diff --git a/plugins/Http.py b/plugins/Http.py
index 94dcd6a17..2977b144d 100644
--- a/plugins/Http.py
+++ b/plugins/Http.py
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ class Http(callbacks.Privmsg):
 
         Returns information about the current version of the Linux kernel.
         """
-        fd = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.kernel.org/kdist/finger_banner')
+        fd = webutils.getUrlFd('http://www.kernel.org/kdist/finger_banner')
         for line in fd:
             (name, version) = line.split(':')
             if 'latest stable' in name:
diff --git a/src/webutils.py b/src/webutils.py
index b43b30362..628fd79a6 100644
--- a/src/webutils.py
+++ b/src/webutils.py
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@ import urllib2
 class WebException(Exception):
     pass
 
-def getUrl(url, size=None):
-    """Gets a page.  Returns a string that is the page gotten."""
+def getUrlFd(url):
     try:
         fd = urllib2.urlopen(url)
+        return fd
     except socket.error, e:
         if e.args[0] == 111:
             raise WebException, 'Connection refused.'
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ def getUrl(url, size=None):
             raise WebException, str(e)
     except (urllib2.HTTPError, urllib2.URLError), e:
         raise WebException, str(e)
+    
+def getUrl(url, size=None):
+    """Gets a page.  Returns a string that is the page gotten."""
+    fd = getUrlFd(url)
     if size is None:
         text = fd.read()
     else: