diff --git a/common/content/browser.js b/common/content/browser.js
index 746b46ec..86383fac 100644
--- a/common/content/browser.js
+++ b/common/content/browser.js
@@ -200,9 +200,13 @@ var Browser = Module("browser", XPCOM(Ci.nsISupportsWeakReference, ModuleBase),
             ["o"], "Open one or more URLs",
             function () { CommandExMode().open("open "); });
 
+        function decode(uri) statusline.losslessDecodeURI(uri)
+                                       .replace(/%20(?!(?:%20)*$)/g, " ")
+                                       .replace(RegExp(options["urlseparator"], "g"), encodeURIComponent);
+
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["O"],
             "Open one or more URLs, based on current location",
-            function () { CommandExMode().open("open " + buffer.uri.spec); });
+            function () { CommandExMode().open("open " + decode(buffer.uri.spec)); });
 
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["t"],
             "Open one or more URLs in a new tab",
@@ -210,7 +214,7 @@ var Browser = Module("browser", XPCOM(Ci.nsISupportsWeakReference, ModuleBase),
 
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["T"],
             "Open one or more URLs in a new tab, based on current location",
-            function () { CommandExMode().open("tabopen " + buffer.uri.spec); });
+            function () { CommandExMode().open("tabopen " + decode(buffer.uri.spec)); });
 
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["w"],
             "Open one or more URLs in a new window",
@@ -218,7 +222,7 @@ var Browser = Module("browser", XPCOM(Ci.nsISupportsWeakReference, ModuleBase),
 
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["W"],
             "Open one or more URLs in a new window, based on current location",
-            function () { CommandExMode().open("winopen " + buffer.uri.spec); });
+            function () { CommandExMode().open("winopen " + decode(buffer.uri.spec)); });
 
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["~"],
             "Open home directory",
diff --git a/common/content/buffer.js b/common/content/buffer.js
index 9a542a7d..ddd0c206 100644
--- a/common/content/buffer.js
+++ b/common/content/buffer.js
@@ -1752,7 +1752,7 @@ var Buffer = Module("buffer", {
             function () {
                 let url = dactyl.clipboardRead();
                 dactyl.assert(url, _("error.clipboardEmpty"));
-                dactyl.open(url);
+                dactyl.open(url.replace(/\s+/g, ""));
             });
 
         mappings.add([modes.NORMAL], ["P", "<tab-open-clipboard-url>"],
@@ -1760,7 +1760,7 @@ var Buffer = Module("buffer", {
             function () {
                 let url = dactyl.clipboardRead();
                 dactyl.assert(url, _("error.clipboardEmpty"));
-                dactyl.open(url, { from: "paste", where: dactyl.NEW_TAB });
+                dactyl.open(url.replace(/\s+/g, ""), { from: "paste", where: dactyl.NEW_TAB });
             });
 
         // reloading
diff --git a/common/content/dactyl.js b/common/content/dactyl.js
index c7bbb11e..679f94d1 100644
--- a/common/content/dactyl.js
+++ b/common/content/dactyl.js
@@ -1307,7 +1307,7 @@ var Dactyl = Module("dactyl", XPCOM(Ci.nsISupportsWeakReference, ModuleBase), {
             // If it starts with a valid protocol, pass it through.
             let proto = /^([-\w]+):/.exec(url);
             if (proto && "@mozilla.org/network/protocol;1?name=" + proto[1] in Cc)
-                return url.replace(/\s+/g, "");
+                return url;
 
             // Check for a matching search keyword.
             let searchURL = this.has("bookmarks") && bookmarks.getSearchURL(url, false);
@@ -1681,7 +1681,7 @@ var Dactyl = Module("dactyl", XPCOM(Ci.nsISupportsWeakReference, ModuleBase), {
 
         options.add(["urlseparator", "urlsep", "us"],
             "The regular expression used to separate multiple URLs in :open and friends",
-            "string", "\\|",
+            "string", " \\| ",
             { validator: function (value) RegExp(value) });
 
         options.add(["verbose", "vbs"],