diff --git a/src/rebar_git_resource.erl b/src/rebar_git_resource.erl
index 808f1f8f..4a37a02b 100644
--- a/src/rebar_git_resource.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_git_resource.erl
@@ -100,13 +100,6 @@ compare_url(Dir, Url) ->
     ?DEBUG("Comparing git url ~p with ~p", [ParsedUrl, ParsedCurrentUrl]),
     ParsedCurrentUrl =:= ParsedUrl.
 
--ifdef (OTP_RELEASE).
-  -if(?OTP_RELEASE >= 23).
-    -compile({nowarn_deprecated_function, [{http_uri, parse, 2},
-                                           {http_uri, scheme_defaults, 0}]}).
-  -endif.
--endif.
-
 parse_git_url(Url) ->
     %% Checks for standard scp style git remote
     case re:run(Url, ?SCP_PATTERN, [{capture, [host, path], list}, unicode]) of
@@ -116,7 +109,7 @@ parse_git_url(Url) ->
             parse_git_url(not_scp, Url)
     end.
 parse_git_url(not_scp, Url) ->
-    UriOpts = [{scheme_defaults, [{git, 9418} | http_uri:scheme_defaults()]}],
+    UriOpts = [{scheme_defaults, [{git, 9418} | rebar_uri:scheme_defaults()]}],
     case rebar_uri:parse(Url, UriOpts) of
         #{path := Path, host := Host} ->
             {ok, {Host, filename:rootname(Path, ".git")}};
diff --git a/src/rebar_uri.erl b/src/rebar_uri.erl
index 3a6382b1..a52f0e02 100644
--- a/src/rebar_uri.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_uri.erl
@@ -2,26 +2,33 @@
 -module(rebar_uri).
 
 -export([
-         parse/1,
+         parse/1, parse/2, scheme_defaults/0,
          append_path/2
 ]).
 
--import(rebar_utils, [to_list/1]).
-
--ifdef (OTP_RELEASE).
+-ifdef(OTP_RELEASE).
 -spec parse(URIString) -> URIMap when
     URIString :: uri_string:uri_string(),
     URIMap :: uri_string:uri_map() | uri_string:error().
 
 parse(URIString) ->
-    uri_string:parse(URIString).
+    parse(URIString, []).
+
+parse(URIString, URIOpts) ->
+    case uri_string:parse(URIString) of
+        #{path := ""} = Map -> apply_opts(Map#{path => "/"}, URIOpts);
+        Map -> apply_opts(Map, URIOpts)
+    end.
 -else.
 -spec parse(URIString) -> URIMap when
     URIString :: iodata(),
     URIMap :: map() | {error, atom(), term()}.
 
 parse(URIString) ->
-    case http_uri:parse(URIString) of
+    parse(URIString, []).
+
+parse(URIString, URIOpts) ->
+    case http_uri:parse(URIString, URIOpts) of
         {error, Reason} ->
             %% no additional parser/term info available to us,
             %% e.g. see what uri_string returns in
@@ -46,11 +53,11 @@ parse(URIString) ->
 -endif.
 
 %% OTP 21+
--ifdef (OTP_RELEASE).
+-ifdef(OTP_RELEASE).
 append_path(Url, ExtraPath) ->
      case parse(Url) of
          #{path := Path} = Map ->
-             FullPath = filename:join(Path, ExtraPath),
+             FullPath = join(Path, ExtraPath),
              {ok, uri_string:recompose(maps:update(path, FullPath, Map))};
          _ ->
              error
@@ -58,14 +65,66 @@ append_path(Url, ExtraPath) ->
 -else.
 append_path(Url, ExtraPath) ->
      case parse(Url) of
-         #{scheme := Scheme, userinfo := UserInfo, host := Host, port := Port, path := Path, query := Query} ->
+         #{scheme := Scheme, userinfo := UserInfo, host := Host,
+           port := Port, path := Path, query := Query} ->
+             ListScheme = rebar_utils:to_list(Scheme),
              PrefixedQuery = case Query of
                                []    -> [];
                                Other -> lists:append(["?", Other])
                              end,
-             {ok, lists:append([to_list(Scheme), "://", UserInfo, Host, ":", to_list(Port),
-                                filename:join(Path, ExtraPath), PrefixedQuery])};
+             NormPath = case Path of
+                            "" -> "/";
+                            _ -> Path
+                        end,
+             {ok, maybe_port(
+                Url, lists:append([ListScheme, "://", UserInfo, Host]),
+                [$: | rebar_utils:to_list(Port)],
+                lists:append([join(NormPath, ExtraPath), PrefixedQuery])
+             )};
          _ ->
              error
      end.
 -endif.
+
+%% OTP 21+
+-ifdef(OTP_RELEASE).
+scheme_defaults() ->
+    %% no scheme defaults here; just custom ones
+    [].
+-else.
+scheme_defaults() ->
+    http_uri:scheme_defaults().
+-endif.
+
+join(URI, "") -> URI;
+join(URI, "/") -> URI;
+join("/", [$/|_] = Path) -> Path;
+join("/", Path) -> [$/ | Path];
+join("", [$/|_] = Path) -> Path;
+join("", Path) -> [$/ | Path];
+join([H|T], Path) -> [H | join(T, Path)].
+
+
+-ifdef(OTP_RELEASE).
+apply_opts(Map = #{port := _}, _) ->
+    Map;
+apply_opts(Map = #{scheme := Scheme}, URIOpts) ->
+    SchemeDefaults = proplists:get_value(scheme_defaults, URIOpts, []),
+    %% Here is the funky bit: don't add the port number if it's in a default
+    %% to maintain proper default behaviour.
+    try lists:keyfind(list_to_existing_atom(Scheme), 1, SchemeDefaults) of
+        {_, Port} ->
+            Map#{port => Port};
+        false ->
+            Map
+    catch
+        error:badarg -> % not an existing atom, not in the list
+            Map
+    end.
+-else.
+maybe_port(Url, Host, Port, PathQ) ->
+    case lists:prefix(Host ++ Port, Url) of
+        true -> Host ++ Port ++ PathQ; % port was explicit
+        false -> Host ++ PathQ % port was implicit
+    end.
+-endif.
diff --git a/src/rebar_utils.erl b/src/rebar_utils.erl
index 6be50f14..0933bb6c 100644
--- a/src/rebar_utils.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_utils.erl
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
          tup_find/2,
          line_count/1,
          set_httpc_options/0,
+         url_append_path/2,
          escape_chars/1,
          escape_double_quotes/1,
          escape_double_quotes_weak/1,
@@ -938,6 +939,9 @@ normalise_proxy(Scheme, URI) ->
         _ -> URI
     end.
 
+url_append_path(Url, ExtraPath) ->
+    rebar_uri:append_path(Url, ExtraPath).
+
 %% escape\ as\ a\ shell\?
 escape_chars(Str) when is_atom(Str) ->
     escape_chars(atom_to_list(Str));
diff --git a/test/rebar_uri_SUITE.erl b/test/rebar_uri_SUITE.erl
index 4db93690..a7fde27b 100644
--- a/test/rebar_uri_SUITE.erl
+++ b/test/rebar_uri_SUITE.erl
@@ -9,20 +9,20 @@
 -include_lib("kernel/include/file.hrl").
 
 all() ->
-    [parse].
+    [parse, append_path].
 
 parse(_Config) ->
     #{scheme := Scheme, host := Host, path := Path} = rebar_uri:parse("https://repo.hex.pm"),
     ?assertEqual("https", Scheme),
     ?assertEqual("repo.hex.pm", Host),
-    ?assert(lists:member(Path, ["", "/"])),
+    ?assertEqual(Path, "/"), % Normalize on OTP-23 behaviour.
 
     #{scheme := Scheme2, host := Host2, port := Port2, path := Path2, query := Query2} =
         rebar_uri:parse("https://repo.hex.pm:443?foo=bar"),
     ?assertEqual("https", Scheme2),
     ?assertEqual("repo.hex.pm", Host2),
     ?assertEqual(443, Port2),
-    ?assert(lists:member(Path2, ["", "/"])),
+    ?assertEqual(Path2, "/"), % Normalize on old http_uri behaviour
     ?assertEqual("foo=bar", Query2),
 
     #{scheme := Scheme3, host := Host3, path := Path3, query := Query3} =
@@ -30,19 +30,21 @@ parse(_Config) ->
     ?assertEqual("https", Scheme3),
     ?assertEqual("repo.hex.pm", Host3),
     ?assertEqual("/over/here", Path3),
-    ?assertEqual("foo=bar", Query3).
+    ?assertEqual("foo=bar", Query3),
+
+    %% override default port and get it parsed as such
+    ?assertMatch(#{port := 1337},
+                 rebar_uri:parse("https://repo.hex.pm/",
+                                 [{scheme_defaults, [{https,1337}]}])),
+    ok.
 
 append_path(_Config) ->
-    %% OTP version differences
-    {ok, Val1} = rebar_utils:append_path("https://repo.hex.pm", "/repos/org"),
-    ?assert(lists:member(Val1, [
-        "https://repo.hex.pm/repos/org",
-        "https://repo.hex.pm:443/repos/org"
-    ])),
-    {ok, Val2} = rebar_utils:append_path("https://repo.hex.pm?foo=bar", "/repos/org"),
-    ?assert(lists:member(Val2, [
-        "https://repo.hex.pm/repos/org?foo=bar",
-        "https://repo.hex.pm:443/repos/org?foo=bar"
-    ])),
+    %% Default port for the proto is omitted if not mentioned originally
+    {ok, Val1} = rebar_uri:append_path("https://repo.hex.pm/", "/repos/org"),
+    ?assertEqual("https://repo.hex.pm/repos/org", Val1),
+    %% QS elements come after the path
+    {ok, Val2} = rebar_uri:append_path("https://repo.hex.pm?foo=bar", "/repos/org"),
+    ?assertEqual("https://repo.hex.pm/repos/org?foo=bar", Val2),
+    %% If the port is explicitly mentioned, keep it.
     ?assertEqual({ok, "https://repo.hex.pm:443/repos/org?foo=bar"},
-                 rebar_utils:append_path("https://repo.hex.pm:443?foo=bar", "/repos/org")).
+                 rebar_uri:append_path("https://repo.hex.pm:443?foo=bar", "/repos/org")).