diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/hgweb_mod.py b/mercurial/hgweb/hgweb_mod.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/hgweb_mod.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/hgweb_mod.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # This software may be used and distributed according to the terms of the
 # GNU General Public License version 2 or any later version.
 
-import os, re
+import os
 from mercurial import ui, hg, hook, error, encoding, templater, util, repoview
 from mercurial.templatefilters import websub
 from mercurial.i18n import _
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ def makebreadcrumb(url, prefix=''):
         urlel = os.path.dirname(urlel)
     return reversed(breadcrumb)
 
-
 class requestcontext(object):
     """Holds state/context for an individual request.
 
@@ -163,7 +162,7 @@ class hgweb(object):
         # web.templates in .hg/hgrc to get access to any file readable
         # by the user running the CGI script
         self.templatepath = self.config('web', 'templates', untrusted=False)
-        self.websubtable = self.loadwebsub()
+        self.websubtable = webutil.getwebsubs(r)
 
     # The CGI scripts are often run by a user different from the repo owner.
     # Trust the settings from the .hg/hgrc files by default.
@@ -369,47 +368,6 @@ class hgweb(object):
                 return ['']
             return tmpl('error', error=inst.message)
 
-    def loadwebsub(self):
-        websubtable = []
-        websubdefs = self.repo.ui.configitems('websub')
-        # we must maintain interhg backwards compatibility
-        websubdefs += self.repo.ui.configitems('interhg')
-        for key, pattern in websubdefs:
-            # grab the delimiter from the character after the "s"
-            unesc = pattern[1]
-            delim = re.escape(unesc)
-
-            # identify portions of the pattern, taking care to avoid escaped
-            # delimiters. the replace format and flags are optional, but
-            # delimiters are required.
-            match = re.match(
-                r'^s%s(.+)(?:(?<=\\\\)|(?<!\\))%s(.*)%s([ilmsux])*$'
-                % (delim, delim, delim), pattern)
-            if not match:
-                self.repo.ui.warn(_("websub: invalid pattern for %s: %s\n")
-                                  % (key, pattern))
-                continue
-
-            # we need to unescape the delimiter for regexp and format
-            delim_re = re.compile(r'(?<!\\)\\%s' % delim)
-            regexp = delim_re.sub(unesc, match.group(1))
-            format = delim_re.sub(unesc, match.group(2))
-
-            # the pattern allows for 6 regexp flags, so set them if necessary
-            flagin = match.group(3)
-            flags = 0
-            if flagin:
-                for flag in flagin.upper():
-                    flags |= re.__dict__[flag]
-
-            try:
-                regexp = re.compile(regexp, flags)
-                websubtable.append((regexp, format))
-            except re.error:
-                self.repo.ui.warn(_("websub: invalid regexp for %s: %s\n")
-                                  % (key, regexp))
-        return websubtable
-
     def templater(self, req):
 
         # determine scheme, port and server name
diff --git a/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py b/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py
--- a/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/hgweb/webutil.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 # GNU General Public License version 2 or any later version.
 
 import os, copy
+import re
 from mercurial import match, patch, error, ui, util, pathutil, context
 from mercurial.i18n import _
 from mercurial.node import hex, nullid, short
@@ -540,3 +541,44 @@ class wsgiui(ui.ui):
     # default termwidth breaks under mod_wsgi
     def termwidth(self):
         return 80
+
+def getwebsubs(repo):
+    websubtable = []
+    websubdefs = repo.ui.configitems('websub')
+    # we must maintain interhg backwards compatibility
+    websubdefs += repo.ui.configitems('interhg')
+    for key, pattern in websubdefs:
+        # grab the delimiter from the character after the "s"
+        unesc = pattern[1]
+        delim = re.escape(unesc)
+
+        # identify portions of the pattern, taking care to avoid escaped
+        # delimiters. the replace format and flags are optional, but
+        # delimiters are required.
+        match = re.match(
+            r'^s%s(.+)(?:(?<=\\\\)|(?<!\\))%s(.*)%s([ilmsux])*$'
+            % (delim, delim, delim), pattern)
+        if not match:
+            repo.ui.warn(_("websub: invalid pattern for %s: %s\n")
+                              % (key, pattern))
+            continue
+
+        # we need to unescape the delimiter for regexp and format
+        delim_re = re.compile(r'(?<!\\)\\%s' % delim)
+        regexp = delim_re.sub(unesc, match.group(1))
+        format = delim_re.sub(unesc, match.group(2))
+
+        # the pattern allows for 6 regexp flags, so set them if necessary
+        flagin = match.group(3)
+        flags = 0
+        if flagin:
+            for flag in flagin.upper():
+                flags |= re.__dict__[flag]
+
+        try:
+            regexp = re.compile(regexp, flags)
+            websubtable.append((regexp, format))
+        except re.error:
+            repo.ui.warn(_("websub: invalid regexp for %s: %s\n")
+                         % (key, regexp))
+    return websubtable