diff --git a/lib/json-schema/validator.rb b/lib/json-schema/validator.rb
index afd90b30..2e4da42f 100644
--- a/lib/json-schema/validator.rb
+++ b/lib/json-schema/validator.rb
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ def load_ref_schema(parent_schema, ref)
     end
 
     def absolutize_ref_uri(ref, parent_schema_uri)
-      ref_uri = URI.parse(ref)
+      ref_uri = Addressable::URI.parse(ref)
 
       return ref_uri if ref_uri.absolute?
       # This is a self reference and thus the schema does not need to be re-loaded
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def absolutize_ref_uri(ref, parent_schema_uri)
 
       uri = parent_schema_uri.clone
       uri.fragment = ''
-      uri.merge(Pathname(ref_uri.path).cleanpath.to_s)
+      uri.join(ref_uri.path)
     end
 
     # Build all schemas with IDs, mapping out the namespace
@@ -589,6 +589,5 @@ def normalized_uri(data)
       end
       uri
     end
-
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/data/file with spaces.json b/test/data/file with spaces.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 18534a57..00000000
--- a/test/data/file with spaces.json	
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "name" : "john"
-}