diff --git a/lib/file.c b/lib/file.c
index b534ec18d..d48adb9eb 100644
--- a/lib/file.c
+++ b/lib/file.c
@@ -193,11 +193,12 @@ static CURLcode file_connect(struct connectdata *conn, bool *done)
   int i;
   char *actual_path;
 #endif
-  int real_path_len;
+  size_t real_path_len;
 
-  real_path = curl_easy_unescape(data, data->state.path, 0, &real_path_len);
-  if(!real_path)
-    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+  CURLcode result = Curl_urldecode(data, data->state.path, 0, &real_path,
+                                   &real_path_len, FALSE);
+  if(result)
+    return result;
 
 #ifdef DOS_FILESYSTEM
   /* If the first character is a slash, and there's
diff --git a/lib/ftp.c b/lib/ftp.c
index 264a82f87..d307c4071 100644
--- a/lib/ftp.c
+++ b/lib/ftp.c
@@ -3299,8 +3299,8 @@ static CURLcode ftp_done(struct connectdata *conn, CURLcode status,
   }
 
   /* get the "raw" path */
-  path = curl_easy_unescape(data, path_to_use, 0, NULL);
-  if(!path) {
+  result = Curl_urldecode(data, path_to_use, 0, &path, NULL, FALSE);
+  if(result) {
     /* out of memory, but we can limp along anyway (and should try to
      * since we may already be in the out of memory cleanup path) */
     if(!result)
@@ -4287,6 +4287,7 @@ CURLcode ftp_parse_url_path(struct connectdata *conn)
     slash_pos=strrchr(cur_pos, '/');
     if(slash_pos || !*cur_pos) {
       size_t dirlen = slash_pos-cur_pos;
+      CURLcode result;
 
       ftpc->dirs = calloc(1, sizeof(ftpc->dirs[0]));
       if(!ftpc->dirs)
@@ -4295,12 +4296,13 @@ CURLcode ftp_parse_url_path(struct connectdata *conn)
       if(!dirlen)
         dirlen++;
 
-      ftpc->dirs[0] = curl_easy_unescape(conn->data, slash_pos ? cur_pos : "/",
-                                         slash_pos ? curlx_uztosi(dirlen) : 1,
-                                         NULL);
-      if(!ftpc->dirs[0]) {
+      result = Curl_urldecode(conn->data, slash_pos ? cur_pos : "/",
+                              slash_pos ? dirlen : 1,
+                              &ftpc->dirs[0], NULL,
+                              FALSE);
+      if(result) {
         freedirs(ftpc);
-        return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+        return result;
       }
       ftpc->dirdepth = 1; /* we consider it to be a single dir */
       filename = slash_pos ? slash_pos+1 : cur_pos; /* rest is file name */
@@ -4335,18 +4337,15 @@ CURLcode ftp_parse_url_path(struct connectdata *conn)
           /* we skip empty path components, like "x//y" since the FTP command
              CWD requires a parameter and a non-existent parameter a) doesn't
              work on many servers and b) has no effect on the others. */
-          int len = curlx_sztosi(slash_pos - cur_pos + absolute_dir);
-          ftpc->dirs[ftpc->dirdepth] =
-            curl_easy_unescape(conn->data, cur_pos - absolute_dir, len, NULL);
-          if(!ftpc->dirs[ftpc->dirdepth]) { /* run out of memory ... */
-            failf(data, "no memory");
-            freedirs(ftpc);
-            return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-          }
-          if(isBadFtpString(ftpc->dirs[ftpc->dirdepth])) {
+          size_t len = slash_pos - cur_pos + absolute_dir;
+          CURLcode result =
+            Curl_urldecode(conn->data, cur_pos - absolute_dir, len,
+                           &ftpc->dirs[ftpc->dirdepth], NULL,
+                           TRUE);
+          if(result) {
             free(ftpc->dirs[ftpc->dirdepth]);
             freedirs(ftpc);
-            return CURLE_URL_MALFORMAT;
+            return result;
           }
         }
         else {
@@ -4382,15 +4381,12 @@ CURLcode ftp_parse_url_path(struct connectdata *conn)
   } /* switch */
 
   if(filename && *filename) {
-    ftpc->file = curl_easy_unescape(conn->data, filename, 0, NULL);
-    if(NULL == ftpc->file) {
+    CURLcode result =
+      Curl_urldecode(conn->data, filename, 0,  &ftpc->file, NULL, TRUE);
+
+    if(result) {
       freedirs(ftpc);
-      failf(data, "no memory");
-      return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-    }
-    if(isBadFtpString(ftpc->file)) {
-      freedirs(ftpc);
-      return CURLE_URL_MALFORMAT;
+      return result;
     }
   }
   else
@@ -4408,15 +4404,17 @@ CURLcode ftp_parse_url_path(struct connectdata *conn)
   if(ftpc->prevpath) {
     /* prevpath is "raw" so we convert the input path before we compare the
        strings */
-    int dlen;
-    char *path = curl_easy_unescape(conn->data, data->state.path, 0, &dlen);
-    if(!path) {
+    size_t dlen;
+    char *path;
+    CURLcode result =
+      Curl_urldecode(conn->data, data->state.path, 0, &path, &dlen, FALSE);
+    if(result) {
       freedirs(ftpc);
-      return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+      return result;
     }
 
-    dlen -= ftpc->file?curlx_uztosi(strlen(ftpc->file)):0;
-    if((dlen == curlx_uztosi(strlen(ftpc->prevpath))) &&
+    dlen -= ftpc->file?strlen(ftpc->file):0;
+    if((dlen == strlen(ftpc->prevpath)) &&
        strnequal(path, ftpc->prevpath, dlen)) {
       infof(data, "Request has same path as previous transfer\n");
       ftpc->cwddone = TRUE;
diff --git a/lib/gopher.c b/lib/gopher.c
index dcdd93fbb..4939ad540 100644
--- a/lib/gopher.c
+++ b/lib/gopher.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "rawstr.h"
 #include "select.h"
 #include "url.h"
+#include "escape.h"
 #include "warnless.h"
 #include "curl_memory.h"
 /* The last #include file should be: */
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ static CURLcode gopher_do(struct connectdata *conn, bool *done)
   char *sel;
   char *sel_org = NULL;
   ssize_t amount, k;
-  int len;
+  size_t len;
 
   *done = TRUE; /* unconditionally */
 
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ static CURLcode gopher_do(struct connectdata *conn, bool *done)
         newp[i] = '\x09';
 
     /* ... and finally unescape */
-    sel = curl_easy_unescape(data, newp, 0, &len);
+    result = Curl_urldecode(data, newp, 0, &sel, &len, FALSE);
     if(!sel)
       return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
     sel_org = sel;
diff --git a/lib/ldap.c b/lib/ldap.c
index a1646279d..a763d7320 100644
--- a/lib/ldap.c
+++ b/lib/ldap.c
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ static bool split_str(char *str, char ***out, size_t *count)
  *
  * Defined in RFC4516 section 2.
  */
-static int _ldap_url_parse2 (const struct connectdata *conn, LDAPURLDesc *ludp)
+static int _ldap_url_parse2(const struct connectdata *conn, LDAPURLDesc *ludp)
 {
   int rc = LDAP_SUCCESS;
   char *path;
@@ -798,12 +798,13 @@ static int _ldap_url_parse2 (const struct connectdata *conn, LDAPURLDesc *ludp)
   if(*p) {
     char *dn = p;
     char *unescaped;
+    CURLcode result;
 
     LDAP_TRACE (("DN '%s'\n", dn));
 
     /* Unescape the DN */
-    unescaped = curl_easy_unescape(conn->data, dn, 0, NULL);
-    if(!unescaped) {
+    result = Curl_urldecode(conn->data, dn, 0, &unescaped, NULL, FALSE);
+    if(result) {
       rc = LDAP_NO_MEMORY;
 
       goto quit;
@@ -862,12 +863,14 @@ static int _ldap_url_parse2 (const struct connectdata *conn, LDAPURLDesc *ludp)
 
     for(i = 0; i < count; i++) {
       char *unescaped;
+      CURLcode result;
 
       LDAP_TRACE (("attr[%d] '%s'\n", i, attributes[i]));
 
       /* Unescape the attribute */
-      unescaped = curl_easy_unescape(conn->data, attributes[i], 0, NULL);
-      if(!unescaped) {
+      result = Curl_urldecode(conn->data, attributes[i], 0, &unescaped, NULL,
+                              FALSE);
+      if(result) {
         free(attributes);
 
         rc = LDAP_NO_MEMORY;
@@ -930,12 +933,13 @@ static int _ldap_url_parse2 (const struct connectdata *conn, LDAPURLDesc *ludp)
   if(*p) {
     char *filter = p;
     char *unescaped;
+    CURLcode result;
 
     LDAP_TRACE (("filter '%s'\n", filter));
 
     /* Unescape the filter */
-    unescaped = curl_easy_unescape(conn->data, filter, 0, NULL);
-    if(!unescaped) {
+    result = Curl_urldecode(conn->data, filter, 0, &unescaped, NULL, FALSE);
+    if(result) {
       rc = LDAP_NO_MEMORY;
 
       goto quit;
@@ -971,8 +975,8 @@ quit:
   return rc;
 }
 
-static int _ldap_url_parse (const struct connectdata *conn,
-                            LDAPURLDesc **ludpp)
+static int _ldap_url_parse(const struct connectdata *conn,
+                           LDAPURLDesc **ludpp)
 {
   LDAPURLDesc *ludp = calloc(1, sizeof(*ludp));
   int rc;
@@ -981,7 +985,7 @@ static int _ldap_url_parse (const struct connectdata *conn,
   if(!ludp)
      return LDAP_NO_MEMORY;
 
-  rc = _ldap_url_parse2 (conn, ludp);
+  rc = _ldap_url_parse2(conn, ludp);
   if(rc != LDAP_SUCCESS) {
     _ldap_free_urldesc(ludp);
     ludp = NULL;
@@ -990,7 +994,7 @@ static int _ldap_url_parse (const struct connectdata *conn,
   return (rc);
 }
 
-static void _ldap_free_urldesc (LDAPURLDesc *ludp)
+static void _ldap_free_urldesc(LDAPURLDesc *ludp)
 {
   size_t i;
 
diff --git a/lib/ssh.c b/lib/ssh.c
index d403c5727..fff578c7b 100644
--- a/lib/ssh.c
+++ b/lib/ssh.c
@@ -416,12 +416,12 @@ static CURLcode ssh_getworkingpath(struct connectdata *conn,
   struct Curl_easy *data = conn->data;
   char *real_path = NULL;
   char *working_path;
-  int working_path_len;
-
-  working_path = curl_easy_unescape(data, data->state.path, 0,
-                                    &working_path_len);
-  if(!working_path)
-    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+  size_t working_path_len;
+  CURLcode result =
+    Curl_urldecode(data, data->state.path, 0, &working_path,
+                   &working_path_len, FALSE);
+  if(result)
+    return result;
 
   /* Check for /~/, indicating relative to the user's home directory */
   if(conn->handler->protocol & CURLPROTO_SCP) {
diff --git a/lib/tftp.c b/lib/tftp.c
index 5922d7741..4c90de667 100644
--- a/lib/tftp.c
+++ b/lib/tftp.c
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 #include "rawstr.h"
 #include "speedcheck.h"
 #include "select.h"
+#include "escape.h"
 
 /* The last 3 #include files should be in this order */
 #include "curl_printf.h"
@@ -484,10 +485,10 @@ static CURLcode tftp_send_first(tftp_state_data_t *state, tftp_event_t event)
     /* As RFC3617 describes the separator slash is not actually part of the
        file name so we skip the always-present first letter of the path
        string. */
-    filename = curl_easy_unescape(data, &state->conn->data->state.path[1], 0,
-                                  NULL);
-    if(!filename)
-      return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+    result = Curl_urldecode(data, &state->conn->data->state.path[1], 0,
+                            &filename, NULL, FALSE);
+    if(result)
+      return result;
 
     snprintf((char *)state->spacket.data+2,
              state->blksize,
diff --git a/lib/url.c b/lib/url.c
index b42673163..737d6bfed 100644
--- a/lib/url.c
+++ b/lib/url.c
@@ -4691,21 +4691,24 @@ static CURLcode parse_proxy(struct Curl_easy *data,
          them. */
       Curl_safefree(conn->proxyuser);
       if(proxyuser && strlen(proxyuser) < MAX_CURL_USER_LENGTH)
-        conn->proxyuser = curl_easy_unescape(data, proxyuser, 0, NULL);
-      else
-        conn->proxyuser = strdup("");
-
-      if(!conn->proxyuser)
-        result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+        result = Curl_urldecode(data, proxyuser, 0, &conn->proxyuser, NULL,
+                                FALSE);
       else {
+        conn->proxyuser = strdup("");
+        if(!conn->proxyuser)
+          result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+      }
+
+      if(!result) {
         Curl_safefree(conn->proxypasswd);
         if(proxypasswd && strlen(proxypasswd) < MAX_CURL_PASSWORD_LENGTH)
-          conn->proxypasswd = curl_easy_unescape(data, proxypasswd, 0, NULL);
-        else
+          result = Curl_urldecode(data, proxypasswd, 0,
+                                  &conn->proxypasswd, NULL, FALSE);
+        else {
           conn->proxypasswd = strdup("");
-
-        if(!conn->proxypasswd)
-          result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+          if(!conn->proxypasswd)
+            result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+        }
       }
 
       if(!result) {
@@ -4812,6 +4815,7 @@ static CURLcode parse_proxy_auth(struct Curl_easy *data,
 {
   char proxyuser[MAX_CURL_USER_LENGTH]="";
   char proxypasswd[MAX_CURL_PASSWORD_LENGTH]="";
+  CURLcode result;
 
   if(data->set.str[STRING_PROXYUSERNAME] != NULL) {
     strncpy(proxyuser, data->set.str[STRING_PROXYUSERNAME],
@@ -4824,15 +4828,11 @@ static CURLcode parse_proxy_auth(struct Curl_easy *data,
     proxypasswd[MAX_CURL_PASSWORD_LENGTH-1] = '\0'; /*To be on safe side*/
   }
 
-  conn->proxyuser = curl_easy_unescape(data, proxyuser, 0, NULL);
-  if(!conn->proxyuser)
-    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-
-  conn->proxypasswd = curl_easy_unescape(data, proxypasswd, 0, NULL);
-  if(!conn->proxypasswd)
-    return CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-
-  return CURLE_OK;
+  result = Curl_urldecode(data, proxyuser, 0, &conn->proxyuser, NULL, FALSE);
+  if(!result)
+    result = Curl_urldecode(data, proxypasswd, 0, &conn->proxypasswd, NULL,
+                            FALSE);
+  return result;
 }
 #endif /* CURL_DISABLE_PROXY */
 
@@ -4906,9 +4906,8 @@ static CURLcode parse_url_login(struct Curl_easy *data,
     conn->bits.user_passwd = TRUE; /* enable user+password */
 
     /* Decode the user */
-    newname = curl_easy_unescape(data, userp, 0, NULL);
-    if(!newname) {
-      result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+    result = Curl_urldecode(data, userp, 0, &newname, NULL, FALSE);
+    if(result) {
       goto out;
     }
 
@@ -4918,9 +4917,9 @@ static CURLcode parse_url_login(struct Curl_easy *data,
 
   if(passwdp) {
     /* We have a password in the URL so decode it */
-    char *newpasswd = curl_easy_unescape(data, passwdp, 0, NULL);
-    if(!newpasswd) {
-      result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+    char *newpasswd;
+    result = Curl_urldecode(data, passwdp, 0, &newpasswd, NULL, FALSE);
+    if(result) {
       goto out;
     }
 
@@ -4930,9 +4929,9 @@ static CURLcode parse_url_login(struct Curl_easy *data,
 
   if(optionsp) {
     /* We have an options list in the URL so decode it */
-    char *newoptions = curl_easy_unescape(data, optionsp, 0, NULL);
-    if(!newoptions) {
-      result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+    char *newoptions;
+    result = Curl_urldecode(data, optionsp, 0, &newoptions, NULL, FALSE);
+    if(result) {
       goto out;
     }