diff --git a/contrib/samples/gizmos/dynsash/dynsash.bkl b/contrib/samples/gizmos/dynsash/dynsash.bkl
index ab6cddf118..640ba00078 100644
--- a/contrib/samples/gizmos/dynsash/dynsash.bkl
+++ b/contrib/samples/gizmos/dynsash/dynsash.bkl
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
         <wx-lib>gizmos</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
     </exe>
 
diff --git a/contrib/samples/ogl/studio/studio.bkl b/contrib/samples/ogl/studio/studio.bkl
index 48a1737a63..da36eac77e 100644
--- a/contrib/samples/ogl/studio/studio.bkl
+++ b/contrib/samples/ogl/studio/studio.bkl
@@ -23,15 +23,14 @@
         <wx-lib>adv</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>studio.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
-    
+
     <wx-data id="data">
         <files>
             studio_resources.wxr
         </files>
     </wx-data>
-    
+
 </makefile>
diff --git a/contrib/utils/wxrcedit/wxrcedit.bkl b/contrib/utils/wxrcedit/wxrcedit.bkl
index cd1d2f0572..804ac66a57 100644
--- a/contrib/utils/wxrcedit/wxrcedit.bkl
+++ b/contrib/utils/wxrcedit/wxrcedit.bkl
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>xml</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>wxrcedit.rc</win32-res>
         <ldlibs>$(EXTRALIBS_XML)</ldlibs>
diff --git a/demos/dbbrowse/dbbrowse.bkl b/demos/dbbrowse/dbbrowse.bkl
index 53ea35bf66..e00c06a951 100644
--- a/demos/dbbrowse/dbbrowse.bkl
+++ b/demos/dbbrowse/dbbrowse.bkl
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
         <wx-lib>odbc</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>dbbrowse.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/demos/forty/forty.bkl b/demos/forty/forty.bkl
index cc5ac9a99a..3296588c40 100644
--- a/demos/forty/forty.bkl
+++ b/demos/forty/forty.bkl
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>adv</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>forty.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/demos/poem/poem.bkl b/demos/poem/poem.bkl
index 8143cf0b69..d940be9258 100644
--- a/demos/poem/poem.bkl
+++ b/demos/poem/poem.bkl
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@
         <sources>wxpoem.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>wxpoem.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
-   
+
     <wx-data id="data">
         <files>
             wxpoem.txt wxpoem.dat
diff --git a/samples/help/help.bkl b/samples/help/help.bkl
index edb5d35d4d..2d0a70fb88 100644
--- a/samples/help/help.bkl
+++ b/samples/help/help.bkl
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
         <sources>demo.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>demo.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@
             up.gif
         </files>
     </wx-data>
-    
+
     <wx-data id="data_doc">
         <dstdir>$(BUILDDIR)/doc</dstdir>
         <srcdir>$(SRCDIR)/doc</srcdir>
diff --git a/samples/htlbox/htlbox.bkl b/samples/htlbox/htlbox.bkl
index 5c417b995c..3105bc4d6b 100644
--- a/samples/htlbox/htlbox.bkl
+++ b/samples/htlbox/htlbox.bkl
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
         <sources>htlbox.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>htlbox.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/samples/html/about/about.bkl b/samples/html/about/about.bkl
index 11b5b7fff9..473530efee 100644
--- a/samples/html/about/about.bkl
+++ b/samples/html/about/about.bkl
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
         <sources>about.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>about.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/samples/html/help/help.bkl b/samples/html/help/help.bkl
index 771ea1978a..6bc0a74eb0 100644
--- a/samples/html/help/help.bkl
+++ b/samples/html/help/help.bkl
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
         <sources>help.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>help.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/samples/html/helpview/helpview.bkl b/samples/html/helpview/helpview.bkl
index 5edc6d4d36..a04699656e 100644
--- a/samples/html/helpview/helpview.bkl
+++ b/samples/html/helpview/helpview.bkl
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
         <sources>helpview.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>helpview.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/samples/html/printing/printing.bkl b/samples/html/printing/printing.bkl
index 5115f0f724..37e7f0ad19 100644
--- a/samples/html/printing/printing.bkl
+++ b/samples/html/printing/printing.bkl
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
         <sources>printing.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>adv</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>printing.rc</win32-res>
diff --git a/samples/html/virtual/virtual.bkl b/samples/html/virtual/virtual.bkl
index fc8ea5eca0..10c045e6a6 100644
--- a/samples/html/virtual/virtual.bkl
+++ b/samples/html/virtual/virtual.bkl
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
         <sources>virtual.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>virtual.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/samples/html/widget/widget.bkl b/samples/html/widget/widget.bkl
index bba4e6319d..82e8e709ca 100644
--- a/samples/html/widget/widget.bkl
+++ b/samples/html/widget/widget.bkl
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
         <sources>widget.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>widget.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/samples/html/zip/zip.bkl b/samples/html/zip/zip.bkl
index c5d40d2756..dbf4125afd 100644
--- a/samples/html/zip/zip.bkl
+++ b/samples/html/zip/zip.bkl
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
         <sources>zip.cpp</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>zip.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/samples/xrc/xrcdemo.bkl b/samples/xrc/xrcdemo.bkl
index a2497944d4..0d008d4951 100644
--- a/samples/xrc/xrcdemo.bkl
+++ b/samples/xrc/xrcdemo.bkl
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
         <wx-lib>adv</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>xml</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <win32-res>xrcdemo.rc</win32-res>
     </exe>
diff --git a/src/html/winpars.cpp b/src/html/winpars.cpp
index ff3f4ea0bd..2c20d8858f 100644
--- a/src/html/winpars.cpp
+++ b/src/html/winpars.cpp
@@ -257,36 +257,34 @@ wxFSFile *wxHtmlWinParser::OpenURL(wxHtmlURLType type,
         {
             wxString myfullurl(myurl);
 
-#if wxUSE_URL
             // consider url as absolute path first
-            wxURL current(wxURL::Unescape(myurl));
-            myfullurl = current.GetURL();
+            wxURI current(myurl);
+            myfullurl = current.BuildUnescapedURI();
 
             // if not absolute then ...
             if( current.IsReference() )
             {
                 wxString basepath = GetFS()->GetPath();
-                wxURI base(wxURL::Unescape(basepath));
+                wxURI base(basepath);
 
-                // try to apply base path if valid ...
+                // ... try to apply base path if valid ...
                 if( !base.IsReference() )
                 {
                     wxURI path(myfullurl);
                     path.Resolve( base );
-                    myfullurl = path.BuildURI();
+                    myfullurl = path.BuildUnescapedURI();
                 }
                 else
                 {
                     // ... or force such addition if not included already
-                    if( !current.GetURL().Contains(basepath) )
+                    if( !current.GetPath().Contains(base.GetPath()) )
                     {
                         basepath += myurl;
-                        wxURL connected( wxURL::Unescape(basepath) );
-                        myfullurl = connected.GetURL();
+                        wxURI connected( basepath );
+                        myfullurl = connected.BuildUnescapedURI();
                     }
                 }
             }
-#endif
 
             wxString redirect;
             status = m_Window->OnOpeningURL(type, myfullurl, &redirect);
diff --git a/utils/configtool/src/configtool.bkl b/utils/configtool/src/configtool.bkl
index fcc06aaa78..75ef873e9f 100644
--- a/utils/configtool/src/configtool.bkl
+++ b/utils/configtool/src/configtool.bkl
@@ -22,12 +22,11 @@
             settingsdialog.cpp
             utils.cpp
         </sources>
-        
+
         <wx-lib>adv</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>xml</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
     </exe>
 
@@ -36,5 +35,5 @@
         <srcdir>$(SRCDIR)/../configs</srcdir>
         <files>wxwin250.wxs</files>
     </wx-data>
-    
+
 </makefile>
diff --git a/utils/hhp2cached/hhp2cached.bkl b/utils/hhp2cached/hhp2cached.bkl
index 5535d6a251..16d2e7a43c 100644
--- a/utils/hhp2cached/hhp2cached.bkl
+++ b/utils/hhp2cached/hhp2cached.bkl
@@ -12,11 +12,10 @@
         <win32-res>hhp2cached.rc</win32-res>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <install-to>$(BINDIR)</install-to>
     </exe>
-    
+
 <!--    <wx-data id="data">
         <files>
             test.zip
diff --git a/utils/tex2rtf/src/tex2rtf.bkl b/utils/tex2rtf/src/tex2rtf.bkl
index e433ca26c2..582d493e05 100644
--- a/utils/tex2rtf/src/tex2rtf.bkl
+++ b/utils/tex2rtf/src/tex2rtf.bkl
@@ -24,13 +24,12 @@
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <install-to>$(BINDIR)</install-to>
     </exe>
-    
+
     <exe id="tex2rtf_gui" template="wx_util" template_append="wx_append"
          cond="USE_GUI=='1'">
         <sources>$(TEX2RTF_SRC)</sources>
         <wx-lib>html</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>core</wx-lib>
-        <wx-lib>net</wx-lib>
         <wx-lib>base</wx-lib>
         <install-to>$(BINDIR)</install-to>
     </exe>