diff --git a/include/libtorrent/upnp.hpp b/include/libtorrent/upnp.hpp
index 54e832c8a..5913e70d0 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/upnp.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/upnp.hpp
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ private:
 
 		std::vector<mapping_t> mapping;
 		
+		// this is the hostname, port and path
+		// component of the url or the control_url
+		// if it has been found
 		std::string hostname;
 		int port;
 		std::string path;
diff --git a/src/upnp.cpp b/src/upnp.cpp
index 37066bf40..ce5d54421 100644
--- a/src/upnp.cpp
+++ b/src/upnp.cpp
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ void upnp::post(upnp::rootdevice const& d, std::string const& soap
 
 	std::stringstream header;
 	
-	header << "POST " << d.control_url << " HTTP/1.1\r\n"
+	header << "POST " << d.path << " HTTP/1.1\r\n"
 		"Host: " << d.hostname << ":" << d.port << "\r\n"
 		"Content-Type: text/xml; charset=\"utf-8\"\r\n"
 		"Content-Length: " << soap.size() << "\r\n"
@@ -876,6 +876,22 @@ void upnp::on_upnp_xml(error_code const& e
 
 	d.control_url = s.control_url;
 
+	std::string protocol;
+	std::string auth;
+	char const* error;
+	boost::tie(protocol, auth, d.hostname, d.port, d.path, error)
+		= parse_url_components(d.control_url);
+
+	if (error)
+	{
+#ifdef TORRENT_UPNP_LOGGING
+		m_log << time_now_string()
+			<< " *** Failed to parse URL '" << d.control_url << "': " << error << std::endl;
+#endif
+		d.disabled = true;
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (num_mappings() > 0) update_map(d, 0);
 }