diff --git a/mercurial/util.py b/mercurial/util.py
--- a/mercurial/util.py
+++ b/mercurial/util.py
@@ -1496,7 +1496,7 @@ class url(object):
     """
 
     _safechars = "!~*'()+"
-    _safepchars = "/!~*'()+"
+    _safepchars = "/!~*'()+:"
     _matchscheme = re.compile(r'^[a-zA-Z0-9+.\-]+:').match
 
     def __init__(self, path, parsequery=True, parsefragment=True):
@@ -1608,8 +1608,8 @@ class url(object):
 
         Examples:
 
-        >>> str(url('http://user:pw@host:80/?foo#bar'))
-        'http://user:pw@host:80/?foo#bar'
+        >>> str(url('http://user:pw@host:80/c:/bob?fo:oo#ba:ar'))
+        'http://user:pw@host:80/c:/bob?fo:oo#ba:ar'
         >>> str(url('http://user:pw@host:80/?foo=bar&baz=42'))
         'http://user:pw@host:80/?foo=bar&baz=42'
         >>> str(url('http://user:pw@host:80/?foo=bar%3dbaz'))
diff --git a/tests/test-url.py b/tests/test-url.py
--- a/tests/test-url.py
+++ b/tests/test-url.py
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ def test_url():
     >>> u
     <url scheme: 'file', path: 'f:oo/bar/baz'>
     >>> str(u)
-    'file:f%3Aoo/bar/baz'
+    'file:f:oo/bar/baz'
     >>> u.localpath()
     'f:oo/bar/baz'