diff --git a/collects/help/private/installed-components.ss b/collects/help/private/installed-components.ss
index 3bad466756..0cf6c2a807 100644
--- a/collects/help/private/installed-components.ss
+++ b/collects/help/private/installed-components.ss
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
   (require (lib "list.ss")
            (lib "xml.ss" "xml")
            (lib "getinfo.ss" "setup")
-	   (lib "util.ss" "help" "servlets" "private"))
+	   (lib "uri-codec.ss" "net")
+           (lib "util.ss" "help" "servlets" "private"))
 
   (provide help-desk:installed-components)
   
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@
 		       " See "
 		       `(A ((HREF ,(format 
 				    "/servlets/doc-anchor.ss?file=~a&caption=Documentation for the ~a collection&name=~a" 
-				    (hexify-string (path->string fname))
+				    (uri-encode (path->string fname))
 			            collection
 			            collection)))
                          "the documentation")
diff --git a/collects/help/private/manuals.ss b/collects/help/private/manuals.ss
index de6ce7a610..e00e2c5a4d 100644
--- a/collects/help/private/manuals.ss
+++ b/collects/help/private/manuals.ss
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 	   (lib "xml.ss" "xml")
            (lib "contract.ss")
            (lib "getinfo.ss" "setup")
+           (lib "uri-codec.ss" "net")
            "colldocs.ss"
            "docpos.ss"
            "path.ss"
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@
            (lambda (collection-doc-file name)
              (format "<LI> <A HREF=\"/servlets/doc-anchor.ss?file=~a&name=~a&caption=Documentation for the ~a collection\">~a collection</A>"
                      ; escape colons and other junk
-                     (hexify-string
+                     (uri-encode
                       (path->string
                        (build-path (car collection-doc-file) 
                                    (cadr collection-doc-file))))
diff --git a/collects/help/private/standard-urls.ss b/collects/help/private/standard-urls.ss
index d314d395fb..7f88cf5cdd 100644
--- a/collects/help/private/standard-urls.ss
+++ b/collects/help/private/standard-urls.ss
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
   (require "../servlets/private/util.ss"
            "internal-hp.ss"
+           (lib "uri-codec.ss" "net")
            (lib "contract.ss"))
   
   (provide home-page-url)
@@ -66,8 +67,8 @@
             internal-host
             internal-port
             coll
-            (hexify-string name)
-            (hexify-string link)))
+            (uri-encode name)
+            (uri-encode link)))
   
   (define (make-relative-results-url search-string search-type match-type lucky? manuals doc.txt? lang-name)
     (string-append
@@ -88,14 +89,14 @@
                            "lucky=~a&"
                            "manuals=~a&"
                            "doctxt=~a")
-            (hexify-string search-string)
+            (uri-encode search-string)
             search-type
             match-type
             (if lucky? "true" "false")
-            (hexify-string (format "~s" (map path->bytes manuals)))
+            (uri-encode (format "~s" (map path->bytes manuals)))
             (if doc.txt? "true" "false"))])
       (if language-name
-          (string-append start (format "&langname=~a" (hexify-string language-name)))
+          (string-append start (format "&langname=~a" (uri-encode language-name)))
           start)))
   
   ; sym, string assoc list
diff --git a/collects/help/servlets/private/util.ss b/collects/help/servlets/private/util.ss
index 88f4f22877..5810d99339 100644
--- a/collects/help/servlets/private/util.ss
+++ b/collects/help/servlets/private/util.ss
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
   (require (lib "file.ss")
 	   (lib "list.ss")
 	   (lib "xml.ss" "xml")
+           (lib "uri-codec.ss" "net")
            (lib "string-constant.ss" "string-constants")
            (lib "contract.ss"))
 
   (provide/contract
-   [hexify-string (string? . -> . string?)]
    [fold-into-web-path ((listof string?) . -> . string?)])
   
   (provide get-pref/default
@@ -76,20 +76,6 @@
             (with-handlers ([exn:fail:filesystem? (lambda (x) #f)])
               (collection-path "repos-time-stamp"))))))
   
-  (define hexifiable '(#\: #\; #\? #\& #\% #\# #\< #\> #\+))
-  
-  ;; hexify-string : string -> string
-  ;; exploits good properties of utf-8 encoding
-  ;; that if can-keep? returns true that the byte is
-  ;; the character index
-  (define (hexify-string s)
-    (apply string-append 
-	   (map (λ (b) 
-		  (cond
-                    [(can-keep? b) (string (integer->char b))]
-                    [else (format "%~X" b)]))
-		(bytes->list (string->bytes/utf-8 s)))))
-
   ;; can-keep? : byte -> boolean
   ;; source rfc 2396
   (define (can-keep? i)
@@ -107,7 +93,7 @@
 	  `(A ((HREF 
 		,(format 
 		  "/servlets/doc-anchor.ss?file=~a&name=~a&caption=Documentation for the ~a collection"
-		  (hexify-string (path->string coll-file))
+		  (uri-encode (path->string coll-file))
 		  coll
 		  coll)))
 	      ,txt)
diff --git a/collects/help/servlets/release/license.ss b/collects/help/servlets/release/license.ss
index fc4f297bcc..9bf5714c0b 100644
--- a/collects/help/servlets/release/license.ss
+++ b/collects/help/servlets/release/license.ss
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 (module license mzscheme
-  (require "../private/util.ss")
-  (require "../private/headelts.ss")
+  (require "../private/util.ss"
+           "../private/headelts.ss"
+           (lib "uri-codec.ss" "net"))
   
   (require (lib "servlet.ss" "web-server"))
   (provide interface-version timeout start)
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@
        "under the terms of the LGPL, which in particular means that you must "
        "release the source code for the modified software. See "
        (A ((HREF ,(format "/servlets/doc-anchor.ss?name=COPYING.LIB&caption=Copying PLT software&file=~a"
-                          (hexify-string
+                          (uri-encode
                            (path->string
                             (simplify-path 
                              (build-path (collection-path "mzlib") 'up 'up "notes" "COPYING.LIB")))))))
diff --git a/collects/help/servlets/results.ss b/collects/help/servlets/results.ss
index 2b5dd38aa6..38709b89e0 100644
--- a/collects/help/servlets/results.ss
+++ b/collects/help/servlets/results.ss
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ is stored in a module top-level and that's namespace-specific.
            (lib "list.ss")
            (lib "string.ss")
            (lib "servlet.ss" "web-server")
+           (lib "uri-codec.ss" "net")
            "../private/internal-hp.ss"
            "../private/path.ss"
            "../private/docpos.ss"
@@ -149,8 +150,8 @@ is stored in a module top-level and that's namespace-specific.
              (let ([maybe-coll (maybe-extract-coll last-header)])
                (format 
                 no-anchor-format
-                (hexify-string anchored-path)
-                (hexify-string (make-caption maybe-coll))
+                (uri-encode anchored-path)
+                (uri-encode (make-caption maybe-coll))
                 maybe-coll))]
             [else ; manual, so have absolute path
              (get-help-url path page-label)])))
@@ -177,10 +178,10 @@ is stored in a module top-level and that's namespace-specific.
       ; path is absolute pathname
       (define (make-text-href page-label path)
         (let* ([maybe-coll (maybe-extract-coll last-header)]
-               [hex-path (hexify-string (path->string (normalize-path path)))]
+               [hex-path (uri-encode (path->string (normalize-path path)))]
                [hex-caption (if (eq? maybe-coll last-header)
                                 hex-path
-                                (hexify-string (make-caption maybe-coll)))]
+                                (uri-encode (make-caption maybe-coll)))]
                [offset (or (and (number? page-label)
                                 page-label)
                            0)])
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ is stored in a module top-level and that's namespace-specific.
            with-anchor-format
            hex-path
            hex-caption
-           (hexify-string maybe-coll)
+           (uri-encode maybe-coll)
            offset)))
       
       (define (html-entry? path)
diff --git a/collects/help/servlets/scheme/how.ss b/collects/help/servlets/scheme/how.ss
index 9e9fe97943..529fe62eb1 100644
--- a/collects/help/servlets/scheme/how.ss
+++ b/collects/help/servlets/scheme/how.ss
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
            "../../private/manuals.ss"
            "../private/headelts.ss"
            "../../private/installed-components.ss"
+           (lib "uri-codec.ss" "net")
            (lib "servlet.ss" "web-server"))
   
   (provide interface-version timeout start)
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@
          (A ((NAME "setup") (VALUE "Setup PLT program")))
          (A ((NAME "setup2") (VALUE "setup-plt program")))
          (A ((HREF ,(format "/servlets/doc-anchor.ss?file=~a&name=~a&caption=~a"
-                            (hexify-string
+                            (uri-encode
                              (path->string
                               (simplify-path
                                (build-path (collection-path "mzlib") 'up "setup" "doc.txt"))))