diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 03133fd2..73105796 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ matrix:
   allow_failures:
    - rvm: rbx-3
   fast_finish: true
+  include:
+    - rvm: 1.8.7
+      dist: precise
+      gemfile: Gemfile.ruby-1.8
 cache: bundler
 before_install:
   - gem update bundler
diff --git a/Gemfile.ruby-1.8 b/Gemfile.ruby-1.8
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9444dac8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Gemfile.ruby-1.8
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+source 'https://rubygems.org'
+
+gemspec
+
+gem 'rake', '< 12' # as of 12.0 rake requires ruby 1.9
+gem 'test-unit', '< 3'
diff --git a/Gemfile.ruby-1.8.lock b/Gemfile.ruby-1.8.lock
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16d6a72e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Gemfile.ruby-1.8.lock
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+PATH
+  remote: .
+  specs:
+    curb (0.9.6)
+
+GEM
+  remote: https://rubygems.org/
+  specs:
+    rake (10.5.0)
+    test-unit (2.5.5)
+
+PLATFORMS
+  ruby
+
+DEPENDENCIES
+  curb!
+  rake (< 12)
+  test-unit (< 3)
+
+BUNDLED WITH
+   1.15.4
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index d6045965..f2c219ce 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -2,11 +2,6 @@
 # 
 require 'rake/clean'
 require 'rake/testtask'
-begin
-  require 'rdoc/task'
-rescue LoadError => e
-  require 'rake/rdoctask'
-end
 
 CLEAN.include '**/*.o'
 CLEAN.include "**/*.#{(defined?(RbConfig) ? RbConfig : Config)::MAKEFILE_CONFIG['DLEXT']}"
@@ -89,12 +84,12 @@ if ENV['RELTEST']
 else
   task :alltests => [:unittests, :bugtests]
 end
-                    
+
 Rake::TestTask.new(:unittests) do |t|
   t.test_files = FileList['tests/tc_*.rb']
   t.verbose = false
 end
-                          
+
 Rake::TestTask.new(:bugtests) do |t|
   t.test_files = FileList['tests/bug_*.rb']
   t.verbose = false
@@ -136,6 +131,12 @@ end
 
 desc "Publish the RDoc documentation to project web site"
 task :doc_upload => [ :doc ] do
+  begin
+    require 'rdoc/task'
+  rescue LoadError => e
+    require 'rake/rdoctask'
+  end
+
   if ENV['RELTEST']
     announce "Release Task Testing, skipping doc upload"
   else    
diff --git a/ext/curb_multi.c b/ext/curb_multi.c
index 043b39a8..a1384a65 100644
--- a/ext/curb_multi.c
+++ b/ext/curb_multi.c
@@ -537,6 +537,7 @@ VALUE ruby_curl_multi_perform(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
 #endif
   long timeout_milliseconds;
   struct timeval tv = {0, 0};
+  struct timeval tv_100ms = {0, 100000};
   VALUE block = Qnil;
 #if defined(HAVE_RB_THREAD_BLOCKING_REGION) || defined(HAVE_RB_THREAD_CALL_WITHOUT_GVL)
   struct _select_set fdset_args;
@@ -551,7 +552,7 @@ VALUE ruby_curl_multi_perform(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
   rb_curl_multi_run( self, rbcm->handle, &(rbcm->running) );
   rb_curl_multi_read_info( self, rbcm->handle );
   if (block != Qnil) { rb_funcall(block, rb_intern("call"), 1, self);  }
- 
+
   do {
     while (rbcm->running) {
 
@@ -593,7 +594,7 @@ VALUE ruby_curl_multi_perform(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
 
       if (maxfd == -1) {
         /* libcurl recommends sleeping for 100ms */
-        rb_thread_wait_for(rb_time_timeval(DBL2NUM(0.1)));
+        rb_thread_wait_for(tv_100ms);
         rb_curl_multi_run( self, rbcm->handle, &(rbcm->running) );
         rb_curl_multi_read_info( self, rbcm->handle );
         if (block != Qnil) { rb_funcall(block, rb_intern("call"), 1, self);  }
@@ -606,12 +607,15 @@ VALUE ruby_curl_multi_perform(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
       create_crt_fd(&fdexcep, &crt_fdexcep);
 #endif
 
-#if defined(HAVE_RB_THREAD_BLOCKING_REGION) || defined(HAVE_RB_THREAD_CALL_WITHOUT_GVL)
+
+#if (defined(HAVE_RB_THREAD_BLOCKING_REGION) || defined(HAVE_RB_THREAD_CALL_WITHOUT_GVL))
       fdset_args.maxfd = maxfd+1;
       fdset_args.fdread = &fdread;
       fdset_args.fdwrite = &fdwrite;
       fdset_args.fdexcep = &fdexcep;
       fdset_args.tv = &tv;
+#endif
+
 #ifdef HAVE_RB_THREAD_CALL_WITHOUT_GVL
       rc = (int)(VALUE) rb_thread_call_without_gvl((void *(*)(void *))curb_select, &fdset_args, RUBY_UBF_IO, 0);
 #elif HAVE_RB_THREAD_BLOCKING_REGION
@@ -622,8 +626,6 @@ VALUE ruby_curl_multi_perform(int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self) {
       rc = rb_thread_select(maxfd+1, &fdread, &fdwrite, &fdexcep, &tv);
 #endif
 
-#endif
-
 #ifdef _WIN32
       cleanup_crt_fd(&fdread, &crt_fdread);
       cleanup_crt_fd(&fdwrite, &crt_fdwrite);
diff --git a/tests/helper.rb b/tests/helper.rb
index 87ac4070..c38e814a 100644
--- a/tests/helper.rb
+++ b/tests/helper.rb
@@ -207,3 +207,81 @@ def server_setup(port=9129,servlet=TestServlet)
   rescue Errno::EADDRINUSE
   end
 end
+
+
+
+# Backport for Ruby 1.8
+module Backports
+  module Ruby18
+    module URIFormEncoding
+      TBLENCWWWCOMP_ = {}
+      TBLDECWWWCOMP_ = {}
+
+      def encode_www_form_component(str)
+        if TBLENCWWWCOMP_.empty?
+          256.times do |i|
+            TBLENCWWWCOMP_[i.chr] = '%%%02X' % i
+          end
+          TBLENCWWWCOMP_[' '] = '+'
+          TBLENCWWWCOMP_.freeze
+        end
+        str.to_s.gsub( /([^*\-.0-9A-Z_a-z])/ ) {|*| TBLENCWWWCOMP_[$1] }
+      end
+
+      def decode_www_form_component(str)
+        if TBLDECWWWCOMP_.empty?
+          256.times do |i|
+            h, l = i>>4, i&15
+            TBLDECWWWCOMP_['%%%X%X' % [h, l]] = i.chr
+            TBLDECWWWCOMP_['%%%x%X' % [h, l]] = i.chr
+            TBLDECWWWCOMP_['%%%X%x' % [h, l]] = i.chr
+            TBLDECWWWCOMP_['%%%x%x' % [h, l]] = i.chr
+          end
+          TBLDECWWWCOMP_['+'] = ' '
+          TBLDECWWWCOMP_.freeze
+        end
+
+        raise ArgumentError, "invalid %-encoding (#{str.dump})" unless /\A(?:%[[:xdigit:]]{2}|[^%]+)*\z/ =~ str
+        str.gsub( /(\+|%[[:xdigit:]]{2})/ ) {|*| TBLDECWWWCOMP_[$1] }
+      end
+
+      def encode_www_form( enum )
+        enum.map do |k,v|
+          if v.nil?
+            encode_www_form_component(k)
+          elsif v.respond_to?(:to_ary)
+            v.to_ary.map do |w|
+              str = encode_www_form_component(k)
+              unless w.nil?
+                str << '='
+                str << encode_www_form_component(w)
+              end
+            end.join('&')
+          else
+            str = encode_www_form_component(k)
+            str << '='
+            str << encode_www_form_component(v)
+          end
+        end.join('&')
+      end
+
+      WFKV_ = '(?:%\h\h|[^%#=;&])'
+      def decode_www_form(str, _)
+        return [] if str.to_s == ''
+
+        unless /\A#{WFKV_}=#{WFKV_}(?:[;&]#{WFKV_}=#{WFKV_})*\z/ =~ str
+          raise ArgumentError, "invalid data of application/x-www-form-urlencoded (#{str})"
+        end
+        ary = []
+        $&.scan(/([^=;&]+)=([^;&]*)/) do
+          ary << [decode_www_form_component($1, enc), decode_www_form_component($2, enc)]
+        end
+        ary
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+unless URI.methods.include?(:encode_www_form)
+  URI.extend(Backports::Ruby18::URIFormEncoding)
+end
diff --git a/tests/tc_curl_easy.rb b/tests/tc_curl_easy.rb
index 3f0352ec..4bb1c135 100644
--- a/tests/tc_curl_easy.rb
+++ b/tests/tc_curl_easy.rb
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ def test_cookiejar
   def test_cookielist
     c = Curl::Easy.new TestServlet.url
     c.enable_cookies = true
-    c.post_body = URI.encode_www_form c: 'somename=somevalue'
+    c.post_body = URI.encode_www_form('c' => 'somename=somevalue')
     assert_nil c.cookielist
     c.perform
     assert_match(/somevalue/, c.cookielist.join(''))