diff --git a/amiga/gui.c b/amiga/gui.c
index 1c15b4a83..231bcb3e4 100644
--- a/amiga/gui.c
+++ b/amiga/gui.c
@@ -4774,19 +4774,22 @@ static void gui_window_set_status(struct gui_window *g, const char *text)
 	}
 }
 
-static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url)
+static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, nsurl *url)
 {
 	int cur_tab = 0;
 
 	if(!g) return;
 
-	if(g->tab_node && (g->shared->tabs > 1)) GetAttr(CLICKTAB_Current,
-				g->shared->objects[GID_TABS], (ULONG *)&cur_tab);
+	if ((g->tab_node) && (g->shared->tabs > 1)) {
+		GetAttr(CLICKTAB_Current,
+			g->shared->objects[GID_TABS],
+			(ULONG *)&cur_tab);
+	}
 
-	if((cur_tab == g->tab) || (g->shared->tabs <= 1))
-	{
+	if ((cur_tab == g->tab) || (g->shared->tabs <= 1)) {
 		RefreshSetGadgetAttrs((struct Gadget *)g->shared->objects[GID_URL],
-			g->shared->win, NULL, STRINGA_TextVal, url, TAG_DONE);
+				      g->shared->win, NULL, STRINGA_TextVal,
+				      nsurl_access(url), TAG_DONE);
 	}
 
 	ami_update_buttons(g->shared);
diff --git a/atari/gui.c b/atari/gui.c
index cb071a161..c077df895 100644
--- a/atari/gui.c
+++ b/atari/gui.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ EVMULT_OUT aes_event_out;
 short aes_msg_out[8];
 
 bool gui_window_get_scroll(struct gui_window *w, int *sx, int *sy);
-static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *w, const char *url);
+static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *w, nsurl *url);
 
 /**
  * Core atari event processing.
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ gui_window_create(struct browser_window *bw,
 	    option_window_x, option_window_y,
 	    option_window_width, option_window_height
 	};
-	gui_window_set_url(gw, "");
+	gui_window_set_url(gw, corestring_nsurl_about_blank);
 	gui_window_set_pointer(gw, BROWSER_POINTER_DEFAULT);
 	gui_set_input_gui_window(gw);
 	window_open(gw->root, gw, pos);
@@ -553,24 +553,24 @@ void gui_window_set_pointer(struct gui_window *gw, gui_pointer_shape shape)
 }
 
 
-static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *w, const char *url)
+static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *w, nsurl *url)
 {
     int l;
 
     if (w == NULL)
 	return;
 
-    l = strlen(url)+1;
+    l = strlen(nsurl_access(url))+1;
 
     if (w->url == NULL) {
 	w->url = malloc(l);
     } else {
 	w->url = realloc(w->url, l);
     }
-    strncpy(w->url, url, l);
+    strncpy(w->url, nsurl_access(url), l);
     w->url[l] = 0;
     if(input_window == w->root->active_gui_window) {
-	toolbar_set_url(w->root->toolbar, url);
+        toolbar_set_url(w->root->toolbar, nsurl_access(url));
     }
 
     return NSERROR_OK;
diff --git a/cocoa/gui.m b/cocoa/gui.m
index c9cef1508..2bce0cd2b 100644
--- a/cocoa/gui.m
+++ b/cocoa/gui.m
@@ -194,9 +194,9 @@ static void gui_window_set_pointer(struct gui_window *g, gui_pointer_shape shape
 	}
 }
 
-static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url)
+static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, struct nsurl *url)
 {
-	[(BrowserViewController *)g setUrl: [NSString stringWithUTF8String: url]];
+  [(BrowserViewController *)g setUrl: [NSString stringWithUTF8String: nsurl_access(url)]];
         return NSERROR_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/desktop/browser.c b/desktop/browser.c
index 82585ab0d..ada46cdd3 100644
--- a/desktop/browser.c
+++ b/desktop/browser.c
@@ -1811,7 +1811,7 @@ browser_window_refresh_url_bar_internal(struct browser_window *bw, nsurl *url)
 		return NSERROR_OK;
 	}
 
-	return guit->window->set_url(bw->window, nsurl_access(url));
+	return guit->window->set_url(bw->window, url);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/desktop/gui_factory.c b/desktop/gui_factory.c
index e26eccb2d..9be1773c4 100644
--- a/desktop/gui_factory.c
+++ b/desktop/gui_factory.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ static void gui_default_window_set_title(struct gui_window *g, const char *title
 {
 }
 
-static nserror gui_default_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url)
+static nserror gui_default_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, struct nsurl *url)
 {
 	return NSERROR_OK;
 }
diff --git a/desktop/gui_window.h b/desktop/gui_window.h
index 38432f567..a8071a4e9 100644
--- a/desktop/gui_window.h
+++ b/desktop/gui_window.h
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ struct gui_window_table {
 	 * \param gw window to update.
 	 * \param url The url to use as icon.
 	 */
-	nserror (*set_url)(struct gui_window *gw, const char *url);
+	nserror (*set_url)(struct gui_window *gw, struct nsurl *url);
 
 	/**
 	 * Set a favicon for a gui window.
diff --git a/framebuffer/gui.c b/framebuffer/gui.c
index df7b0e7c7..986c2aee6 100644
--- a/framebuffer/gui.c
+++ b/framebuffer/gui.c
@@ -1896,9 +1896,9 @@ gui_window_set_pointer(struct gui_window *g, gui_pointer_shape shape)
 }
 
 static nserror
-gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url)
+gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, nsurl *url)
 {
-	fbtk_set_text(g->url, url);
+	fbtk_set_text(g->url, nsurl_access(url));
 	return NSERROR_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/gtk/scaffolding.c b/gtk/scaffolding.c
index e5da52be4..ce3dae962 100644
--- a/gtk/scaffolding.c
+++ b/gtk/scaffolding.c
@@ -2291,13 +2291,13 @@ void gui_window_set_title(struct gui_window *gw, const char *title)
 }
 
 
-nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *gw, const char *url)
+nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *gw, nsurl *url)
 {
 	struct nsgtk_scaffolding *g;
 
 	g = nsgtk_get_scaffold(gw);
 	if (g->top_level == gw) {
-		gtk_entry_set_text(GTK_ENTRY(g->url_bar), url);
+		gtk_entry_set_text(GTK_ENTRY(g->url_bar), nsurl_access(url));
 		gtk_editable_set_position(GTK_EDITABLE(g->url_bar), -1);
 	}
 	return NSERROR_OK;
diff --git a/gtk/scaffolding.h b/gtk/scaffolding.h
index 07433bffa..7d21a68d7 100644
--- a/gtk/scaffolding.h
+++ b/gtk/scaffolding.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ struct bitmap;
 struct hlcache_handle;
 struct gui_window;
 struct gui_search_web_table;
+struct nsurl;
 
 extern struct gui_search_web_table *nsgtk_search_web_table;
 
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ nserror nsgtk_scaffolding_new_tab(struct gui_window *gw);
 
 /* core acessors */
 void gui_window_set_title(struct gui_window *g, const char *title);
-nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url);
+nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, struct nsurl *url);
 void gui_window_start_throbber(struct gui_window *g);
 void gui_window_stop_throbber(struct gui_window *g);
 
diff --git a/monkey/browser.c b/monkey/browser.c
index 1ebdaecf9..4e9472fa5 100644
--- a/monkey/browser.c
+++ b/monkey/browser.c
@@ -252,9 +252,9 @@ gui_window_set_pointer(struct gui_window *g, gui_pointer_shape shape)
 }
 
 static nserror
-gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url)
+gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, nsurl *url)
 {
-  fprintf(stdout, "WINDOW SET_URL WIN %u URL %s\n", g->win_num, url);
+  fprintf(stdout, "WINDOW SET_URL WIN %u URL %s\n", g->win_num, nsurl_access(url));
   return NSERROR_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/riscos/gui/url_bar.c b/riscos/gui/url_bar.c
index 406fa9da7..b5f6a6e14 100644
--- a/riscos/gui/url_bar.c
+++ b/riscos/gui/url_bar.c
@@ -851,12 +851,12 @@ bool ro_gui_url_bar_menu_select(struct url_bar *url_bar, wimp_i i,
 		nsurl *url;
 		nserror error;
 
-		gui_window_set_url(g, urltxt);
-
 		error = nsurl_create(urltxt, &url);
 		if (error != NSERROR_OK) {
 			warn_user(messages_get_errorcode(error), 0);
 		} else {
+			gui_window_set_url(g, url);
+
 			browser_window_navigate(g->bw,
 				url,
 				NULL,
diff --git a/riscos/window.c b/riscos/window.c
index 74d514693..e247bad5f 100644
--- a/riscos/window.c
+++ b/riscos/window.c
@@ -1051,10 +1051,10 @@ void gui_window_set_pointer(struct gui_window *g, gui_pointer_shape shape)
 
 
 /* exported function documented in riscos/window.h */
-nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url)
+nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, nsurl *url)
 {
 	if (g->toolbar) {
-		ro_toolbar_set_url(g->toolbar, url, true, false);
+		ro_toolbar_set_url(g->toolbar, nsurl_access(url), true, false);
 		ro_gui_url_complete_start(g->toolbar);
 	}
 
@@ -3913,12 +3913,13 @@ void ro_gui_window_launch_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url1)
 		return;
 
 	ro_gui_url_complete_close();
-	gui_window_set_url(g, url1);
 
 	error = nsurl_create(url1, &url);
 	if (error != NSERROR_OK) {
 		warn_user(messages_get_errorcode(error), 0);
 	} else {
+		gui_window_set_url(g, url);
+
 		browser_window_navigate(g->bw, url,
 				NULL, BW_NAVIGATE_HISTORY,
 				NULL, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/riscos/window.h b/riscos/window.h
index ea31fcb9b..08eddb3f7 100644
--- a/riscos/window.h
+++ b/riscos/window.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ bool ro_gui_window_check_menu(wimp_menu *menu);
  * \param g gui_window to update
  * \param url new url for address bar
  */
-nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, const char *url);
+nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *g, nsurl *url);
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/windows/gui.c b/windows/gui.c
index cc0c05699..653bf44e1 100644
--- a/windows/gui.c
+++ b/windows/gui.c
@@ -1662,9 +1662,9 @@ struct nsws_pointers *nsws_get_pointers(void)
 	return &nsws_pointer;
 }
 
-static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *w, const char *url)
+static nserror gui_window_set_url(struct gui_window *w, nsurl *url)
 {
-	SendMessage(w->urlbar, WM_SETTEXT, 0, (LPARAM) url);
+	SendMessage(w->urlbar, WM_SETTEXT, 0, (LPARAM) nsurl_access(url));
 
 	return NSERROR_OK;
 }