diff --git a/weboob/backends/gazelle/browser.py b/weboob/backends/gazelle/browser.py
index c8bb9f30..2904064d 100644
--- a/weboob/backends/gazelle/browser.py
+++ b/weboob/backends/gazelle/browser.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ from weboob.tools.browser import BaseBrowser
 
 from .pages.index import IndexPage, LoginPage
 from .pages.torrents import TorrentsPage
-import urllib
 
 
 __all__ = ['GazelleBrowser']
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ class GazelleBrowser(BaseBrowser):
         return self.location('%s://%s/login.php' % (self.PROTOCOL, self.DOMAIN))
 
     def iter_torrents(self, pattern):
-        self.location('/torrents.php?searchstr=%s' % urllib.quote_plus(pattern))
+        self.location(self.buildurl('/torrents.php', searchstr=pattern))
 
         assert self.is_on_page(TorrentsPage)
         return self.page.iter_torrents()
diff --git a/weboob/backends/youporn/browser.py b/weboob/backends/youporn/browser.py
index f803ff08..af924b2b 100644
--- a/weboob/backends/youporn/browser.py
+++ b/weboob/backends/youporn/browser.py
@@ -18,8 +18,6 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
 
 """
 
-import urllib
-
 from weboob.tools.browser import BaseBrowser
 
 from .pages.index import IndexPage
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ class YoupornBrowser(BaseBrowser):
         if not pattern:
             self.home()
         else:
-            self.location('/search/%s?query=%s' % (sortby, urllib.quote_plus(pattern)))
+            self.location(self.buildurl('/search/%s' % sortby, query=pattern))
 
         assert self.is_on_page(IndexPage)
         return self.page.iter_videos()
diff --git a/weboob/tools/browser.py b/weboob/tools/browser.py
index a09abead..52d37227 100644
--- a/weboob/tools/browser.py
+++ b/weboob/tools/browser.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
 """
 
 import mechanize
+import urllib
 import urllib2
 import ClientForm
 import re
@@ -305,6 +306,27 @@ class BaseBrowser(mechanize.Browser):
         if self._cookie:
             self._cookie.save()
 
+    def buildurl(self, base, *args, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Build an URL and escape arguments.
+        You can give a serie of tuples in *args (and the order is keept), or
+        a dict in **kwargs (but the order is lost).
+
+        Example:
+        >>> buildurl('/blah.php', ('a', '&'), ('c', '=')
+        '/blah.php?a=%26&b=%3D'
+        >>> buildurl('/blah.php', a='&', 'c'='=')
+        '/blah.php?b=%3D&a=%26'
+
+        """
+
+        if not args:
+            args = kwargs
+        if not args:
+            return base
+        else:
+            return '%s?%s' % (base, urllib.urlencode(args))
+
     def str(self, s):
         if isinstance(s, unicode):
             s = s.encode('iso-8859-15', 'replace')