diff --git a/basis/urls/encoding/authors.txt b/basis/urls/encoding/authors.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1901f27a24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/urls/encoding/authors.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Slava Pestov
diff --git a/basis/urls/encoding/encoding-docs.factor b/basis/urls/encoding/encoding-docs.factor
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5ba94ea1bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/urls/encoding/encoding-docs.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+IN: urls.encoding
+USING: strings help.markup help.syntax assocs multiline ;
+
+HELP: url-decode
+{ $values { "str" string } { "decoded" string } }
+{ $description "Decodes a URL-encoded string." } ;
+
+HELP: url-encode
+{ $values { "str" string } { "encoded" string } }
+{ $description "URL-encodes a string." } ;
+
+HELP: url-quotable?
+{ $values { "ch" "a character" } { "?" "a boolean" } }
+{ $description "Tests if a character be used without URL-encoding in a URL." } ;
+
+HELP: assoc>query
+{ $values { "assoc" assoc } { "str" string } }
+{ $description "Converts an assoc of query parameters into a query string, performing URL encoding." }
+{ $notes "This word is used by the implementation of " { $link "urls" } ". It is also used by the HTTP client to encode POST requests." }
+{ $examples
+    { $example
+        "USING: io urls ;"
+        "{ { \"from\" \"Lead\" } { \"to\" \"Gold, please\" } }"
+        "assoc>query print"
+        "from=Lead&to=Gold%2c+please"
+    }
+} ;
+
+HELP: query>assoc
+{ $values { "query" string } { "assoc" assoc } }
+{ $description "Parses a URL query string and URL-decodes each component." }
+{ $notes "This word is used by the implementation of " { $link "urls" } ". It is also used by the HTTP server to parse POST requests." }
+{ $examples
+    { $unchecked-example
+        "USING: prettyprint urls ;"
+        "\"gender=female&agefrom=22&ageto=28&location=Omaha+NE\""
+        "query>assoc ."
+        <" H{
+    { "gender" "female" }
+    { "agefrom" "22" }
+    { "ageto" "28" }
+    { "location" "Omaha NE" }
+}">
+    }
+} ;
+
+ARTICLE: "url-encoding" "URL encoding and decoding"
+"URL encoding and decoding strings:"
+{ $subsection url-encode }
+{ $subsection url-decode }
+{ $subsection url-quotable? }
+"Encoding and decoding queries:"
+{ $subsection assoc>query }
+{ $subsection query>assoc }
+"See " { $url "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percent-encoding" } " for a description of URL encoding." ;
+
+ABOUT: "url-encoding"
diff --git a/basis/urls/encoding/encoding-tests.factor b/basis/urls/encoding/encoding-tests.factor
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2217ec8a28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/urls/encoding/encoding-tests.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+IN: urls.encoding.tests
+USING: urls.encoding tools.test arrays kernel assocs present accessors ;
+
+[ "~hello world" ] [ "%7ehello world" url-decode ] unit-test
+[ f ] [ "%XX%XX%XX" url-decode ] unit-test
+[ f ] [ "%XX%XX%X" url-decode ] unit-test
+
+[ "hello world" ] [ "hello%20world" url-decode ] unit-test
+[ " ! "         ] [ "%20%21%20"     url-decode ] unit-test
+[ "hello world" ] [ "hello world%"  url-decode ] unit-test
+[ "hello world" ] [ "hello world%x" url-decode ] unit-test
+[ "hello%20world" ] [ "hello world" url-encode ] unit-test
+
+[ "hello world" ] [ "hello+world" query-decode ] unit-test
+
+[ "\u001234hi\u002045" ] [ "\u001234hi\u002045" url-encode url-decode ] unit-test
+
+[ "a=b&a=c" ] [ { { "a" { "b" "c" } } } assoc>query ] unit-test
+
+[ H{ { "a" "b" } } ] [ "a=b" query>assoc ] unit-test
+
+[ H{ { "a" { "b" "c" } } } ] [ "a=b&a=c" query>assoc ] unit-test
+
+[ H{ { "text" "hello world" } } ] [ "text=hello+world" query>assoc ] unit-test
+
+[ "a=3" ] [ { { "a" 3 } } assoc>query ] unit-test
diff --git a/basis/urls/encoding/encoding.factor b/basis/urls/encoding/encoding.factor
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2f89084488
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/urls/encoding/encoding.factor
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+! Copyright (C) 2008 Slava Pestov.
+! See http://factorcode.org/license.txt for BSD license.
+USING: kernel ascii combinators combinators.short-circuit
+sequences splitting fry namespaces make assocs arrays strings
+io.sockets io.sockets.secure io.encodings.string
+io.encodings.utf8 math math.parser accessors hashtables present ;
+IN: urls.encoding
+
+: url-quotable? ( ch -- ? )
+    {
+        [ letter? ]
+        [ LETTER? ]
+        [ digit? ]
+        [ "/_-.:" member? ]
+    } 1|| ; foldable
+
+<PRIVATE
+
+: push-utf8 ( ch -- )
+    1string utf8 encode
+    [ CHAR: % , >hex 2 CHAR: 0 pad-left % ] each ;
+
+PRIVATE>
+
+: url-encode ( str -- encoded )
+    [
+        [ dup url-quotable? [ , ] [ push-utf8 ] if ] each
+    ] "" make ;
+
+<PRIVATE
+
+: url-decode-hex ( index str -- )
+    2dup length 2 - >= [
+        2drop
+    ] [
+        [ 1+ dup 2 + ] dip subseq  hex> [ , ] when*
+    ] if ;
+
+: url-decode-% ( index str -- index str )
+    2dup url-decode-hex ;
+
+: url-decode-iter ( index str -- )
+    2dup length >= [
+        2drop
+    ] [
+        2dup nth dup CHAR: % = [
+            drop url-decode-% [ 3 + ] dip
+        ] [
+            , [ 1+ ] dip
+        ] if url-decode-iter
+    ] if ;
+
+PRIVATE>
+
+: url-decode ( str -- decoded )
+    [ 0 swap url-decode-iter ] "" make utf8 decode ;
+
+: query-decode ( str -- decoded )
+    [ dup CHAR: + = [ drop "%20" ] [ 1string ] if ] { } map-as
+    concat url-decode ;
+
+<PRIVATE
+
+: add-query-param ( value key assoc -- )
+    [
+        at [
+            {
+                { [ dup string? ] [ swap 2array ] }
+                { [ dup array? ] [ swap suffix ] }
+                { [ dup not ] [ drop ] }
+            } cond
+        ] when*
+    ] 2keep set-at ;
+
+PRIVATE>
+
+: query>assoc ( query -- assoc )
+    dup [
+        "&" split H{ } clone [
+            [
+                [ "=" split1 [ dup [ query-decode ] when ] bi@ swap ] dip
+                add-query-param
+            ] curry each
+        ] keep
+    ] when ;
+
+: assoc>query ( assoc -- str )
+    [
+        dup array? [ [ present ] map ] [ present 1array ] if
+    ] assoc-map
+    [
+        [
+            [ url-encode ] dip
+            [ url-encode "=" swap 3append , ] with each
+        ] assoc-each
+    ] { } make "&" join ;
diff --git a/basis/urls/encoding/summary.txt b/basis/urls/encoding/summary.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d156e44c56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/urls/encoding/summary.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+URL and form encoding/decoding
diff --git a/basis/urls/encoding/tags.txt b/basis/urls/encoding/tags.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0772185a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/basis/urls/encoding/tags.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+web
diff --git a/basis/urls/urls-docs.factor b/basis/urls/urls-docs.factor
index 166ad9d586..03ffaded05 100644
--- a/basis/urls/urls-docs.factor
+++ b/basis/urls/urls-docs.factor
@@ -46,37 +46,6 @@ HELP: URL"
     }
 } ;
 
-HELP: assoc>query
-{ $values { "assoc" assoc } { "str" string } }
-{ $description "Converts an assoc of query parameters into a query string, performing URL encoding." }
-{ $notes "This word is used to implement the " { $link present } " method on URLs; it is also used by the HTTP client to encode POST requests." }
-{ $examples
-    { $example
-        "USING: io urls ;"
-        "{ { \"from\" \"Lead\" } { \"to\" \"Gold, please\" } }"
-        "assoc>query print"
-        "from=Lead&to=Gold%2c+please"
-    }
-} ;
-
-HELP: query>assoc
-{ $values { "query" string } { "assoc" assoc } }
-{ $description "Parses a URL query string and URL-decodes each component." }
-{ $notes "This word is used to implement " { $link >url } ". It is also used by the HTTP server to parse POST requests." }
-{ $examples
-    { $unchecked-example
-        "USING: prettyprint urls ;"
-        "\"gender=female&agefrom=22&ageto=28&location=Omaha+NE\""
-        "query>assoc ."
-        <" H{
-    { "gender" "female" }
-    { "agefrom" "22" }
-    { "ageto" "28" }
-    { "location" "Omaha NE" }
-}">
-    }
-} ;
-
 HELP: derive-url
 { $values { "base" url } { "url" url } { "url'" url } }
 { $description "Builds a URL by filling in missing components of " { $snippet "url" } " from " { $snippet "base" } "." }
@@ -192,28 +161,7 @@ HELP: url-append-path
 { $values { "path1" string } { "path2" string } { "path" string } }
 { $description "Like " { $link append-path } ", but intended for use with URL paths and not filesystem paths." } ;
 
-HELP: url-decode
-{ $values { "str" string } { "decoded" string } }
-{ $description "Decodes a URL-encoded string." } ;
-
-HELP: url-encode
-{ $values { "str" string } { "encoded" string } }
-{ $description "URL-encodes a string." } ;
-
-HELP: url-quotable?
-{ $values { "ch" "a character" } { "?" "a boolean" } }
-{ $description "Tests if a character be used without URL-encoding in a URL." } ;
-
-ARTICLE: "url-encoding" "URL encoding and decoding"
-"URL encoding and decoding strings:"
-{ $subsection url-encode }
-{ $subsection url-decode }
-{ $subsection url-quotable? }
-"The URL implemention encodes and decodes components of " { $link url } " instances automatically, but sometimes it is required for non-URL strings. See " { $url "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percent-encoding" } " for a description of URL encoding." ;
-
 ARTICLE: "url-utilities" "URL implementation utilities"
-{ $subsection assoc>query }
-{ $subsection query>assoc }
 { $subsection parse-host }
 { $subsection secure-protocol? }
 { $subsection url-append-path } ;
@@ -240,8 +188,9 @@ $nl
 { $subsection set-query-param }
 "Creating " { $link "network-addressing" } " from URLs:"
 { $subsection url-addr }
-"Additional topics:"
-{ $subsection "url-utilities" }
-{ $subsection "url-encoding" } ;
+"The URL implemention encodes and decodes components of " { $link url } " instances automatically, but sometimes this functionality is needed for non-URL strings."
+{ $subsection "url-encoding" }
+"Utility words used by the URL implementation:"
+{ $subsection "url-utilities" } ;
 
 ABOUT: "urls"
diff --git a/basis/urls/urls-tests.factor b/basis/urls/urls-tests.factor
index b0bf950178..cac206bf3c 100644
--- a/basis/urls/urls-tests.factor
+++ b/basis/urls/urls-tests.factor
@@ -2,30 +2,6 @@ IN: urls.tests
 USING: urls urls.private tools.test
 arrays kernel assocs present accessors ;
 
-[ "hello+world" ] [ "hello world" url-encode ] unit-test
-[ "hello world" ] [ "hello%20world" url-decode ] unit-test
-[ "~hello world" ] [ "%7ehello+world" url-decode ] unit-test
-[ f ] [ "%XX%XX%XX" url-decode ] unit-test
-[ f ] [ "%XX%XX%X" url-decode ] unit-test
-
-[ "hello world" ] [ "hello+world"   url-decode ] unit-test
-[ "hello world" ] [ "hello%20world" url-decode ] unit-test
-[ " ! "         ] [ "%20%21%20"     url-decode ] unit-test
-[ "hello world" ] [ "hello world%"  url-decode ] unit-test
-[ "hello world" ] [ "hello world%x" url-decode ] unit-test
-[ "hello+world" ] [ "hello world"   url-encode ] unit-test
-[ "+%21+"       ] [ " ! "           url-encode ] unit-test
-
-[ "\u001234hi\u002045" ] [ "\u001234hi\u002045" url-encode url-decode ] unit-test
-
-[ "a=b&a=c" ] [ { { "a" { "b" "c" } } } assoc>query ] unit-test
-
-[ H{ { "a" "b" } } ] [ "a=b" query>assoc ] unit-test
-
-[ H{ { "a" { "b" "c" } } } ] [ "a=b&a=c" query>assoc ] unit-test
-
-[ "a=3" ] [ { { "a" 3 } } assoc>query ] unit-test
-
 : urls
     {
         {
diff --git a/basis/urls/urls.factor b/basis/urls/urls.factor
index 5fe9bbb5a0..5ebcabede8 100644
--- a/basis/urls/urls.factor
+++ b/basis/urls/urls.factor
@@ -5,99 +5,9 @@ sequences splitting fry namespaces make assocs arrays strings
 io.sockets io.sockets.secure io.encodings.string
 io.encodings.utf8 math math.parser accessors parser
 strings.parser lexer prettyprint.backend hashtables present
-peg.ebnf ;
+peg.ebnf urls.encoding ;
 IN: urls
 
-: url-quotable? ( ch -- ? )
-    {
-        [ letter? ]
-        [ LETTER? ]
-        [ digit? ]
-        [ "/_-.:" member? ]
-    } 1|| ; foldable
-
-<PRIVATE
-
-: push-utf8 ( ch -- )
-    dup CHAR: \s = [ drop "+" % ] [
-        1string utf8 encode
-        [ CHAR: % , >hex 2 CHAR: 0 pad-left % ] each
-    ] if ;
-
-PRIVATE>
-
-: url-encode ( str -- encoded )
-    [
-        [ dup url-quotable? [ , ] [ push-utf8 ] if ] each
-    ] "" make ;
-
-<PRIVATE
-
-: url-decode-hex ( index str -- )
-    2dup length 2 - >= [
-        2drop
-    ] [
-        [ 1+ dup 2 + ] dip subseq  hex> [ , ] when*
-    ] if ;
-
-: url-decode-% ( index str -- index str )
-    2dup url-decode-hex [ 3 + ] dip ;
-
-: url-decode-+-or-other ( index str ch -- index str )
-    dup CHAR: + = [ drop CHAR: \s ] when , [ 1+ ] dip ;
-
-: url-decode-iter ( index str -- )
-    2dup length >= [
-        2drop
-    ] [
-        2dup nth dup CHAR: % = [
-            drop url-decode-%
-        ] [
-            url-decode-+-or-other
-        ] if url-decode-iter
-    ] if ;
-
-PRIVATE>
-
-: url-decode ( str -- decoded )
-    [ 0 swap url-decode-iter ] "" make utf8 decode ;
-
-<PRIVATE
-
-: add-query-param ( value key assoc -- )
-    [
-        at [
-            {
-                { [ dup string? ] [ swap 2array ] }
-                { [ dup array? ] [ swap suffix ] }
-                { [ dup not ] [ drop ] }
-            } cond
-        ] when*
-    ] 2keep set-at ;
-
-PRIVATE>
-
-: query>assoc ( query -- assoc )
-    dup [
-        "&" split H{ } clone [
-            [
-                [ "=" split1 [ dup [ url-decode ] when ] bi@ swap ] dip
-                add-query-param
-            ] curry each
-        ] keep
-    ] when ;
-
-: assoc>query ( assoc -- str )
-    [
-        dup array? [ [ present ] map ] [ present 1array ] if
-    ] assoc-map
-    [
-        [
-            [ url-encode ] dip
-            [ url-encode "=" swap 3append , ] with each
-        ] assoc-each
-    ] { } make "&" join ;
-
 TUPLE: url protocol username password host port path query anchor ;
 
 : <url> ( -- url ) url new ;