diff --git a/Headers/Foundation/NSURLCredential.h b/Headers/Foundation/NSURLCredential.h
index 3506edf51..f6d2c849c 100644
--- a/Headers/Foundation/NSURLCredential.h
+++ b/Headers/Foundation/NSURLCredential.h
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ typedef enum {
 	   password: (NSString *)password
 	persistence: (NSURLCredentialPersistence)persistence;
 
+/**
+ * Tests two credentials for equality ... credentials are considered to
+ * be equal if their -user methods return the same value, since you cannot
+ * have more than one credential for a suser within an [NSURLProtectionSpace].
+ */
+- (BOOL) isEqual: (id)other;
+
 /**
  * Returns the password for the receiver.<br />
  * May require prompting of the user to authorize retrieval.<br />
diff --git a/Source/GSHTTPDigest.m b/Source/GSHTTPDigest.m
index 238366a5a..d31c10110 100644
--- a/Source/GSHTTPDigest.m
+++ b/Source/GSHTTPDigest.m
@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@
 #include "GSURLPrivate.h"
 #include "Foundation/NSDictionary.h"
 #include "Foundation/NSScanner.h"
+#include "Foundation/NSSet.h"
 #include "Foundation/NSDebug.h"
 #include "GNUstepBase/GSLock.h"
 #include "GNUstepBase/GSMime.h"
 
 
+static NSMutableSet		*spaces = nil;
 static NSMutableDictionary	*store = nil;
 static GSLazyLock		*storeLock = nil;
 static GSMimeParser		*mimeParser = nil;
@@ -75,6 +77,7 @@ static GSMimeParser		*mimeParser = nil;
   if (store == nil)
     {
       mimeParser = [GSMimeParser new];
+      spaces = [NSMutableSet new];
       store = [NSMutableDictionary new];
       storeLock = [GSLazyLock new];
     }
@@ -84,9 +87,21 @@ static GSMimeParser		*mimeParser = nil;
 		      inProtectionSpace: (NSURLProtectionSpace*)space
 {
   NSMutableDictionary	*cDict;
+  NSURLProtectionSpace	*known;
   GSHTTPDigest		*digest = nil;
 
   [storeLock lock];
+  /*
+   * Keep track of known protection spaces so we don't make lots of
+   * duplicate copies, but share one copy between digest objects.
+   */
+  known = [spaces member: space];
+  if (known == nil)
+    {
+      [spaces addObject: space];
+      known = [spaces member: space];
+    }
+  space = known;
   cDict = [store objectForKey: space];
   if (cDict == nil)
     {
@@ -318,8 +333,8 @@ static GSMimeParser		*mimeParser = nil;
   if ((self = [super init]) != nil)
     {
       self->_lock = [GSLazyLock new];
-      ASSIGNCOPY(self->_space, space);
-      ASSIGNCOPY(self->_credential, credential);
+      ASSIGN(self->_space, space);
+      ASSIGN(self->_credential, credential);
     }
   return self;
 }
diff --git a/Source/NSURLCredential.m b/Source/NSURLCredential.m
index 03d851fb7..3c21522c3 100644
--- a/Source/NSURLCredential.m
+++ b/Source/NSURLCredential.m
@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@ typedef struct {
   return this->hasPassword;
 }
 
+- (unsigned) hash
+{
+  return [this->user hash];
+}
+
 - (id) initWithUser: (NSString *)user
 	   password: (NSString *)password
 	persistence: (NSURLCredentialPersistence)persistence
@@ -114,6 +119,19 @@ typedef struct {
   return self;
 }
 
+- (BOOL) isEqual: (id)other
+{
+  if ((id)self == other)
+    {
+      return YES;
+    }
+  if ([other isKindOfClass: [NSURLCredential class]] == NO)
+    {
+      return NO;
+    }
+  return [[(NSURLCredential*)other user] isEqualToString: this->user];
+}
+
 - (NSString *) password
 {
   return this->password;
diff --git a/Source/NSURLProtectionSpace.m b/Source/NSURLProtectionSpace.m
index cf321c49d..cbca2dfb9 100644
--- a/Source/NSURLProtectionSpace.m
+++ b/Source/NSURLProtectionSpace.m
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@ authenticationMethod: (NSString *)authenticationMethod
 
 - (unsigned) isEqual: (id)other
 {
+  if ((id)self == other)
+    {
+      return YES;
+    }
   if ([other isKindOfClass: [NSURLProtectionSpace class]] == NO)
     {
       return NO;
@@ -202,8 +206,8 @@ authenticationMethod: (NSString *)authenticationMethod
 	      return NO;
 	    }
 	}
-    return YES;
-  }
+      return YES;
+    }
 }
 
 - (BOOL) isProxy