diff --git a/py/__init__.py b/py/__init__.py
index 0371fabfb..d16105739 100644
--- a/py/__init__.py
+++ b/py/__init__.py
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ version = "1.0.0b2"
 
 initpkg(__name__,
     description = "pylib and py.test: agile development and test support library",
-    revision = int('$LastChangedRevision: 64000 $'.split(':')[1][:-1]),
-    lastchangedate = '$LastChangedDate: 2009-04-13 01:05:08 +0200 (Mon, 13 Apr 2009) $',
+    revision = int('$LastChangedRevision: 65143 $'.split(':')[1][:-1]),
+    lastchangedate = '$LastChangedDate: 2009-05-07 19:37:45 +0200 (Thu, 07 May 2009) $',
     version = version, 
     url = "http://pylib.org", 
     download_url = "http://codespeak.net/py/%s/download.html" % version,
diff --git a/py/path/svn/svncommon.py b/py/path/svn/svncommon.py
index c9ace8e66..92e098ed0 100644
--- a/py/path/svn/svncommon.py
+++ b/py/path/svn/svncommon.py
@@ -35,6 +35,17 @@ def _check_for_bad_chars(text, allowed_chars=ALLOWED_CHARS):
         return True
     return False
 
+def checkbadchars(url):
+    # (hpk) not quite sure about the exact purpose, guido w.? 
+    proto, uri = url.split("://", 1)
+    if proto != "file":
+        host, uripath = uri.split('/', 1)
+        # only check for bad chars in the non-protocol parts
+        if (_check_for_bad_chars(host, ALLOWED_CHARS_HOST) \
+            or _check_for_bad_chars(uripath, ALLOWED_CHARS)):
+            raise ValueError("bad char in %r" % (url, ))
+            
+
 #_______________________________________________________________
 
 class SvnPathBase(common.FSPathBase):
diff --git a/py/path/svn/testing/test_urlcommand.py b/py/path/svn/testing/test_urlcommand.py
index e3138859c..966d6c738 100644
--- a/py/path/svn/testing/test_urlcommand.py
+++ b/py/path/svn/testing/test_urlcommand.py
@@ -124,4 +124,4 @@ class TestSvnInfoCommand:
         assert info.kind == 'dir'
 
 def test_badchars():
-    py.test.raises(ValueError, "py.path.svnurl('file:///tmp/@@@:')")
+    py.test.raises(ValueError, "py.path.svnurl('http://host/tmp/@@@:')")
diff --git a/py/path/svn/urlcommand.py b/py/path/svn/urlcommand.py
index d569c53c0..8fea634ff 100644
--- a/py/path/svn/urlcommand.py
+++ b/py/path/svn/urlcommand.py
@@ -28,13 +28,7 @@ class SvnCommandPath(svncommon.SvnPathBase):
             rev = path.rev 
             auth = path.auth
             path = path.strpath 
-        proto, uri = path.split("://", 1)
-        host, uripath = uri.split('/', 1)
-        # only check for bad chars in the non-protocol parts
-        if (svncommon._check_for_bad_chars(host, svncommon.ALLOWED_CHARS_HOST)
-                or svncommon._check_for_bad_chars(uripath,
-                                                  svncommon.ALLOWED_CHARS)):
-            raise ValueError("bad char in path %s" % (path, ))
+        svncommon.checkbadchars(path)
         path = path.rstrip('/')
         self.strpath = path
         self.rev = rev
diff --git a/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py b/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
index 47c2697ae..46c0ace98 100644
--- a/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
+++ b/py/test/plugin/pytest_pytester.py
@@ -224,8 +224,10 @@ class TmpTestdir:
         if not hasattr(py.std, 'subprocess'):
             py.test.skip("no subprocess module")
         env = os.environ.copy()
-        env['PYTHONPATH'] = "%s:%s" % (os.getcwd(), env['PYTHONPATH'])
+        env['PYTHONPATH'] = ":".join(filter(None, [
+            str(os.getcwd()), env.get('PYTHONPATH', '')]))
         kw['env'] = env
+        #print "env", env
         return py.std.subprocess.Popen(cmdargs, stdout=stdout, stderr=stderr, **kw)
 
     def run(self, *cmdargs):
diff --git a/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py b/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
index 63345bc0c..4abed9552 100644
--- a/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
+++ b/py/test/testing/test_pluginmanager.py
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ class TestBootstrapping:
                 plugin = py.test.config.pluginmanager.getplugin('x500')
                 assert plugin is not None
         """)
-        new = str(x500.dirpath()) # "%s:%s" %(x500.dirpath(), os.environ.get('PYTHONPATH', ''))
-        monkeypatch.setitem(os.environ, 'PYTHONPATH', new)
         monkeypatch.setitem(os.environ, 'PYTEST_PLUGINS', 'pytest_x500')
         result = testdir.runpytest(p)
         assert result.ret == 0