diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHOrganization.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHOrganization.java
index ae6bc3421..8f0887786 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHOrganization.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHOrganization.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public class GHOrganization extends GHPerson {
      * Teams by their names.
      */
     public Map<String,GHTeam> getTeams() throws IOException {
-        return root.retrieveWithAuth(root.getApiURL("/organizations/"+login+"/teams"),JsonTeams.class).toMap(this);
+        return root.retrieveWithAuth("/organizations/"+login+"/teams",JsonTeams.class).toMap(this);
     }
 
     public enum Permission { ADMIN, PUSH, PULL }
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public class GHOrganization extends GHPerson {
         for (GHRepository r : repositories) {
             post.with("team[repo_names][]",r.getOwnerName()+'/'+r.getName());
         }
-        return post.to(root.getApiURL("/organizations/"+login+"/teams"),JsonTeam.class).wrap(this);
+        return post.to("/organizations/"+login+"/teams",JsonTeam.class).wrap(this);
     }
 
     public GHTeam createTeam(String name, Permission p, GHRepository... repositories) throws IOException {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
index 62d77b417..d07ab6029 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public class GHRepository {
     private void modifyCollaborators(Collection<GHUser> users, String op) throws IOException {
         verifyMine();
         for (GHUser user : users) {
-            new Poster(root).withCredential().to(root.getApiURL("/repos/collaborators/"+name+ op +user.getLogin()));
+            new Poster(root).withCredential().to("/repos/collaborators/"+name+ op +user.getLogin());
         }
     }
 
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ public class GHRepository {
      */
     public void delete() throws IOException {
         Poster poster = new Poster(root).withCredential();
-        URL url = root.getApiURL("/repos/delete/" + owner +"/"+name);
+        String url = "/repos/delete/" + owner +"/"+name;
 
         DeleteToken token = poster.to(url, DeleteToken.class);
         poster.with("delete_token",token.delete_token).to(url);
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public class GHRepository {
      * Forks this repository.
      */
     public GHRepository fork() throws IOException {
-        return new Poster(root).withCredential().to(root.getApiURL("/repos/fork/" + owner + "/" + name), JsonRepository.class).wrap(root);
+        return new Poster(root).withCredential().to("/repos/fork/" + owner + "/" + name, JsonRepository.class).wrap(root);
     }
 
     private void verifyMine() throws IOException {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHTeam.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHTeam.java
index f42949966..e58a98950 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHTeam.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHTeam.java
@@ -31,29 +31,29 @@ public class GHTeam {
      * Retrieves the current members.
      */
     public Set<GHUser> getMembers() throws IOException {
-        return org.root.retrieveWithAuth(getApiURL("/members"),JsonUsersWithDetails.class).toSet(org.root);
+        return org.root.retrieveWithAuth("/members",JsonUsersWithDetails.class).toSet(org.root);
     }
 
     /**
      * Adds a member to the team.
      */
     public void add(GHUser u) throws IOException {
-        org.root.retrieveWithAuth(getApiURL("/members?name="+u.getLogin()),null, "POST");
+        org.root.retrieveWithAuth("/members?name="+u.getLogin(),null, "POST");
     }
 
     /**
      * Removes a member to the team.
      */
     public void remove(GHUser u) throws IOException {
-        org.root.retrieveWithAuth(getApiURL("/members?name="+u.getLogin()),null, "DELETE");
+        org.root.retrieveWithAuth("/members?name="+u.getLogin(),null, "DELETE");
     }
 
     public void add(GHRepository r) throws IOException {
-        org.root.retrieveWithAuth(getApiURL("/repositories?name="+r.getOwnerName()+'/'+r.getName()),null, "POST");
+        org.root.retrieveWithAuth("/repositories?name="+r.getOwnerName()+'/'+r.getName(),null, "POST");
     }
 
     public void remove(GHRepository r) throws IOException {
-        org.root.retrieveWithAuth(getApiURL("/repositories?name="+r.getOwnerName()+'/'+r.getName()),null, "DELETE");
+        org.root.retrieveWithAuth("/repositories?name="+r.getOwnerName()+'/'+r.getName(),null, "DELETE");
     }
 
     private URL getApiURL(String tail) throws IOException {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHUser.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHUser.java
index 205b466c0..178ea0e68 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHUser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHUser.java
@@ -108,14 +108,14 @@ public class GHUser extends GHPerson {
      * Follow this user.
      */
     public void follow() throws IOException {
-        new Poster(root).withCredential().to(root.getApiURL("/user/follow/"+login));
+        new Poster(root).withCredential().to("/user/follow/"+login);
     }
 
     /**
      * Unfollow this user.
      */
     public void unfollow() throws IOException {
-        new Poster(root).withCredential().to(root.getApiURL("/user/unfollow/"+login));
+        new Poster(root).withCredential().to("/user/unfollow/"+login);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GitHub.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GitHub.java
index 58faa3757..38698a41b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GitHub.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GitHub.java
@@ -106,19 +106,20 @@ public class GitHub {
             throw new IllegalStateException("This operation requires a credential but none is given to the GitHub constructor");
     }
 
-    /*package*/ URL getApiURL(String tail) throws IOException {
-        return new URL("http://github.com/api/v2/json"+tail);
+    /*package*/ URL getApiURL(String tailApiUrl) throws IOException {
+        return new URL("http://github.com/api/v2/json"+tailApiUrl);
     }
 
-    /*package*/ <T> T retrieve(String tail, Class<T> type) throws IOException {
-        return MAPPER.readValue(getApiURL(tail),type);
+    /*package*/ <T> T retrieve(String tailApiUrl, Class<T> type) throws IOException {
+        return MAPPER.readValue(getApiURL(tailApiUrl),type);
     }
 
-    /*package*/ <T> T retrieveWithAuth(URL url, Class<T> type) throws IOException {
-        return retrieveWithAuth(url,type,"GET");
+    /*package*/ <T> T retrieveWithAuth(String tailApiUrl, Class<T> type) throws IOException {
+        return retrieveWithAuth(tailApiUrl,type,"GET");
     }
-    /*package*/ <T> T retrieveWithAuth(URL url, Class<T> type, String method) throws IOException {
-        HttpURLConnection uc = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
+
+    /*package*/ <T> T retrieveWithAuth(String tailApiUrl, Class<T> type, String method) throws IOException {
+        HttpURLConnection uc = (HttpURLConnection) getApiURL(tailApiUrl).openConnection();
 
         uc.setRequestProperty("Authorization", "Basic " + encodedAuthorization);
         uc.setRequestMethod(method);
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ public class GitHub {
     public GHUser getUser(String login) throws IOException {
         GHUser u = users.get(login);
         if (u==null) {
-            u = MAPPER.readValue(getApiURL("/user/show/"+login), JsonUser.class).user;
+            u = retrieve("/user/show/"+login,JsonUser.class).user;
             u.root = this;
             users.put(login,u);
         }
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ public class GitHub {
     public GHOrganization getOrganization(String name) throws IOException {
         GHOrganization o = orgs.get(name);
         if (o==null) {
-            o = MAPPER.readValue(getApiURL("/organizations/"+name), JsonOrganization.class).organization;
+            o = retrieve("/organizations/"+name,JsonOrganization.class).organization;
             o.root = this;
             orgs.put(name,o);
         }
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ public class GitHub {
     public GHRepository createRepository(String name, String description, String homepage, boolean isPublic) throws IOException {
         return new Poster(this).withCredential()
                 .with("name", name).with("description", description).with("homepage", homepage)
-                .with("public", isPublic ? 1 : 0).to(getApiURL("/repos/create"), JsonRepository.class).wrap(this);
+                .with("public", isPublic ? 1 : 0).to("/repos/create", JsonRepository.class).wrap(this);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -196,7 +197,7 @@ public class GitHub {
      */
     public boolean isCredentialValid() throws IOException {
         try {
-            retrieveWithAuth(getApiURL("/user/show"),JsonUser.class);
+            retrieveWithAuth("/user/show",JsonUser.class);
             return true;
         } catch (IOException e) {
             return false;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Poster.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Poster.java
index 4df4aa9d2..6ba219ed2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Poster.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/Poster.java
@@ -72,6 +72,14 @@ class Poster {
         return this;
     }
 
+    public void to(String tailApiUrl) throws IOException {
+        to(root.getApiURL(tailApiUrl));
+    }
+
+    public <T> T to(String tailApiUrl, Class<T> type) throws IOException {
+        return to(root.getApiURL(tailApiUrl),type);
+    }
+
     public void to(URL url) throws IOException {
         to(url,null);
     }