diff --git conf/nutch-default.xml conf/nutch-default.xml
index 21370c5..024d95b 100644
--- conf/nutch-default.xml
+++ conf/nutch-default.xml
@@ -1088,13 +1088,6 @@
 </property>
 
 <property>
-  <name>parser.fix.embeddedparams</name>
-  <value>true</value>
-  <description>Whether to fix URL embedded params using semi-colons.
-  See NUTCH-436 and NUTCH-1115</description>
-</property>
-
-<property>
   <name>htmlparsefilter.order</name>
   <value></value>
   <description>The order by which HTMLParse filters are applied.
diff --git src/java/org/apache/nutch/util/URLUtil.java src/java/org/apache/nutch/util/URLUtil.java
index cfdbe2f..1a59b23 100644
--- src/java/org/apache/nutch/util/URLUtil.java
+++ src/java/org/apache/nutch/util/URLUtil.java
@@ -28,9 +28,8 @@ import org.apache.nutch.util.domain.DomainSuffixes;
 public class URLUtil {
   
   /**
-   * Resolve relative URL-s and fix a few java.net.URL errors
-   * in handling of URLs with embedded params and pure query
-   * targets.
+   * Resolve relative URL-s and fix a java.net.URL error
+   * in handling of URLs with pure query targets.
    * @param base base url
    * @param target target url (may be relative)
    * @return resolved absolute url.
@@ -40,13 +39,6 @@ public class URLUtil {
           throws MalformedURLException {
     target = target.trim();
 
-    /* this is probably not needed anymore - see NUTCH-797.
-    // handle params that are embedded into the base url - move them to target
-    // so URL class constructs the new url class properly
-    if (base.toString().indexOf(';') > 0)
-      return fixEmbeddedParams(base, target);
-    */
-    
     // handle the case that there is a target that is a pure query,
     // for example
     // http://careers3.accenture.com/Careers/ASPX/Search.aspx?co=0&sk=0
@@ -82,53 +74,6 @@ public class URLUtil {
     return new URL(base, target);
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Handles cases where the url param information is encoded into the base url
-   * as opposed to the target.
-   * <p>
-   * If the taget contains params (i.e. ';xxxx') information then the target
-   * params information is assumed to be correct and any base params information
-   * is ignored. If the base contains params information but the tareget does
-   * not, then the params information is moved to the target allowing it to be
-   * correctly determined by the java.net.URL class.
-   * 
-   * @param base
-   *          The base URL.
-   * @param target
-   *          The target path from the base URL.
-   * 
-   * @return URL A URL with the params information correctly encoded.
-   * 
-   * @throws MalformedURLException
-   *           If the url is not a well formed URL.
-   */
-  private static URL fixEmbeddedParams(URL base, String target)
-          throws MalformedURLException {
-
-    // the target contains params information or the base doesn't then no
-    // conversion necessary, return regular URL
-    if (target.indexOf(';') >= 0 || base.toString().indexOf(';') == -1) {
-      return new URL(base, target);
-    }
-
-    // get the base url and it params information
-    String baseURL = base.toString();
-    int startParams = baseURL.indexOf(';');
-    String params = baseURL.substring(startParams);
-
-    // if the target has a query string then put the params information after
-    // any path but before the query string, otherwise just append to the path
-    int startQS = target.indexOf('?');
-    if (startQS >= 0) {
-      target = target.substring(0, startQS) + params
-              + target.substring(startQS);
-    } else {
-      target += params;
-    }
-
-    return new URL(base, target);
-  }
-
   private static Pattern IP_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("(\\d{1,3}\\.){3}(\\d{1,3})");
 
   /** Returns the domain name of the url. The domain name of a url is