diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6ed0bda..c9c2447 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,9 +14,15 @@ For other platforms or to build from source, clone the repository and just run `
 
     Usage of dist/tftp-http-proxy:
       -http-base-url string
-        	HTTP base URL (default "http://127.0.0.1/tftp")
+                HTTP base URL (default "http://127.0.0.1/tftp")
+      -http-append-path
+                Append path to url (add slash and then requested path), warning
+                no path sanitization is done, so it may contain /../ or other
+                wild characters.
       -tftp-timeout duration
-        	TFTP timeout (default 5s)
+                TFTP timeout (default 5s)
+      -tftp-bind-address address
+                UDP address to bind to
 
 ## Details
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 4fcc9cf..5ae9df7 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -27,25 +27,6 @@ var globalState = struct {
 	appendPath:	appendPathDefault,
 }
 
-func urlJoin(base string, other string) (string, error) {
-	if !strings.HasSuffix(base, "/") {
-		base = base + "/"
-	}
-
-	b, err := url.Parse(base)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	o, err := url.Parse(strings.TrimPrefix(other, "/"))
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-
-	u := b.ResolveReference(o)
-	return u.String(), nil
-}
-
 func tftpReadHandler(filename string, rf io.ReaderFrom) error {
 	raddr := rf.(tftp.OutgoingTransfer).RemoteAddr() // net.UDPAddr
 
@@ -53,12 +34,12 @@ func tftpReadHandler(filename string, rf io.ReaderFrom) error {
 
 	uri := globalState.httpBaseUrl
 	if globalState.appendPath {
-		var err error
-		uri, err = urlJoin(uri, filename)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Printf("ERR: error building URL: %v", err)
-			return err
-		}
+		// No need to validate url any further, http.NewRequest does
+		// this for us using url.Parse().  We already checked that base
+		// contains scheme and host and ends with a slash.  We assume
+		// that appending filename does not change scheme, host and initial
+		// part of path of URL.
+		uri = uri + strings.TrimLeft(filename, "/")
 	}
 
 	req, err := http.NewRequest("GET", uri, nil)
@@ -99,6 +80,25 @@ func tftpReadHandler(filename string, rf io.ReaderFrom) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func parseBaseURL(baseUrl string, appendPath bool) string {
+	u, err := url.ParseRequestURI(baseUrl)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Panicf("FATAL: invalid base URL: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	if (u.Scheme == "") {
+		log.Panicf("FATAL: invalid base URL: No scheme found.\n")
+	}
+	if (u.Host == "") {
+		log.Panicf("FATAL: invalid base URL: No host found.\n")
+	}
+	base := u.String()
+	if appendPath && !strings.HasSuffix(base, "/") {
+		return base + "/"
+	} else {
+		return base
+	}
+}
+
 func main() {
 	httpBaseUrlPtr := flag.String("http-base-url", httpBaseUrlDefault, "HTTP base URL")
 	appendPathPtr := flag.Bool("http-append-path", appendPathDefault, "append TFTP filename to URL")
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
-	globalState.httpBaseUrl = *httpBaseUrlPtr
+	globalState.httpBaseUrl = parseBaseURL(*httpBaseUrlPtr, *appendPathPtr)
 	globalState.httpClient = &http.Client{}
 	globalState.appendPath = *appendPathPtr