diff --git a/src/util/Makefile.am b/src/util/Makefile.am
index 95cc233aa..55b4fc5ed 100644
--- a/src/util/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/util/Makefile.am
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ libtalerutil_la_SOURCES = \
   crypto.c \
   crypto_wire.c \
   getopt.c \
+  mhd.c \
   payto.c \
   url.c \
   util.c \
diff --git a/src/util/mhd.c b/src/util/mhd.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e615de696
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/mhd.c
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+/*
+  This file is part of TALER
+  Copyright (C) 2014-2020 Taler Systems SA
+
+  TALER is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+  terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software
+  Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option) any later version.
+
+  TALER is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
+  WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
+  A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with
+  TALER; see the file COPYING.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>
+*/
+/**
+ * @file mhd.c
+ * @brief MHD utility functions (used by the merchant backend)
+ * @author Christian Grothoff
+ */
+#include "platform.h"
+#include "taler_util.h"
+
+
+/**
+ * Find out if an MHD connection is using HTTPS (either
+ * directly or via proxy).
+ *
+ * @param connection MHD connection
+ * @returns #GNUNET_YES if the MHD connection is using https,
+ *          #GNUNET_NO if the MHD connection is using http,
+ *          #GNUNET_SYSERR if the connection type couldn't be determined
+ */
+int
+TALER_mhd_is_https (struct MHD_Connection *connection)
+{
+  const union MHD_ConnectionInfo *ci;
+  const union MHD_DaemonInfo *di;
+  const char *forwarded_proto = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection,
+                                                             MHD_HEADER_KIND,
+                                                             "X-Forwarded-Proto");
+
+  if (NULL != forwarded_proto)
+  {
+    if (0 == strcmp (forwarded_proto,
+                     "https"))
+      return GNUNET_YES;
+    if (0 == strcmp (forwarded_proto,
+                     "http"))
+      return GNUNET_NO;
+    GNUNET_break (0);
+    return GNUNET_SYSERR;
+  }
+  /* likely not reverse proxy, figure out if we are
+     http by asking MHD */
+  ci = MHD_get_connection_info (connection,
+                                MHD_CONNECTION_INFO_DAEMON);
+  if (NULL == ci)
+  {
+    GNUNET_break (0);
+    return GNUNET_SYSERR;
+  }
+  di = MHD_get_daemon_info (ci->daemon,
+                            MHD_DAEMON_INFO_FLAGS);
+  if (NULL == di)
+  {
+    GNUNET_break (0);
+    return GNUNET_SYSERR;
+  }
+  if (0 != (di->flags & MHD_USE_TLS))
+    return GNUNET_YES;
+  return GNUNET_NO;
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * Make an absolute URL for a given MHD connection.
+ *
+ * @param connection the connection to get the URL for
+ * @param path path of the url
+ * @param ... NULL-terminated key-value pairs (char *) for query parameters,
+ *        the value will be url-encoded
+ * @returns the URL, must be freed with #GNUNET_free
+ */
+char *
+TALER_url_absolute_mhd (struct MHD_Connection *connection,
+                        const char *path,
+                        ...)
+{
+  /* By default we assume we're running under HTTPS */
+  const char *proto;
+  const char *host;
+  const char *forwarded_host;
+  const char *prefix;
+  va_list args;
+  char *result;
+
+  if (GNUNET_YES == TALER_mhd_is_https (connection))
+    proto = "https";
+  else
+    proto = "http";
+
+  host = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection, MHD_HEADER_KIND, "Host");
+  forwarded_host = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection,
+                                                MHD_HEADER_KIND,
+                                                "X-Forwarded-Host");
+
+  prefix = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection,
+                                        MHD_HEADER_KIND,
+                                        "X-Forwarded-Prefix");
+  if (NULL == prefix)
+    prefix = "";
+
+  if (NULL != forwarded_host)
+    host = forwarded_host;
+
+  if (NULL == host)
+  {
+    /* Should never happen, at last the host header should be defined */
+    GNUNET_break (0);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+  va_start (args,
+            path);
+  result = TALER_url_absolute_raw_va (proto,
+                                      host,
+                                      prefix,
+                                      path,
+                                      args);
+  va_end (args);
+  return result;
+}
diff --git a/src/util/url.c b/src/util/url.c
index be15917b6..2096ebd8b 100644
--- a/src/util/url.c
+++ b/src/util/url.c
@@ -304,106 +304,4 @@ TALER_url_absolute_raw (const char *proto,
 }
 
 
-/**
- * Find out if an MHD connection is using HTTPS (either
- * directly or via proxy).
- *
- * @param connection MHD connection
- * @returns GNUNET_YES if the MHD connection is using https,
- *          GNUNET_NO if the MHD connection is using http,
- *          GNUNET_SYSERR if the connection type couldn't be determined
- */
-int
-TALER_mhd_is_https (struct MHD_Connection *connection)
-{
-  const union MHD_ConnectionInfo *ci;
-  const union MHD_DaemonInfo *di;
-  const char *forwarded_proto = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection,
-                                                             MHD_HEADER_KIND,
-                                                             "X-Forwarded-Proto");
-
-  if (NULL != forwarded_proto)
-  {
-    if (0 == strcmp (forwarded_proto, "https"))
-      return GNUNET_YES;
-    if (0 == strcmp (forwarded_proto, "http"))
-      return GNUNET_NO;
-    GNUNET_break (0);
-    return GNUNET_SYSERR;
-  }
-  /* likely not reverse proxy, figure out if we are
-     http by asking MHD */
-  ci = MHD_get_connection_info (connection,
-                                MHD_CONNECTION_INFO_DAEMON);
-  if (NULL == ci)
-  {
-    GNUNET_break (0);
-    return GNUNET_SYSERR;
-  }
-  di = MHD_get_daemon_info (ci->daemon,
-                            MHD_DAEMON_INFO_FLAGS);
-  if (NULL == di)
-  {
-    GNUNET_break (0);
-    return GNUNET_SYSERR;
-  }
-  if (0 != (di->flags & MHD_USE_TLS))
-    return GNUNET_YES;
-  return GNUNET_NO;
-}
-
-
-/**
- * Make an absolute URL for a given MHD connection.
- *
- * @param connection the connection to get the URL for
- * @param path path of the url
- * @param ... NULL-terminated key-value pairs (char *) for query parameters,
- *        the value will be url-encoded
- * @returns the URL, must be freed with #GNUNET_free
- */
-char *
-TALER_url_absolute_mhd (struct MHD_Connection *connection,
-                        const char *path,
-                        ...)
-{
-  /* By default we assume we're running under HTTPS */
-  const char *proto;
-  const char *host;
-  const char *forwarded_host;
-  const char *prefix;
-  va_list args;
-  char *result;
-
-  if (GNUNET_YES == TALER_mhd_is_https (connection))
-    proto = "https";
-  else
-    proto = "http";
-
-  host = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection, MHD_HEADER_KIND, "Host");
-  forwarded_host = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection, MHD_HEADER_KIND,
-                                                "X-Forwarded-Host");
-
-  prefix = MHD_lookup_connection_value (connection, MHD_HEADER_KIND,
-                                        "X-Forwarded-Prefix");
-  if (NULL == prefix)
-    prefix = "";
-
-  if (NULL != forwarded_host)
-    host = forwarded_host;
-
-  if (NULL == host)
-  {
-    /* Should never happen, at last the host header should be defined */
-    GNUNET_break (0);
-    return NULL;
-  }
-
-  va_start (args, path);
-  result = TALER_url_absolute_raw_va (proto, host, prefix, path, args);
-  va_end (args);
-  return result;
-}
-
-
 /* end of url.c */