diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index c6138dd36..8e650ce83 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 	Patch by e.sammer <eric@linuxstep.org>
 	* Source/NSObject.m: Added some compatibility methods in a
 	categpory of Object.
+	* Source/Additions/GSMime.m: Add a couple of convenience methods.
+	* Source/GSHTTPURLHandle.m: Use one of them.
 
 2002-06-13  Richard Frith-Macdonald <rfm@gnu.org>
 
diff --git a/Headers/gnustep/base/GSMime.h b/Headers/gnustep/base/GSMime.h
index bdece6825..dc851b64a 100644
--- a/Headers/gnustep/base/GSMime.h
+++ b/Headers/gnustep/base/GSMime.h
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@
 }
 
 + (NSData*) decodeBase64: (NSData*)source;
++ (NSString*) decodeBase64String: (NSString*)source;
 + (NSData*) encodeBase64: (NSData*)source;
++ (NSString*) encodeBase64String: (NSString*)source;
 
 - (void) addContent: (id)newContent;
 - (void) addHeader: (GSMimeHeader*)info;
diff --git a/Source/Additions/GSMime.m b/Source/Additions/GSMime.m
index 95abbeebc..1c4a0efdc 100644
--- a/Source/Additions/GSMime.m
+++ b/Source/Additions/GSMime.m
@@ -2678,19 +2678,28 @@ static NSCharacterSet	*tokenSet = nil;
  */
 + (NSData*) decodeBase64: (NSData*)source
 {
-  int		length = [source length];
-  int		declen = ((length + 3) * 3)/4;
-  const signed char	*src = (const char*)[source bytes];
-  const signed char	*end = &src[length];
+  int		length;
+  int		declen ;
+  const signed char	*src;
+  const signed char	*end;
   unsigned char *result;
   unsigned char	*dst;
   unsigned char	buf[4];
   unsigned	pos = 0;
 
+  if (source == nil)
+    {
+      return nil;
+    }
+  length = [source length];
   if (length == 0)
     {
       return [NSData data];
     }
+  declen = ((length + 3) * 3)/4;
+  src = (const char*)[source bytes];
+  end = &src[length];
+
   result = (unsigned char*)NSZoneMalloc(NSDefaultMallocZone(), declen);
   dst = result;
 
@@ -2757,22 +2766,47 @@ static NSCharacterSet	*tokenSet = nil;
     initWithBytesNoCopy: result length: dst - result]);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Converts the base64 encoded data in source to a decoded ASCII string
+ * using the +decodeBase64: method.  If the encoded data does not represent
+ * an ASCII string, you should use the +decodeBase64: method directly.
+ */
++ (NSString*) decodeBase64String: (NSString*)source
+{
+  NSData	*d = [source dataUsingEncoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding];
+  NSString	*r = nil;
+
+  d = [self decodeBase64: d];
+  if (d != nil)
+    {
+      r = [[NSString alloc] initWithData: d encoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding];
+      AUTORELEASE(r);
+    }
+  return r;
+}
+
 /**
  * Encode the source data to base64 encoding and return the result.
  */
 + (NSData*) encodeBase64: (NSData*)source
 {
-  int		length = [source length];
-  int		destlen = 4 * ((length - 1) / 3) + 5;
+  int		length;
+  int		destlen;
   unsigned char *sBuf;
   unsigned char *dBuf;
   int		sIndex = 0;
   int		dIndex = 0;
 
+  if (source == nil)
+    {
+      return nil;
+    }
+  length = [source length];
   if (length == 0)
     {
       return [NSData data];
     }
+  destlen = 4 * ((length - 1) / 3) + 5;
   sBuf = (unsigned char*)[source bytes];
   dBuf = NSZoneMalloc(NSDefaultMallocZone(), destlen);
   dBuf[destlen - 1] = '\0';
@@ -2809,6 +2843,25 @@ static NSCharacterSet	*tokenSet = nil;
     initWithBytesNoCopy: dBuf length: dIndex]);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Converts the ASCII string source into base64 encoded data using the
+ * +encodeBase64: method.  If the original data is not an ASCII string,
+ * you should use the +encodeBase64: method directly.
+ */
++ (NSString*) encodeBase64String: (NSString*)source
+{
+  NSData	*d = [source dataUsingEncoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding];
+  NSString	*r = nil;
+
+  d = [self encodeBase64: d];
+  if (d != nil)
+    {
+      r = [[NSString alloc] initWithData: d encoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding];
+      AUTORELEASE(r);
+    }
+  return r;
+}
+
 + (void) initialize
 {
   if (self == [GSMimeDocument class])
diff --git a/Source/GSHTTPURLHandle.m b/Source/GSHTTPURLHandle.m
index ffd05cc73..60d575499 100644
--- a/Source/GSHTTPURLHandle.m
+++ b/Source/GSHTTPURLHandle.m
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ char emp[64] = {
     reading,
   } connectionState;
 }
-- (NSString*) encodebase64: (NSString*)s;
 - (void) setDebug: (BOOL)flag;
 @end
 
@@ -701,7 +700,7 @@ static void debugWrite(NSData *data)
 	      auth = [NSString stringWithFormat: @"%@", [url user]];
 	    }
 	  auth = [NSString stringWithFormat: @"Basic %@",
-	    [self encodebase64: auth]];
+	    [GSMimeDocument encodeBase64String: auth]];
 	  [wProperties setObject: auth
 			  forKey: @"authorization"];
 	}
@@ -935,15 +934,5 @@ static void debugWrite(NSData *data)
   return YES;
 }
 
-- (NSString*) encodebase64: (NSString*)s
-{
-  NSData	*d;
-
-  d = [s dataUsingEncoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding
-      allowLossyConversion: YES];
-  d = [GSMimeDocument encodeBase64: d];
-  s = [[NSString alloc] initWithData: d encoding: NSASCIIStringEncoding]; 
-  return AUTORELEASE(s);
-}
 @end