diff --git a/url/url.go b/url/url.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b604cf96d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/url/url.go
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+/* package URL handles Helm-DM URLs
+
+Helm uses three kinds of URLs:
+
+	- Fully qualified (long) names: https://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz
+	- Short names: helm:example.com/foo/bar#1.2.3
+	- Local names: file:///foo/bar
+
+This package provides utilities for working with this type of URL.
+*/
+package url
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/url"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+const (
+	SchemeHTTP  = "http"
+	SchemeHTTPS = "https"
+	SchemeHelm  = "helm"
+	SchemeFile  = "file"
+)
+
+// TarNameRegex parses the name component of a URI and breaks it into a name and version.
+//
+// This borrows liberally from github.com/Masterminds/semver.
+const TarNameRegex = `([0-9A-Za-z\-_/]+)-(v?([0-9]+)(\.[0-9]+)?(\.[0-9]+)?` +
+	`(-([0-9A-Za-z\-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z\-]+)*))?` +
+	`(\+([0-9A-Za-z\-]+(\.[0-9A-Za-z\-]+)*))?)(.tgz)?`
+
+var tnregexp *regexp.Regexp
+
+func init() {
+	tnregexp = regexp.MustCompile("^" + TarNameRegex + "$")
+}
+
+type URL struct {
+	// The scheme of the URL. Typically one of http, https, helm, or file.
+	Scheme string
+	// The host information, if applicable.
+	Host string
+	// The bucket name
+	Bucket string
+	// The chart name
+	Name string
+	// The version or version range.
+	Version string
+
+	// If this is a local chart, the path to the chart.
+	LocalRef string
+
+	isLocal bool
+
+	original string
+}
+
+func Parse(path string) (*URL, error) {
+
+	// Check for absolute or relative path.
+	if path[0] == '.' || path[0] == '/' {
+		return &URL{
+			LocalRef: path,
+			isLocal:  true,
+			original: path,
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	// TODO: Do we want to support file:///foo/bar.tgz?
+	if strings.HasPrefix(path, SchemeFile+":") {
+		path := strings.TrimPrefix(path, SchemeFile+":")
+		return &URL{
+			LocalRef: filepath.Clean(path),
+			isLocal:  true,
+			original: path,
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	u, err := url.Parse(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	// Short name
+	if u.Scheme == SchemeHelm {
+		parts := strings.SplitN(u.Opaque, "/", 3)
+		if len(parts) < 3 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("both bucket and chart name are required in %s: %s", path, u.Path)
+		}
+		// Need to parse opaque data into bucket and chart.
+		return &URL{
+			Scheme:   u.Scheme,
+			Host:     parts[0],
+			Bucket:   parts[1],
+			Name:     parts[2],
+			Version:  u.Fragment,
+			original: path,
+		}, nil
+	}
+
+	// Long name
+	parts := strings.SplitN(u.Path, "/", 3)
+	if len(parts) < 3 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("both bucket and chart name are required in %s", path)
+	}
+
+	name, version, err := parseTarName(parts[2])
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &URL{
+		Scheme:   u.Scheme,
+		Host:     u.Host,
+		Bucket:   parts[1],
+		Name:     name,
+		Version:  version,
+		original: path,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+// IsLocal returns true if this is a local path.
+func (u *URL) IsLocal() bool {
+	return u.isLocal
+}
+
+// Local returns a local version of the path.
+//
+// This will return an error if the URL does not reference a local chart.
+func (u *URL) Local() (string, error) {
+	return u.LocalRef, nil
+}
+
+var ErrLocal = errors.New("cannot use local URL as remote")
+var ErrRemote = errors.New("cannot use remote URL as local")
+
+// Short returns a short form URL.
+//
+// This will return an error if the URL references a local chart.
+func (u *URL) Short() (string, error) {
+	if u.IsLocal() {
+		return "", ErrLocal
+	}
+	fname := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s", u.Host, u.Bucket, u.Name)
+	return (&url.URL{
+		Scheme:   SchemeHelm,
+		Opaque:   fname,
+		Fragment: u.Version,
+	}).String(), nil
+}
+
+// Long returns a long-form URL.
+//
+// If secure is true, this will return an HTTPS URL, otherwise HTTP.
+//
+// This will return an error if the URL references a local chart.
+func (u *URL) Long(secure bool) (string, error) {
+	if u.IsLocal() {
+		return "", ErrLocal
+	}
+
+	scheme := SchemeHTTPS
+	if !secure {
+		scheme = SchemeHTTP
+	}
+	fname := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s-%s.tgz", u.Bucket, u.Name, u.Version)
+
+	return (&url.URL{
+		Scheme: scheme,
+		Host:   u.Host,
+		Path:   fname,
+	}).String(), nil
+
+}
+
+// parseTarName parses a long-form tarfile name.
+func parseTarName(name string) (string, string, error) {
+	if strings.HasSuffix(name, ".tgz") {
+		name = strings.TrimSuffix(name, ".tgz")
+	}
+	v := tnregexp.FindStringSubmatch(name)
+	if v == nil {
+		return name, "", fmt.Errorf("invalid name %s", name)
+	}
+	return v[1], v[2], nil
+}
diff --git a/url/url_test.go b/url/url_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..aeea98c0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/url/url_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+package url
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := map[string]URL{
+		"helm:host/bucket/name#1.2.3":        URL{Scheme: "helm", Host: "host", Bucket: "bucket", Name: "name", Version: "1.2.3"},
+		"https://host/bucket/name-1.2.3.tgz": URL{Scheme: "https", Host: "host", Bucket: "bucket", Name: "name", Version: "1.2.3"},
+		"http://host/bucket/name-1.2.3.tgz":  URL{Scheme: "http", Host: "host", Bucket: "bucket", Name: "name", Version: "1.2.3"},
+	}
+
+	for start, expect := range tests {
+		u, err := Parse(start)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed parsing %s: %s", start, err)
+		}
+
+		if expect.Scheme != u.Scheme {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected scheme: %s", u.Scheme)
+		}
+
+		if expect.Host != u.Host {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected host: %q", u.Host)
+		}
+
+		if expect.Bucket != u.Bucket {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected bucket: %q", u.Bucket)
+		}
+
+		if expect.Name != u.Name {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected name: %q", u.Name)
+		}
+
+		if expect.Version != u.Version {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected version: %q", u.Version)
+		}
+
+		if expect.LocalRef != u.LocalRef {
+			t.Errorf("Unexpected local dir: %q", u.LocalRef)
+		}
+
+	}
+}
+
+func TestShort(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := map[string]string{
+		"https://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz": "helm:example.com/foo/bar#1.2.3",
+		"http://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz":  "helm:example.com/foo/bar#1.2.3",
+		"helm:example.com/foo/bar#1.2.3":        "helm:example.com/foo/bar#1.2.3",
+		"helm:example.com/foo/bar#>1.2.3":       "helm:example.com/foo/bar#%3E1.2.3",
+	}
+
+	for start, expect := range tests {
+		u, err := Parse(start)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to parse: %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+		short, err := u.Short()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to generate short: %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if short != expect {
+			t.Errorf("Expected %q, got %q", expect, short)
+		}
+	}
+
+	fails := []string{"./this/is/local", "file:///this/is/local"}
+	for _, f := range fails {
+		u, err := Parse(f)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to parse: %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if _, err := u.Short(); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("%q should have caused an error for Short()", f)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLong(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := map[string]string{
+		"https://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz": "https://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz",
+		"http://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz":  "https://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz",
+		"helm:example.com/foo/bar#1.2.3":        "https://example.com/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz",
+		"helm:example.com/foo/bar#>1.2.3":       "https://example.com/foo/bar-%3E1.2.3.tgz",
+	}
+
+	for start, expect := range tests {
+		t.Logf("Parsing %s", start)
+		u, err := Parse(start)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to parse: %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+		long, err := u.Long(true)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to generate long: %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if long != expect {
+			t.Errorf("Expected %q, got %q", expect, long)
+		}
+	}
+
+	fails := []string{"./this/is/local", "file:///this/is/local"}
+	for _, f := range fails {
+		u, err := Parse(f)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to parse: %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if _, err := u.Long(false); err == nil {
+			t.Errorf("%q should have caused an error for Long()", f)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestLocal(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := map[string]string{
+		"file:///foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz": "/foo/bar-1.2.3.tgz",
+		"file:///foo/bar":           "/foo/bar",
+		"./foo/bar":                 "./foo/bar",
+		"/foo/bar":                  "/foo/bar",
+	}
+
+	for start, expect := range tests {
+		u, err := Parse(start)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed parse: %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		fin, err := u.Local()
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed Local(): %s", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if fin != expect {
+			t.Errorf("Expected %q, got %q", expect, fin)
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
+func TestParseTarName(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct{ start, name, version string }{
+		{"butcher-1.2.3", "butcher", "1.2.3"},
+		{"butcher-1.2.3.tgz", "butcher", "1.2.3"},
+		{"butcher-1.2.3-beta1+1234", "butcher", "1.2.3-beta1+1234"},
+		{"butcher-1.2.3-beta1+1234.tgz", "butcher", "1.2.3-beta1+1234"},
+		{"foo/butcher-1.2.3.tgz", "foo/butcher", "1.2.3"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		n, v, e := parseTarName(tt.start)
+		if e != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Error parsing %s: %s", tt.start, e)
+			continue
+		}
+		if n != tt.name {
+			t.Errorf("Expected name %q, got %q", tt.name, n)
+		}
+
+		if v != tt.version {
+			t.Errorf("Expected version %q, got %q", tt.version, v)
+		}
+	}
+}