Index: src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/ConnectionsModel.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/ConnectionsModel.java	(revision 44609)
+++ src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/ConnectionsModel.java	(working copy)
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 package org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.core.connection;
 
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
-import java.net.URI;
-import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -173,13 +173,15 @@
 		for (int i = 0; i < connections.length; i++) {
 			Connection connection = null;
 			try {
-				URI connectionUrl = new URI(connections[i]);
+				URL connectionUrl = new URL(connections[i]);
 				connection = new Connection(connectionUrl, new CredentialsPrompter());
 				addConnection(connection);
-			} catch (URISyntaxException e) {
+			} catch (MalformedURLException e) {
 				OpenShiftUIActivator.log(NLS.bind("Could not add connection for {0}.", connections[i]), e);
 			} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
 				OpenShiftUIActivator.log(NLS.bind("Could not add connection for {0}.", connections[i]), e);
+			} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+				OpenShiftUIActivator.log(NLS.bind("Could not add connection for {0}.", connections[i]), e);
 			}
 		}
 	}
Index: src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/ConnectionUtils.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/ConnectionUtils.java	(revision 44608)
+++ src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/ConnectionUtils.java	(working copy)
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 package org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.core.connection;
 
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
-import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 
 import org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.core.util.UrlUtils;
 import org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.core.util.UrlUtils.UrlPortions;
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 		// inhibit instantiation
 	}
 
-	public static String getUrlForUsername(String username) throws UnsupportedEncodingException, URISyntaxException {
+	public static String getUrlForUsername(String username) throws UnsupportedEncodingException, MalformedURLException {
 		UrlPortions portions = UrlUtils.toPortions(getDefaultHostUrl());
 		return UrlUtils.getUrlFor(username, portions.getHost(), portions.getProtocol());
 	}
Index: src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/Connection.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/Connection.java	(revision 44609)
+++ src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/connection/Connection.java	(working copy)
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
-import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Assert;
+import org.eclipse.osgi.util.NLS;
 import org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.core.util.UrlUtils;
 import org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.core.util.UrlUtils.UrlPortions;
 import org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.ui.OpenShiftUIActivator;
@@ -73,9 +74,12 @@
 		this.prompter = prompter;
 	}
 	
-	public Connection(URI url, ICredentialsPrompter prompter) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
+	public Connection(URL url, ICredentialsPrompter prompter) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
 		UrlPortions portions = UrlUtils.toPortions(url);
 		this.username = portions.getUsername();
+		Assert.isLegal(
+				StringUtils.isEmpty(username), 
+				NLS.bind("There is no no username for connection to url {0}", url.toString()));
 		this.password = portions.getPassword();
 		setHost(portions.getHost());
 		this.prompter = prompter;
Index: src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/behaviour/ExpressServerUtils.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/behaviour/ExpressServerUtils.java	(revision 44608)
+++ src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/behaviour/ExpressServerUtils.java	(working copy)
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
-import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -173,7 +172,7 @@
 				connectionValue = ConnectionUtils.getUrlForUsername(username);
 			} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
 				OpenShiftUIActivator.log(NLS.bind("Could not get connection url for user {0}", username), e);
-			} catch (URISyntaxException e) {
+			} catch (MalformedURLException e) {
 				OpenShiftUIActivator.log(NLS.bind("Could not get connection url for user {0}", username), e);
 			}
 		}
Index: src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/util/UrlUtils.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/util/UrlUtils.java	(revision 44608)
+++ src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/core/util/UrlUtils.java	(working copy)
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 package org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.core.util;
 
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
-import java.net.URI;
-import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.net.URLDecoder;
 import java.net.URLEncoder;
 
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@
 		// inhibit instantiation
 	}
 
-	public static UrlPortions toPortions(String url) throws UnsupportedEncodingException, URISyntaxException {
-		return new UrlPortions(new URI(url));
+	public static UrlPortions toPortions(String url) throws UnsupportedEncodingException, MalformedURLException {
+		return new UrlPortions(new URL(url));
 	}
 
-	public static UrlPortions toPortions(URI url) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
+	public static UrlPortions toPortions(URL url) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
 		return new UrlPortions(url);
 	}
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 		private String password;
 		private String host;
 
-		private UrlPortions(URI url) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
+		private UrlPortions(URL url) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
 			String userInfo = url.getUserInfo();
 			if (userInfo != null) {
 				String[] userInfos = url.getUserInfo().split(":");
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 				}
 			}
 			this.host = url.getHost();
-			this.protocol = url.getScheme();
+			this.protocol = url.getProtocol();
 		}
 
 		public String getUsername() {
Index: src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/ui/behaviour/ExpressDetailsSection.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/ui/behaviour/ExpressDetailsSection.java	(revision 44608)
+++ src/org/jboss/tools/openshift/express/internal/ui/behaviour/ExpressDetailsSection.java	(working copy)
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
 package org.jboss.tools.openshift.express.internal.ui.behaviour;
 
 import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
-import java.net.URI;
-import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+import java.net.MalformedURLException;
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IFolder;
@@ -137,9 +137,9 @@
 		String connectionLabel = "";
 		if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(connectionUrl)) {
 			try {
-				Connection connection = new Connection(new URI(connectionUrl), null);
+				Connection connection = new Connection(new URL(connectionUrl), null);
 				connectionLabel = connection.getUsername() + " - " + connection.getHost();
-			} catch (URISyntaxException e) {
+			} catch (MalformedURLException e) {
 				OpenShiftUIActivator.log(NLS.bind("Could not get URL for connection {0}", connectionUrl), e);
 			} catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
 				OpenShiftUIActivator.log(NLS.bind("Could not get URL for connection {0}", connectionUrl), e);
