diff -Nurd -x*.[Poa] -x*.orig -xMakefile -x.deps freeciv/client/gui-gtk/clinet.c freeciv+http_proxy/client/gui-gtk/clinet.c
--- freeciv/client/gui-gtk/clinet.c	Wed May 12 12:40:46 1999
+++ freeciv+http_proxy/client/gui-gtk/clinet.c	Wed May 19 01:26:19 1999
@@ -208,19 +208,22 @@
       }
       s[0] = '\0';
       ++s;
+      while (isdigit(s[0])) {++s;}
     } else {
-      s = server;
       port = 80;
-    }
-  
-    if ((s = strchr(s,'/'))) {
+      if (!(s = strchr(server,'/'))) {
+        s = &server[strlen(server)];
+      }
+    }  /* s now points past the host[:port] part */
+
+    if (s[0] == '/') {
       s[0] = '\0';
       ++s;
-    } else {
-      strcpy(errbuf, "Invalid metaserver URL, check $http_proxy value");
+    } else if (s[0]) {
+      strcpy(errbuf, "Invalid $http_proxy value, cannot find separating '/'");
+      /* which is obligatory if more characters follow */
       return -1;
     }
-
     urlpath = s;
   }
 
@@ -246,9 +249,10 @@
   }
 
   f=fdopen(s,"r+");
-  fprintf(f,"GET /%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
-	  urlpath,
-	  proxy_url ? METALIST_ADDR : "");
+  fprintf(f,"GET %s%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
+    proxy_url ? "" : "/",
+    urlpath,
+    proxy_url ? METALIST_ADDR : "");
   fflush(f);
 
 #define NEXT_FIELD p=strstr(p,"<TD>"); if(p==NULL) continue; p+=4;
diff -Nurd -x*.[Poa] -x*.orig -xMakefile -x.deps freeciv/client/gui-xaw/clinet.c freeciv+http_proxy/client/gui-xaw/clinet.c
--- freeciv/client/gui-xaw/clinet.c	Wed May 12 12:40:47 1999
+++ freeciv+http_proxy/client/gui-xaw/clinet.c	Wed May 19 01:04:45 1999
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@
   struct hostent *ph;
   int s;
   FILE *f;
-  char *proxy_url;
+  char *proxy_url = (char *)NULL;
   char urlbuf[512];
   char *urlpath;
   char *server;
@@ -214,19 +214,22 @@
       }
       s[0] = '\0';
       ++s;
+      while (isdigit(s[0])) {++s;}
     } else {
-      s = server;
       port = 80;
-    }
-  
-    if ((s = strchr(s,'/'))) {
+      if (!(s = strchr(server,'/'))) {
+        s = &server[strlen(server)];
+      }
+    }  /* s now points past the host[:port] part */
+
+    if (s[0] == '/') {
       s[0] = '\0';
       ++s;
-    } else {
-      strcpy(errbuf, "Invalid metaserver URL, check $http_proxy value");
+    } else if (s[0]) {
+      strcpy(errbuf, "Invalid $http_proxy value, cannot find separating '/'");
+      /* which is obligatory if more characters follow */
       return -1;
     }
-
     urlpath = s;
   }
 
@@ -252,9 +255,10 @@
   }
 
   f=fdopen(s,"r+");
-  fprintf(f,"GET /%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
-	  urlpath,
-	  proxy_url ? METALIST_ADDR : "");
+  fprintf(f,"GET %s%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
+    proxy_url ? "" : "/",
+    urlpath,
+    proxy_url ? METALIST_ADDR : "");
   fflush(f);
 
 #define NEXT_FIELD p=strstr(p,"<TD>"); if(p==NULL) continue; p+=4;