Index: kernel-util/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/Web.java
===================================================================
--- kernel-util/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/Web.java	(revision 105610)
+++ kernel-util/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/Web.java	(working copy)
@@ -356,48 +356,20 @@
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Compute the URL that would return to this server based on the current request. Note: this method is duplicated in the kernel/request RequestFilter.java
+	 * Compute the URL that would return to this server based on the current request. 
 	 * 
+	 * Note: this method is duplicated in the /sakai-kernel-api/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/RequestFilter.java
+	 * 
 	 * @param req
 	 *        The request.
 	 * @return The URL back to this server based on the current request.
+	 * @deprecated use RequestFilter.serverUrl
 	 */
 	public static String serverUrl(HttpServletRequest req)
 	{
-		String transport = null;
-		int port = 0;
-		boolean secure = false;
-
-		// if force.url.secure is set (to a https port number), use https and this port
-		String forceSecure = System.getProperty("sakai.force.url.secure");
-		if (forceSecure != null)
-		{
-			transport = "https";
-			port = Integer.parseInt(forceSecure);
-			secure = true;
+	    return RequestFilter.serverUrl(req);
 		}
 
-		// otherwise use the request scheme and port
-		else
-		{
-			transport = req.getScheme();
-			port = req.getServerPort();
-			secure = req.isSecure();
-		}
-
-		StringBuilder url = new StringBuilder();
-		url.append(transport);
-		url.append("://");
-		url.append(req.getServerName());
-		if (((port != 80) && (!secure)) || ((port != 443) && secure))
-		{
-			url.append(":");
-			url.append(port);
-		}
-
-		return url.toString();
-	}
-
 	public static String snoop(PrintWriter out, boolean html, ServletConfig config, HttpServletRequest req)
 	{
 		// if no out, send to system out
Index: api/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/RequestFilter.java
===================================================================
--- api/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/RequestFilter.java	(revision 105610)
+++ api/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/RequestFilter.java	(working copy)
@@ -1430,9 +1430,10 @@
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Compute the URL that would return to this server based on the current request. Note: this method is a duplicate of one in the
-	 * util/Web.java
+	 * Compute the URL that would return to this server based on the current request. 
 	 * 
+	 * Note: this method is used by the one in /sakai-kernel-util/src/main/java/org/sakaiproject/util/Web.java
+	 * 
 	 * @param req
 	 *        The request.
 	 * @return The URL back to this server based on the current request.
@@ -1445,16 +1446,21 @@
 
 		// if force.url.secure is set (to a https port number), use https and this port
 		String forceSecure = System.getProperty("sakai.force.url.secure");
-		if (forceSecure != null)
-		{
+		if (forceSecure != null && !"".equals(forceSecure)) {
+		    // allow the value to be forced to 0 or blank to disable this
+            int portNum;
+            try {
+                portNum = Integer.parseInt(forceSecure);
+            } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("force.url.secure must be set to the port number which should be a numeric value > 0 (or set it to 0 to disable secure urls)", e);
+            }
+            if (portNum > 0) {
 			transport = "https";
-			port = Integer.parseInt(forceSecure);
+                port = portNum;
 			secure = true;
 		}
-
+		} else {
 		// otherwise use the request scheme and port
-		else
-		{
 			transport = req.getScheme();
 			port = req.getServerPort();
 			secure = req.isSecure();