diff --git a/FIX b/FIX
index 9d50a66..cd6b27b 100644
--- a/FIX
+++ b/FIX
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+url.absolute was not working when base_url was already parsed
+http.request was redirecting even when the location header is empty
 tcp{client}:shutdown() was checking for group instead of class.
 tcp{client}:send() now returns i+sent-1...
 get rid of a = socket.try() in the manual, except for protected cases.
diff --git a/src/http.lua b/src/http.lua
index 5fb59ce..1dff11a 100644
--- a/src/http.lua
+++ b/src/http.lua
@@ -173,8 +173,10 @@ local function adjustrequest(reqt)
     return nreqt
 end
 
-local function shouldredirect(reqt, code)
-    return (reqt.redirect ~= false) and
+local function shouldredirect(reqt, code, headers)
+    return headers.location and
+           string.gsub(headers.location, "%s", "") ~= "" and
+           (reqt.redirect ~= false) and
            (code == 301 or code == 302) and
            (not reqt.method or reqt.method == "GET" or reqt.method == "HEAD")
            and (not reqt.nredirects or reqt.nredirects < 5)
@@ -226,7 +228,7 @@ function trequest(reqt)
     local code, headers, status
     code, status = h:receivestatusline()
     headers = h:receiveheaders()
-    if shouldredirect(reqt, code) then 
+    if shouldredirect(reqt, code, headers) then 
         h:close()
         return tredirect(reqt, headers)
     elseif shouldauthorize(reqt, code) then 
diff --git a/src/tcp.c b/src/tcp.c
index 3a84191..162d5af 100644
--- a/src/tcp.c
+++ b/src/tcp.c
@@ -228,9 +228,8 @@ static int meth_connect(lua_State *L)
 
 static int meth_connected(lua_State *L)
 {
-    static t_tm tm = {-1, -1};
     p_tcp tcp = (p_tcp) aux_checkclass(L, "tcp{master}", 1);
-    int err = sock_connected(&tcp->sock, &tm);
+    int err = sock_connected(&tcp->sock, &tcp->tm);
     if (err != IO_DONE) {
         lua_pushnil(L);
         lua_pushstring(L, sock_strerror(err));
diff --git a/src/url.lua b/src/url.lua
index 8d7b88f..7aa3760 100644
--- a/src/url.lua
+++ b/src/url.lua
@@ -194,28 +194,34 @@ end
 --   corresponding absolute url
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 function absolute(base_url, relative_url)
-    local base = base.type(base_url) == "table" and base_url or parse(base_url)
-    local relative = parse(relative_url)
-    if not base then return relative_url
-    elseif not relative then return base_url
-    elseif relative.scheme then return relative_url
+    if base.type(base_url) == "table" then
+        base_parsed = base_url
+        base_url = build(base_parsed)
     else
-        relative.scheme = base.scheme
-        if not relative.authority then
-            relative.authority = base.authority
-            if not relative.path then
-                relative.path = base.path
-                if not relative.params then
-                    relative.params = base.params
-                    if not relative.query then
-                        relative.query = base.query
+        base_parsed = parse(base_url)
+    end
+    local relative_parsed = parse(relative_url)
+    if not base_parsed then return relative_url
+    elseif not relative_parsed then return base_url
+    elseif relative_parsed.scheme then return relative_url
+    else
+        relative_parsed.scheme = base_parsed.scheme
+        if not relative_parsed.authority then
+            relative_parsed.authority = base_parsed.authority
+            if not relative_parsed.path then
+                relative_parsed.path = base_parsed.path
+                if not relative_parsed.params then
+                    relative_parsed.params = base_parsed.params
+                    if not relative_parsed.query then
+                        relative_parsed.query = base_parsed.query
                     end
                 end
             else     
-                relative.path = absolute_path(base.path or "", relative.path)
+                relative_parsed.path = absolute_path(base_parsed.path or "", 
+                    relative_parsed.path)
             end
         end
-        return build(relative)
+        return build(relative_parsed)
     end
 end