diff --git a/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/Req.scala b/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/Req.scala
index 27d69f7d7c..e6532cb019 100644
--- a/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/Req.scala
+++ b/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/Req.scala
@@ -338,7 +338,16 @@ object FileParamHolder {
   }
 }
 
-private[http] object CurrentReq extends ThreadGlobal[Req]
+/**
+ * A Thread-global containing the current Req.  Set very, very early
+ */
+object CurrentReq extends ThreadGlobal[Req]
+
+/**
+ * A ThreadGlobal containing the low-level HTTPRequest and HTTPResponse instances
+ * Set very, very early.
+ */
+object CurrentHTTPReqResp extends ThreadGlobal[(HTTPRequest, HTTPResponse)]
 
 private final case class AvoidGAL(func: () => ParamCalcInfo) {
   lazy val thunk: ParamCalcInfo = func()
@@ -520,7 +529,7 @@ object Req {
   def parsePath(in: String): ParsePath = {
     val p1 = fixURI((in match {case null => "/"; case s if s.length == 0 => "/"; case s => s}).replaceAll("/+", "/"))
     val front = p1.startsWith("/")
-    val back = p1.length > 1 && p1.endsWith("/")
+    val back = p1.length >= 1 && p1.endsWith("/")
 
     val orgLst = p1.replaceAll("/$", "/index").split("/").
     toList.map(_.trim).filter(_.length > 0)
diff --git a/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/provider/HTTPProvider.scala b/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/provider/HTTPProvider.scala
index fd8f60d5d2..90e7b4c6e0 100644
--- a/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/provider/HTTPProvider.scala
+++ b/web/webkit/src/main/scala/net/liftweb/http/provider/HTTPProvider.scala
@@ -57,21 +57,23 @@ trait HTTPProvider {
       LiftRules.early.toList.foreach(_(req))
     }
 
-    val newReq = Req(req, LiftRules.statelessRewrite.toList,
-                     LiftRules.statelessTest.toList,
-    LiftRules.statelessReqTest.toList,
-      System.nanoTime)
-
-    CurrentReq.doWith(newReq) {
-      URLRewriter.doWith(url => 
-        NamedPF.applyBox(resp.encodeUrl(url),
-                         LiftRules.urlDecorate.toList) openOr
-                         resp.encodeUrl(url)) {
-                           if (!(isLiftRequest_?(newReq) && 
-                                 actualServlet.service(newReq, resp))) {
-                                   chain
-                                 }
-                         }
+    CurrentHTTPReqResp.doWith(req -> resp) {
+      val newReq = Req(req, LiftRules.statelessRewrite.toList,
+        LiftRules.statelessTest.toList,
+        LiftRules.statelessReqTest.toList,
+        System.nanoTime)
+
+      CurrentReq.doWith(newReq) {
+        URLRewriter.doWith(url =>
+          NamedPF.applyBox(resp.encodeUrl(url),
+            LiftRules.urlDecorate.toList) openOr
+            resp.encodeUrl(url)) {
+          if (!(isLiftRequest_?(newReq) &&
+            actualServlet.service(newReq, resp))) {
+            chain
+          }
+        }
+      }
     }
   }