diff --git a/src/bank-lib/bank_api_history.c b/src/bank-lib/bank_api_history.c
index 902165def..fa53a5bba 100644
--- a/src/bank-lib/bank_api_history.c
+++ b/src/bank-lib/bank_api_history.c
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ parse_account_history (struct TALER_BANK_HistoryHandle *hh,
                        const json_t *history)
 {
   json_t *history_array;
+  char *bank_hostname;
 
   if (NULL == (history_array = json_object_get (history, "data")))
   {
@@ -136,11 +137,17 @@ parse_account_history (struct TALER_BANK_HistoryHandle *hh,
       GNUNET_JSON_parse_free (hist_spec);
       return GNUNET_SYSERR;
     }
+    /* Note, bank_base_url has _always_ the protocol scheme
+     * and it proved to be good at this point.  */
+    bank_hostname = strchr (hh->bank_base_url, ':');
+    GNUNET_assert (NULL != bank_hostname);
+    bank_hostname += 3;
+
     GNUNET_asprintf (&td.account_url,
-                     ('/' == hh->bank_base_url[strlen(hh->bank_base_url)-1])
+                     ('/' == bank_hostname[strlen(bank_hostname)-1])
                      ? "payto://x-taler-bank/%s%llu"
                      : "payto://x-taler-bank/%s/%llu",
-                     hh->bank_base_url,
+                     bank_hostname,
                      (unsigned long long) other_account);
     hh->hcb (hh->hcb_cls,
              MHD_HTTP_OK,
diff --git a/src/bank-lib/fakebank.c b/src/bank-lib/fakebank.c
index 6761cb519..2a8164684 100644
--- a/src/bank-lib/fakebank.c
+++ b/src/bank-lib/fakebank.c
@@ -960,6 +960,8 @@ handle_mhd_request (void *cls,
 
   /* Unexpected URL path, just close the connection. */
   /* we're rather impolite here, but it's a testcase. */
+  TALER_LOG_ERROR ("Breaking URL: %s\n",
+                   url);
   GNUNET_break_op (0);
   return MHD_NO;
 }
diff --git a/src/bank-lib/test_bank_interpreter.c b/src/bank-lib/test_bank_interpreter.c
index e503bd8dc..fe6b4e1a2 100644
--- a/src/bank-lib/test_bank_interpreter.c
+++ b/src/bank-lib/test_bank_interpreter.c
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ build_history (struct InterpreterState *is,
         h[total].direction |= TALER_BANK_DIRECTION_CANCEL;
       GNUNET_asprintf (&h[total].details.account_url,
                        "payto://x-taler-bank/%s/%llu",
-                       "http://localhost:8080",
+                       "localhost:8080",
                        (unsigned long long) pos->details.admin_add_incoming.debit_account_no);
     }
     if ( (0 != (cmd->details.history.direction & TALER_BANK_DIRECTION_DEBIT)) &&
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ build_history (struct InterpreterState *is,
         h[total].direction |= TALER_BANK_DIRECTION_CANCEL;
       GNUNET_asprintf (&h[total].details.account_url,
                        "payto://x-taler-bank/%s/%llu",
-                       "http://localhost:8080",
+                       "localhost:8080",
                        (unsigned long long) pos->details.admin_add_incoming.credit_account_no);
     }
     if ( ( (0 != (cmd->details.history.direction & TALER_BANK_DIRECTION_CREDIT)) &&
diff --git a/src/bank-lib/testing_api_cmd_history.c b/src/bank-lib/testing_api_cmd_history.c
index fa5e87395..c9f4960e7 100644
--- a/src/bank-lib/testing_api_cmd_history.c
+++ b/src/bank-lib/testing_api_cmd_history.c
@@ -380,6 +380,9 @@ build_history (struct TALER_TESTING_Interpreter *is,
     const struct TALER_TESTING_Command *pos = &is->commands[off];
     int cancelled;
     const uint64_t *row_id;
+    char *bank_hostname;
+    const uint64_t *credit_account_no;
+    const uint64_t *debit_account_no;
 
     if (GNUNET_OK != TALER_TESTING_GET_TRAIT_ROW_ID
         (pos, &row_id))
@@ -408,8 +411,6 @@ build_history (struct TALER_TESTING_Interpreter *is,
       TALER_LOG_INFO ("hit limit specified by command\n");
       break;
     }
-    const uint64_t *credit_account_no;
-    const uint64_t *debit_account_no;
 
     GNUNET_assert
       (GNUNET_OK == TALER_TESTING_GET_TRAIT_CREDIT_ACCOUNT
@@ -444,6 +445,10 @@ build_history (struct TALER_TESTING_Interpreter *is,
      continue;
     }
 
+      bank_hostname = strchr (hs->bank_url, ':');
+      GNUNET_assert (NULL != bank_hostname);
+      bank_hostname += 3;
+
     if ( (0 != (hs->direction & TALER_BANK_DIRECTION_CREDIT)) &&
          (hs->account_no == *credit_account_no))
     {
@@ -453,10 +458,10 @@ build_history (struct TALER_TESTING_Interpreter *is,
 
       GNUNET_asprintf
         (&h[total].details.account_url,
-         ('/' == hs->bank_url[strlen(hs->bank_url) -1])
+         ('/' == bank_hostname[strlen(bank_hostname) -1])
           ? "payto://x-taler-bank/%s%llu"
           : "payto://x-taler-bank/%s/%llu",
-          hs->bank_url,
+          bank_hostname,
           (unsigned long long) *debit_account_no);
     }
     if ( (0 != (hs->direction & TALER_BANK_DIRECTION_DEBIT)) &&
@@ -468,10 +473,10 @@ build_history (struct TALER_TESTING_Interpreter *is,
 
       GNUNET_asprintf
         (&h[total].details.account_url,
-         ('/' == hs->bank_url[strlen(hs->bank_url) -1])
+         ('/' == bank_hostname[strlen(bank_hostname) -1])
           ? "payto://x-taler-bank/%s%llu"
           : "payto://x-taler-bank/%s/%llu",
-          hs->bank_url,
+          bank_hostname,
           (unsigned long long) *credit_account_no);
     }
     if ( ( (0 != (hs->direction & TALER_BANK_DIRECTION_CREDIT)) &&
diff --git a/src/wire-plugins/plugin_wire_taler-bank.c b/src/wire-plugins/plugin_wire_taler-bank.c
index 4d2d9be0f..0954fd882 100644
--- a/src/wire-plugins/plugin_wire_taler-bank.c
+++ b/src/wire-plugins/plugin_wire_taler-bank.c
@@ -978,6 +978,9 @@ taler_bank_get_history (void *cls,
   const uint64_t *start_off_b64;
   uint64_t start_row;
   struct Account account;
+  char *bank_base_url;
+  char *p;
+  long long unsigned port;
 
   if (0 == num_results)
   {
@@ -1029,8 +1032,40 @@ taler_bank_get_history (void *cls,
 
   whh->hres_cb = hres_cb;
   whh->hres_cb_cls = hres_cb_cls;
+
+  if (NULL != (p = strchr (account.hostname,
+                           (unsigned char) ':')))
+  {
+    p++;
+    if (1 != sscanf (p,
+                     "%llu",
+                     &port))
+    {
+      GNUNET_break (0); 
+      TALER_LOG_ERROR ("Malformed host from payto:// URI\n");
+      return NULL;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (443 != port)
+  {
+    GNUNET_assert
+      (GNUNET_SYSERR != GNUNET_asprintf
+        (&bank_base_url,
+         "http://%s",
+         account.hostname));
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    GNUNET_assert
+      (GNUNET_SYSERR != GNUNET_asprintf
+        (&bank_base_url,
+         "https://%s",
+         account.hostname));  
+  }
+
   whh->hh = TALER_BANK_history (tc->ctx,
-                                account.hostname,
+                                bank_base_url,
                                 &whh->auth,
                                 (uint64_t) account.no,
                                 direction,