diff --git a/src/pkg/http/client.go b/src/pkg/http/client.go
index 8b526696421..ac7ff185331 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/client.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/client.go
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ type readClose struct {
 //
 // Generally Get, Post, or PostForm will be used instead of Do.
 func (c *Client) Do(req *Request) (resp *Response, err os.Error) {
+	if req.Method == "GET" || req.Method == "HEAD" {
+		return c.doFollowingRedirects(req)
+	}
 	return send(req, c.Transport)
 }
 
@@ -144,10 +147,14 @@ func Get(url string) (r *Response, err os.Error) {
 //
 // Caller should close r.Body when done reading from it.
 func (c *Client) Get(url string) (r *Response, err os.Error) {
-	return c.sendFollowingRedirects("GET", url)
+	req, err := NewRequest("GET", url, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return c.doFollowingRedirects(req)
 }
 
-func (c *Client) sendFollowingRedirects(method, url string) (r *Response, err os.Error) {
+func (c *Client) doFollowingRedirects(ireq *Request) (r *Response, err os.Error) {
 	// TODO: if/when we add cookie support, the redirected request shouldn't
 	// necessarily supply the same cookies as the original.
 	var base *URL
@@ -157,33 +164,33 @@ func (c *Client) sendFollowingRedirects(method, url string) (r *Response, err os
 	}
 	var via []*Request
 
+	req := ireq
+	url := "" // next relative or absolute URL to fetch (after first request)
 	for redirect := 0; ; redirect++ {
-		var req Request
-		req.Method = method
-		req.Header = make(Header)
-		if base == nil {
-			req.URL, err = ParseURL(url)
-		} else {
+		if redirect != 0 {
+			req = new(Request)
+			req.Method = ireq.Method
+			req.Header = make(Header)
 			req.URL, err = base.ParseURL(url)
-		}
-		if err != nil {
-			break
-		}
-		if len(via) > 0 {
-			// Add the Referer header.
-			lastReq := via[len(via)-1]
-			if lastReq.URL.Scheme != "https" {
-				req.Referer = lastReq.URL.String()
-			}
-
-			err = redirectChecker(&req, via)
 			if err != nil {
 				break
 			}
+			if len(via) > 0 {
+				// Add the Referer header.
+				lastReq := via[len(via)-1]
+				if lastReq.URL.Scheme != "https" {
+					req.Referer = lastReq.URL.String()
+				}
+
+				err = redirectChecker(req, via)
+				if err != nil {
+					break
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 		url = req.URL.String()
-		if r, err = send(&req, c.Transport); err != nil {
+		if r, err = send(req, c.Transport); err != nil {
 			break
 		}
 		if shouldRedirect(r.StatusCode) {
@@ -193,12 +200,13 @@ func (c *Client) sendFollowingRedirects(method, url string) (r *Response, err os
 				break
 			}
 			base = req.URL
-			via = append(via, &req)
+			via = append(via, req)
 			continue
 		}
 		return
 	}
 
+	method := ireq.Method
 	err = &URLError{method[0:1] + strings.ToLower(method[1:]), url, err}
 	return
 }
@@ -310,5 +318,9 @@ func Head(url string) (r *Response, err os.Error) {
 //    303 (See Other)
 //    307 (Temporary Redirect)
 func (c *Client) Head(url string) (r *Response, err os.Error) {
-	return c.sendFollowingRedirects("HEAD", url)
+	req, err := NewRequest("HEAD", url, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return c.doFollowingRedirects(req)
 }
diff --git a/src/pkg/http/client_test.go b/src/pkg/http/client_test.go
index 6adc9a88363..0869015b38c 100644
--- a/src/pkg/http/client_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/http/client_test.go
@@ -98,13 +98,20 @@ func TestRedirects(t *testing.T) {
 	c := &Client{}
 	_, err := c.Get(ts.URL)
 	if e, g := "Get /?n=10: stopped after 10 redirects", fmt.Sprintf("%v", err); e != g {
-		t.Errorf("with default client, expected error %q, got %q", e, g)
+		t.Errorf("with default client Get, expected error %q, got %q", e, g)
 	}
 
 	// HEAD request should also have the ability to follow redirects.
 	_, err = c.Head(ts.URL)
 	if e, g := "Head /?n=10: stopped after 10 redirects", fmt.Sprintf("%v", err); e != g {
-		t.Errorf("with default client, expected error %q, got %q", e, g)
+		t.Errorf("with default client Head, expected error %q, got %q", e, g)
+	}
+
+	// Do should also follow redirects.
+	greq, _ := NewRequest("GET", ts.URL, nil)
+	_, err = c.Do(greq)
+	if e, g := "Get /?n=10: stopped after 10 redirects", fmt.Sprintf("%v", err); e != g {
+		t.Errorf("with default client Do, expected error %q, got %q", e, g)
 	}
 
 	var checkErr os.Error