diff --git a/testApp/remote/eget.cpp b/testApp/remote/eget.cpp
index c45b480..82676b7 100644
--- a/testApp/remote/eget.cpp
+++ b/testApp/remote/eget.cpp
@@ -1032,6 +1032,53 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
     // service RPC mode
     else
     {
+    	URI uri;
+    	bool validURI = URI::parse(service, uri);
+    	if (validURI)
+    	{
+    		if (uri.protocol != "pva")
+    		{
+                std::cerr << "invalid URI scheme '" << uri.protocol << "', only 'pva' is supported" << std::endl;
+    			// TODO
+                return 1;
+    		}
+
+    		if (uri.path.length() <= 1)
+    		{
+                std::cerr << "invalid URI, empty path" << std::endl;
+    			// TODO
+                return 1;
+    		}
+
+    		// skip trailing '/'
+    		service = uri.path.substr(1);
+
+    		string::const_iterator end_i = uri.query.end();
+    		string::const_iterator begin_i = uri.query.begin();
+    		while (begin_i != end_i)
+    		{
+        		string::const_iterator pair_end_i = find(begin_i, end_i, '&');
+
+        		string::const_iterator name_end_i = find(begin_i, pair_end_i, '=');
+        		if (name_end_i != pair_end_i)
+        		{
+        			string name(begin_i, name_end_i);
+        			string value(name_end_i+1, pair_end_i);
+        			parameters.push_back(pair<string,string>(name, value));
+        		}
+        		else
+        		{
+                    fprintf(stderr, "Parameter not specified in name=value form. ('eget -h' for help.)\n");
+        			// TODO
+                    return 1;
+        		}
+
+        		begin_i = pair_end_i;
+        		if (begin_i != end_i)
+        			begin_i++;	// skip '&'
+    		}
+    	}
+
     	/*
         std::cerr << "service            : " << service << std::endl;
         std::cerr << "parameters         : " << std::endl;
@@ -1040,7 +1087,7 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
         for (; iter != parameters.end(); iter++)
             std::cerr << "    " << iter->first << " = " << iter->second << std::endl;
         //std::cerr << "encoded URL request: '" << urlEncodedRequest << "'" << std::endl;
-        */
+		*/
 
         // simply empty
         PVStructure::shared_pointer pvRequest =
diff --git a/testApp/remote/pvutils.cpp b/testApp/remote/pvutils.cpp
index a69edc6..5c5a9b7 100644
--- a/testApp/remote/pvutils.cpp
+++ b/testApp/remote/pvutils.cpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include <sstream>
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <stdexcept>
+#include <algorithm>
 
 using namespace std;
 using namespace std::tr1;
@@ -283,3 +284,39 @@ epics::pvData::FieldConstPtr GetFieldRequesterImpl::getField()
     Lock lock(m_pointerMutex);
     return m_field;
 }
+
+
+
+// TODO invalid characters check, etc.
+bool URI::parse(const string& uri, URI& result)
+{
+    const string prot_end("://");
+    string::const_iterator prot_i = search(uri.begin(), uri.end(),
+                                           prot_end.begin(), prot_end.end());
+    if( prot_i == uri.end() || prot_i == uri.begin() )
+        return false;
+
+    result.protocol.reserve(distance(uri.begin(), prot_i));
+    transform(uri.begin(), prot_i,
+              back_inserter(result.protocol),
+              ::tolower); // protocol is icase
+
+    advance(prot_i, prot_end.length());
+    if ( prot_i == uri.end() )
+        return false;
+
+    string::const_iterator path_i = find(prot_i, uri.end(), '/');
+    result.host.assign(prot_i, path_i);
+
+    string::const_iterator fragment_i = find(path_i, uri.end(), '#');
+    if ( fragment_i != uri.end() )
+        result.fragment.assign(fragment_i+1, uri.end());
+
+    string::const_iterator query_i = find(path_i, fragment_i, '?');
+    result.path.assign(path_i, query_i);
+    if( query_i != fragment_i )
+        result.query.assign(++query_i, fragment_i);
+
+    return true;
+}
+
diff --git a/testApp/remote/pvutils.h b/testApp/remote/pvutils.h
index 187041c..a71864e 100644
--- a/testApp/remote/pvutils.h
+++ b/testApp/remote/pvutils.h
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ char to_hex(char code);
 /* IMPORTANT: be sure to free() the returned string after use */
 char *url_encode(const char *str);
 
+#include <string>
+
+struct URI {
+public:
+    static bool parse(const std::string& uri, URI& result);
+public:
+    std::string protocol, host, path, query, fragment;
+};
 
 class RequesterImpl :
 	public epics::pvData::Requester