msg = soup_message_new ("GET", uri);
         if (status_cb)
diff --git a/katze/katze-utils.c b/katze/katze-utils.c
index 687b728c..27b2e471 100644
--- a/katze/katze-utils.c
+++ b/katze/katze-utils.c
@@ -1472,7 +1472,7 @@ katze_load_cached_icon (const gchar* uri,
 
     g_return_val_if_fail (uri != NULL, NULL);
 
-    if (g_str_has_prefix (uri, "http://") || g_str_has_prefix (uri,"https://"))
+    if (midori_uri_is_http (uri))
     {
         guint i;
         gchar* icon_uri;
diff --git a/katze/midori-uri.vala b/katze/midori-uri.vala
index 2653fbc5..b8cfc626 100644
--- a/katze/midori-uri.vala
+++ b/katze/midori-uri.vala
@@ -88,11 +88,14 @@ namespace Midori {
         public static bool is_blank (string? uri) {
             return !(uri != null && uri != "" && !uri.has_prefix ("about:"));
         }
+        public static bool is_http (string? uri) {
+            return uri != null
+             && (uri.has_prefix ("http://") || uri.has_prefix ("https://"));
+        }
         public static bool is_resource (string? uri) {
             return uri != null
-              && (uri.has_prefix ("http://")
-               || (uri.has_prefix ("data:") && uri.chr (-1, ';') != null)
-               || uri.has_prefix ("https://"));
+              && (is_http (uri)
+               || (uri.has_prefix ("data:") && uri.chr (-1, ';') != null));
         }
         public static bool is_location (string? uri) {
             /* file:// is not considered a location for security reasons */
diff --git a/midori/main.c b/midori/main.c
index 615b324b..81dabd2e 100644
--- a/midori/main.c
+++ b/midori/main.c
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ midori_soup_session_set_proxy_uri (SoupSession* session,
     SoupURI* proxy_uri;
 
     /* soup_uri_new expects a non-NULL string with a protocol */
-    if (uri && g_str_has_prefix (uri, "http://"))
+    if (midori_uri_is_http (uri))
         proxy_uri = soup_uri_new (uri);
     else if (uri && *uri)
     {
diff --git a/midori/midori-view.c b/midori/midori-view.c
index ae3c727d..413fdf53 100644
--- a/midori/midori-view.c
+++ b/midori/midori-view.c
@@ -894,8 +894,7 @@ _midori_web_view_load_icon (MidoriView* view)
     pixbuf = NULL;
     icon_uri = g_strdup (view->icon_uri);
 
-    if ((icon_uri && g_str_has_prefix (icon_uri, "http"))
-        || (view->uri && g_str_has_prefix (view->uri, "http")))
+    if (midori_uri_is_http (icon_uri) || midori_uri_is_http (view->uri))
     {
         if (!icon_uri)
         {