diff --git a/lib/routes/avatars.js b/lib/routes/avatars.js
index fe6ab70..be8e040 100644
--- a/lib/routes/avatars.js
+++ b/lib/routes/avatars.js
@@ -14,12 +14,10 @@ function handle_default(img_status, userId, size, def, req, err, callback) {
   if (defname !== "steve" && defname !== "mhf_steve" && defname !== "alex" && defname !== "mhf_alex") {
     if (helpers.id_valid(def)) {
       // clean up the old URL to match new image
-      var parsed = req.url;
-      delete parsed.query.default;
-      delete parsed.search;
-      parsed.path_list[1] = def;
-      parsed.pathname = "/" + parsed.path_list.join("/");
-      var newUrl = url.format(parsed);
+      req.url.searchParams.delete('default');
+      req.url.path_list[1] = def;
+      req.url.pathname = req.url.path_list.join('/');
+      var newUrl = req.url.toString();
       callback({
         status: img_status,
         redirect: newUrl,
@@ -53,9 +51,9 @@ function handle_default(img_status, userId, size, def, req, err, callback) {
 // GET avatar request
 module.exports = function(req, callback) {
   var userId = (req.url.path_list[1] || "").split(".")[0];
-  var size = parseInt(req.url.query.size) || config.avatars.default_size;
-  var def = req.url.query.default;
-  var overlay = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(req.url.query, "overlay") || Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(req.url.query, "helm");
+  var size = parseInt(req.url.searchParams.get("size")) || config.avatars.default_size;
+  var def = req.url.searchParams.get("default");
+  var overlay = req.url.searchParams.has("overlay") || req.url.searchParams.has("helm");
 
   // check for extra paths
   if (req.url.path_list.length > 2) {
diff --git a/lib/routes/capes.js b/lib/routes/capes.js
index fe38ca9..fc5682a 100644
--- a/lib/routes/capes.js
+++ b/lib/routes/capes.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var cache = require("../cache");
 // GET cape request
 module.exports = function(req, callback) {
   var userId = (req.url.path_list[1] || "").split(".")[0];
-  var def = req.url.query.default;
+  var def = req.url.searchParams.get('default');
   var rid = req.id;
 
   // check for extra paths
diff --git a/lib/routes/renders.js b/lib/routes/renders.js
index 5a335fe..235a244 100644
--- a/lib/routes/renders.js
+++ b/lib/routes/renders.js
@@ -17,12 +17,10 @@ function handle_default(rid, scale, overlay, body, img_status, userId, size, def
   if (defname !== "steve" && defname !== "mhf_steve" && defname !== "alex" && defname !== "mhf_alex") {
     if (helpers.id_valid(def)) {
       // clean up the old URL to match new image
-      var parsed = req.url;
-      delete parsed.query.default;
-      delete parsed.search;
-      parsed.path_list[2] = def;
-      parsed.pathname = "/" + parsed.path_list.join("/");
-      var newUrl = url.format(parsed);
+      req.url.searchParams.delete('default');
+      req.url.path_list[2] = def;
+      req.url.pathname = req.url.path_list.join('/');
+      var newUrl = req.url.toString();
       callback({
         status: img_status,
         redirect: newUrl,
@@ -62,9 +60,9 @@ module.exports = function(req, callback) {
   var rid = req.id;
   var body = raw_type === "body";
   var userId = (req.url.path_list[2] || "").split(".")[0];
-  var def = req.url.query.default;
-  var scale = parseInt(req.url.query.scale) || config.renders.default_scale;
-  var overlay = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(req.url.query, "overlay") || Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(req.url.query, "helm");
+  var def = req.url.searchParams.get("default");
+  var scale = parseInt(req.url.searchParams.get("scale")) || config.renders.default_scale;
+  var overlay = req.url.searchParams.has("overlay") || req.url.searchParams.has("helm");
 
   // check for extra paths
   if (req.url.path_list.length > 3) {
diff --git a/lib/routes/skins.js b/lib/routes/skins.js
index 6951f46..50e458e 100644
--- a/lib/routes/skins.js
+++ b/lib/routes/skins.js
@@ -14,12 +14,10 @@ function handle_default(img_status, userId, def, req, err, callback) {
   if (defname !== "steve" && defname !== "mhf_steve" && defname !== "alex" && defname !== "mhf_alex") {
     if (helpers.id_valid(def)) {
       // clean up the old URL to match new image
-      var parsed = req.url;
-      delete parsed.query.default;
-      delete parsed.search;
-      parsed.path_list[1] = def;
-      parsed.pathname = "/" + parsed.path_list.join("/");
-      var newUrl = url.format(parsed);
+      req.url.searchParams.delete('default');
+      req.url.path_list[1] = def;
+      req.url.pathname = req.url.path_list.join('/');
+      var newUrl = req.url.toString();
       callback({
         status: img_status,
         redirect: newUrl,
@@ -62,7 +60,7 @@ function handle_default(img_status, userId, def, req, err, callback) {
 // GET skin request
 module.exports = function(req, callback) {
   var userId = (req.url.path_list[1] || "").split(".")[0];
-  var def = req.url.query.default;
+  var def = req.url.searchParams.get("default");
   var rid = req.id;
 
   // check for extra paths
diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index ff5981c..6fab129 100644
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -22,24 +22,33 @@ var routes = {
 
 // serves assets from lib/public
 function asset_request(req, callback) {
-  var filename = path.join(__dirname, "public", req.url.path_list.join("/"));
-  fs.access(filename, function(fs_err) {
-    if (!fs_err) {
-      fs.readFile(filename, function(err, data) {
-        callback({
-          body: data,
-          type: mime.getType(filename),
-          err: err,
+  const filename = path.join(__dirname, "public", ...req.url.path_list);
+  const relative = path.relative(path.join(__dirname, "public"), filename);
+  if (relative && !relative.startsWith('..') && !path.isAbsolute(relative)) {
+    fs.access(filename, function(fs_err) {
+      if (!fs_err) {
+        fs.readFile(filename, function(err, data) {
+          callback({
+            body: data,
+            type: mime.getType(filename),
+            err: err,
+          });
         });
-      });
-    } else {
-      callback({
-        body: "Not found",
-        status: -2,
-        code: 404,
-      });
-    }
-  });
+      } else {
+        callback({
+          body: "Not found",
+          status: -2,
+          code: 404,
+        });
+      }
+    });
+  } else {
+    callback({
+      body: "Forbidden",
+      status: -2,
+      code: 403,
+    });
+  }
 }
 
 // generates a 12 character random string
@@ -47,26 +56,18 @@ function request_id() {
   return Math.random().toString(36).substring(2, 14);
 }
 
-// splits a URL path into an Array
-// the path is resolved and decoded
+// splits decoded URL path into an Array
 function path_list(pathname) {
-  // remove double and trailing slashes
-  pathname = pathname.replace(/\/\/+/g, "/").replace(/(.)\/$/, "$1");
   var list = pathname.split("/");
   list.shift();
-  for (var i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
-    // URL decode
-    list[i] = querystring.unescape(list[i]);
-  }
   return list;
 }
 
 // handles the +req+ by routing to the request to the appropriate module
 function requestHandler(req, res) {
-  req.url = url.parse(req.url, true);
-  req.url.query = req.url.query || {};
+  req.url = new URL(decodeURI(req.url), 'http://' + req.headers.host);
+  req.url.pathname = path.resolve('/', req.url.pathname);
   req.url.path_list = path_list(req.url.pathname);
-
   req.id = request_id();
   req.start = Date.now();
 
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 4e9c330..ee00d96 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ describe("Crafatar", function() {
       "avatar with non-existent uuid defaulting to uuid": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/avatars/00000000000000000000000000000000?size=16&default=853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6",
         crc32: [0],
-        redirect: "/avatars/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?size=16",
+        redirect: "http://localhost:3000/avatars/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?size=16",
       },
       "avatar with non-existent uuid defaulting to url": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/avatars/00000000000000000000000000000000?size=16&default=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2FCaseSensitive",
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ describe("Crafatar", function() {
       "overlay avatar with non-existent uuid defaulting to uuid": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/avatars/00000000000000000000000000000000?size=16&default=853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6",
         crc32: [0],
-        redirect: "/avatars/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?size=16",
+        redirect: "http://localhost:3000/avatars/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?size=16",
       },
       "overlay avatar with non-existent uuid defaulting to url": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/avatars/00000000000000000000000000000000?size=16&overlay&default=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2FCaseSensitive",
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ describe("Crafatar", function() {
       "skin with non-existent uuid defaulting to uuid": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/skins/00000000000000000000000000000000?size=16&default=853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6",
         crc32: [0],
-        redirect: "/skins/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?size=16",
+        redirect: "http://localhost:3000/skins/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?size=16",
       },
       "skin with non-existent uuid defaulting to url": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/skins/00000000000000000000000000000000?default=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2FCaseSensitive",
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ describe("Crafatar", function() {
       "head render with non-existent uuid defaulting to uuid": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/renders/head/00000000000000000000000000000000?scale=2&default=853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6",
         crc32: [0],
-        redirect: "/renders/head/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?scale=2",
+        redirect: "http://localhost:3000/renders/head/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?scale=2",
       },
       "head render with non-existent uuid defaulting to url": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/renders/head/00000000000000000000000000000000?scale=2&default=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2FCaseSensitive",
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ describe("Crafatar", function() {
       "overlay head with non-existent uuid defaulting to uuid": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/renders/head/00000000000000000000000000000000?scale=2&overlay&default=853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6",
         crc32: [0],
-        redirect: "/renders/head/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?scale=2&overlay=",
+        redirect: "http://localhost:3000/renders/head/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?scale=2&overlay=",
       },
       "overlay head render with non-existent uuid defaulting to url": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/renders/head/00000000000000000000000000000000?scale=2&overlay&default=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2FCaseSensitive",
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ describe("Crafatar", function() {
       "body render with non-existent uuid defaulting to uuid": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/renders/body/00000000000000000000000000000000?scale=2&default=853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6",
         crc32: [0],
-        redirect: "/renders/body/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?scale=2",
+        redirect: "http://localhost:3000/renders/body/853c80ef3c3749fdaa49938b674adae6?scale=2",
       },
       "body render with non-existent uuid defaulting to url": {
         url: "http://localhost:3000/renders/body/00000000000000000000000000000000?scale=2&default=http%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2FCaseSensitive",
@@ -568,6 +568,30 @@ describe("Crafatar", function() {
         });
       }(loc));
     }
+
+    it("should return /public resources", function(done) {
+      request.get("http://localhost:3000/javascript/crafatar.js", function(error, res, body) {
+        assert.ifError(error);
+        assert.strictEqual(res.statusCode, 200);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("should not allow path traversal on /public", function(done) {
+      request.get("http://localhost:3000/../server.js", function(error, res, body) {
+        assert.ifError(error);
+        assert.strictEqual(res.statusCode, 404);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("should not allow encoded path traversal on /public", function(done) {
+      request.get("http://localhost:3000/%2E%2E/server.js", function(error, res, body) {
+        assert.ifError(error);
+        assert.strictEqual(res.statusCode, 404);
+        done();
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   // we have to make sure that we test both a 32x64 and 64x64 skin