diff -Naur emacs.orig/lisp/net/browse-url.el emacs/lisp/net/browse-url.el
--- emacs.orig/lisp/net/browse-url.el	2007-08-22 02:38:28.000000000 +0200
+++ emacs/lisp/net/browse-url.el	2007-08-22 02:38:53.000000000 +0200
@@ -612,6 +612,21 @@
   :group 'browse-url)
 
 ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
+;; URL encoding
+
+(defun browse-url-encode-url (url)
+  "Encode all `confusing' characters in URL."
+  (let ((encoded-url (copy-seq url)))
+    (while (string-match "%" encoded-url)
+      (setq encoded-url (replace-match "%25" t t encoded-url)))
+    (while (string-match "[*\"()',=;? ]" encoded-url)
+      (setq encoded-url
+	    (replace-match (format "%%%x"
+				   (string-to-char (match-string 0 encoded-url)))
+			   t t encoded-url)))
+    encoded-url))
+
+;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
 ;; URL input
 
 ;;;###autoload
@@ -684,14 +699,7 @@
 		     (or file-name-coding-system
 			 default-file-name-coding-system))))
     (if coding (setq file (encode-coding-string file coding))))
-  ;; URL-encode special chars, do % first
-  (let ((s 0))
-    (while (setq s (string-match "%" file s))
-      (setq file (replace-match "%25" t t file)
-	    s (1+ s))))
-  (while (string-match "[*\"()',=;? ]" file)
-    (let ((enc (format "%%%x" (aref file (match-beginning 0)))))
-      (setq file (replace-match enc t t file))))
+  (setq file (browse-url-encode-url file))
   (dolist (map browse-url-filename-alist)
     (when (and map (string-match (car map) file))
       (setq file (replace-match (cdr map) t nil file))))
@@ -897,11 +905,7 @@
 When called non-interactively, optional second argument NEW-WINDOW is
 used instead of `browse-url-new-window-flag'."
   (interactive (browse-url-interactive-arg "URL: "))
-  ;; URL encode any `confusing' characters in the URL.  This needs to
-  ;; include at least commas; presumably also close parens and dollars.
-  (while (string-match "[,)$]" url)
-    (setq url (replace-match
-	       (format "%%%x" (string-to-char (match-string 0 url))) t t url)))
+  (setq url (browse-url-encode-url url))
   (let* ((process-environment (browse-url-process-environment))
 	 (process
 	  (apply 'start-process
@@ -971,11 +975,7 @@
 When called non-interactively, optional second argument NEW-WINDOW is
 used instead of `browse-url-new-window-flag'."
   (interactive (browse-url-interactive-arg "URL: "))
-  ;; URL encode any `confusing' characters in the URL.  This needs to
-  ;; include at least commas; presumably also close parens and dollars.
-  (while (string-match "[,)$]" url)
-    (setq url (replace-match
-	       (format "%%%x" (string-to-char (match-string 0 url))) t t url)))
+  (setq url (browse-url-encode-url url))
   (let* ((process-environment (browse-url-process-environment))
          (process
 	  (apply 'start-process
@@ -1033,11 +1033,7 @@
 are ignored as well.  Firefox on Windows will always open the requested
 URL in a new window."
   (interactive (browse-url-interactive-arg "URL: "))
-  ;; URL encode any `confusing' characters in the URL.  This needs to
-  ;; include at least commas; presumably also close parens.
-  (while (string-match "[,)]" url)
-    (setq url (replace-match
-	       (format "%%%x" (string-to-char (match-string 0 url))) t t url)))
+  (setq url (browse-url-encode-url url))
   (let* ((process-environment (browse-url-process-environment))
 	 (process
 	  (apply 'start-process
@@ -1089,11 +1085,7 @@
 When called non-interactively, optional second argument NEW-WINDOW is
 used instead of `browse-url-new-window-flag'."
   (interactive (browse-url-interactive-arg "URL: "))
-  ;; URL encode any `confusing' characters in the URL.  This needs to
-  ;; include at least commas; presumably also close parens and dollars.
-  (while (string-match "[,)$]" url)
-    (setq url (replace-match
-	       (format "%%%x" (string-to-char (match-string 0 url))) t t url)))
+  (setq url (browse-url-encode-url))
   (let* ((process-environment (browse-url-process-environment))
          (process (apply 'start-process
 			 (concat "galeon " url)
@@ -1138,11 +1130,7 @@
 When called non-interactively, optional second argument NEW-WINDOW is
 used instead of `browse-url-new-window-flag'."
   (interactive (browse-url-interactive-arg "URL: "))
-  ;; URL encode any `confusing' characters in the URL.  This needs to
-  ;; include at least commas; presumably also close parens and dollars.
-  (while (string-match "[,)$]" url)
-    (setq url (replace-match
-	       (format "%%%x" (string-to-char (match-string 0 url))) t t url)))
+  (setq url (browse-url-encode-url url))
   (let* ((process-environment (browse-url-process-environment))
          (process (apply 'start-process
 			 (concat "epiphany " url)