diff --git a/requests/models.py b/requests/models.py
index 5235f36e..2ac8c33a 100644
--- a/requests/models.py
+++ b/requests/models.py
@@ -199,21 +199,7 @@ class Request(object):
                 # Add the old request to the history collector.
                 history.append(r)
 
-                # Redirect to...
-                url = r.headers['location']
-
-                # Handle redirection without scheme (see: RFC 1808 Section 4)
-                if url.startswith('//'):
-                    parsed_rurl = urlparse(r.url)
-                    url = '%s:%s' % (parsed_rurl.scheme, url)
-
-                # Facilitate non-RFC2616-compliant 'location' headers
-                # (e.g. '/path/to/resource' instead of 'http://domain.tld/path/to/resource')
-                parsed_url = urlparse(url)
-                if not parsed_url.netloc:
-                    parsed_url = list(parsed_url)
-                    parsed_url[2] = urllib.quote(parsed_url[2], safe="%/:=&?~#+!$,;'@()*[]")
-                    url = urljoin(r.url, str(urlunparse(parsed_url)))
+                url = cleanup_url(r.headers['location'], parent_url=self.url)
 
                 # If 303, convert to idempotent GET.
                 # http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec10.html#sec10.3.4
@@ -256,7 +242,6 @@ class Request(object):
         self.response.request = self
 
 
-
     def send(self, anyway=False):
         """Sends the shit."""
 
diff --git a/requests/utils.py b/requests/utils.py
index c422ac5c..0a114768 100644
--- a/requests/utils.py
+++ b/requests/utils.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import cookielib
 import re
 import urllib
 import zlib
-from urlparse import urlparse, urlunparse
+from urlparse import urlparse, urlunparse, urljoin
 
 
 def encode_params(params):
@@ -44,22 +44,36 @@ def encode_params(params):
     else:
         return params
 
+def cleanup_url(url, parent_url=None):
+    # Handle redirection without scheme (see: RFC 1808 Section 4)
+    if url.startswith('//'):
+        parsed_rurl = urlparse(parent_url)
+        url = '%s:%s' % (parsed_rurl.scheme, url)
+
+    scheme, netloc, path, params, query, fragment = urlparse(url)
+    if netloc:
+        netloc = netloc.encode('idna')
+
+    if isinstance(path, unicode):
+        path = path.encode('utf-8')
+
+    path = urllib.quote(path, safe="%/:=&?~#+!$,;'@()*[]")
+    params = urllib.quote(params, safe="%/:=&?~#+!$,;'@()*[]")
+    query = urllib.quote(query, safe="%/:=&?~#+!$,;'@()*[]")
+
+    url = str(urlunparse([scheme, netloc, path, params, query, fragment]))
+
+    # Facilitate non-RFC2616-compliant 'location' headers
+    # (e.g. '/path/to/resource' instead of 'http://domain.tld/path/to/resource')
+    if not netloc and parent_url:
+        url = urljoin(parent_url, url)
+
+    return url
 
 def build_url(url, query_params):
     """Build the actual URL to use."""
 
-    # Support for unicode domain names and paths.
-    scheme, netloc, path, params, query, fragment = urlparse(url)
-    netloc = netloc.encode('idna')
-
-    if isinstance(path, unicode):
-       path = path.encode('utf-8')
-
-    path = urllib.quote(path, safe="%/:=&?~#+!$,;'@()*[]")
-
-    url = str(urlunparse(
-     [scheme, netloc, path, params, query, fragment]
-    ))
+    url = cleanup_url(url)
 
     query_params = encode_params(query_params)
 
@@ -71,7 +85,6 @@ def build_url(url, query_params):
     else:
        return url
 
-
 def header_expand(headers):
     """Returns an HTTP Header value string from a dictionary.