diff --git a/src/cli.go b/src/cli.go
index a588af7..4235e12 100644
--- a/src/cli.go
+++ b/src/cli.go
@@ -159,9 +159,9 @@ func GetApp() cli.App {
 	config_show := cli.NewCommand("show", "print current config").
 		WithAction(func(args []string, options map[string]string) int {
 			p := getPersistance(options)
-			remote := p.State.RemoteHostname
-			if remote == "" {
-				remote = "(None)"
+			remote := "(None)"
+			if p.State.RemoteURL != nil {
+				remote = p.State.RemoteURL.Host
 			}
 
 			fmt.Printf("Encryption Key:  \t%v\n", p.State.Key)
@@ -231,10 +231,25 @@ func GetApp() cli.App {
 			p := getPersistance(options)
 
 			url, err := url.ParseRequestURI(host)
-			if err != nil {
-				p.State.RemoteHostname = "http://" + host
+			if err == nil {
+				// url parsed fine, use it
+				// ensure it's http(s)
+				if !strings.HasPrefix(url.Scheme, "http") {
+					url.Scheme = "https"
+					fmt.Println("Warning: only http(s) in URLs is supported, defaulting to https: ", url)
+				}
+				// ensure there's a terminal /
+				// note that this doesn't handle the escaped path or the raw path
+				if url.Path != "" && !strings.HasSuffix(url.Path, "/") {
+					url.Path += "/"
+				}
+				p.State.RemoteURL = url
 			} else {
-				p.State.RemoteHostname = url.String()
+				// only warn if the user isn't intentionally unsetting the remote
+				if host != "" {
+					fmt.Println("Invalid url, unsetting remote: ", err.Error())
+				}
+				p.State.RemoteURL = url
 			}
 
 			err = p.CommitState()
@@ -266,7 +281,11 @@ func GetApp() cli.App {
 				logger.Fatal("Key not found.")
 			}
 
-			fmt.Println(p.State.RemoteHostname + "/get?q=" + entry.UrlToken)
+			u, _ := p.State.RemoteURL.Parse("get") // this should never fail
+			q := u.Query()
+			q.Set("q", entry.UrlToken)
+			u.RawQuery = q.Encode()
+			fmt.Println(u)
 			return 0
 		})
 	qr := cli.NewCommand("qr", "print shareable qr code of entry to console").
@@ -289,9 +308,11 @@ func GetApp() cli.App {
 				logger.Fatal("Key not found.")
 			}
 
-			url := p.State.RemoteHostname + "/get?q=" + entry.UrlToken
-
-			qrcode.QRCode(url, qrcode.BrightBlack, qrcode.BrightWhite, qr.Low)
+			url, _ := p.State.RemoteURL.Parse("get") // this should never fail
+			q := url.Query()
+			q.Set("q", entry.UrlToken)
+			url.RawQuery = q.Encode()
+			qrcode.QRCode(url.String(), qrcode.BrightBlack, qrcode.BrightWhite, qr.Low)
 
 			return 0
 		})
diff --git a/src/sqlite_persistance.go b/src/sqlite_persistance.go
index 6111ecc..6af4f94 100644
--- a/src/sqlite_persistance.go
+++ b/src/sqlite_persistance.go
@@ -17,16 +17,17 @@ import (
 	"modernc.org/mathutil"
 	_ "modernc.org/sqlite"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
 )
 
 type SqliteState struct {
-	Counter        uint64
-	Pid            uint32
-	Key            string
-	RemoteHostname string
-	RemoteCounter  uint64
-	SchemaVersion  uint32
+	Counter       uint64
+	Pid           uint32
+	Key           string
+	RemoteURL     *url.URL
+	RemoteCounter uint64
+	SchemaVersion uint32
 }
 
 type SqlitePersistance struct {
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ type SqlitePersistance struct {
 }
 
 func (p *SqlitePersistance) GetRemoteUpdates() (err error) {
-	if p.State.RemoteHostname == "" {
+	if p.State.RemoteURL == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 	request, err := json.Marshal(UpdateRequest{ProcessID: p.State.Pid, Counter: p.State.RemoteCounter})
@@ -49,7 +50,11 @@ func (p *SqlitePersistance) GetRemoteUpdates() (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	resp, err := http.Post(p.State.RemoteHostname+"/pull", "application/json", bytes.NewReader(request))
+	pull, err := p.State.RemoteURL.Parse("pull")
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	resp, err := http.Post(pull.String(), "application/json", bytes.NewReader(request))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -81,9 +86,7 @@ func (p *SqlitePersistance) GetRemoteUpdates() (err error) {
 
 func (p *SqlitePersistance) Push() error {
 	// push changes to remote
-
-	host := p.State.RemoteHostname
-	if host == "" {
+	if p.State.RemoteURL == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 	updates, err := p.GetUpdates(UpdateRequest{Counter: p.State.RemoteCounter, ProcessID: ReservedProcessID})
@@ -99,7 +102,11 @@ func (p *SqlitePersistance) Push() error {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Post(host+"/push", "application/json", bytes.NewReader(payload))
+	push, err := p.State.RemoteURL.Parse("push")
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Post(push.String(), "application/json", bytes.NewReader(payload))
 	if err != nil || resp.StatusCode != 200 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Error posting update to server: %v", err)
 	} else {
@@ -173,7 +180,7 @@ func NewSqlitePersistance(path string) (*SqlitePersistance, error) {
 	} else {
 		// init DB
 		_, err := db.Exec(`
-        create table if not exists entries (key, value, timestamp, pid, counter, urltoken); 
+        create table if not exists entries (key, value, timestamp, pid, counter, urltoken);
         create table if not exists state   (state);`)
 
 		if err != nil {