diff --git a/include/network.h b/include/network.h
index a9dafdb0d8a9d5a8b0ed807e05073f583f11a1cf..36002955c286220d084505a055e50c1756c841b1 100644
--- a/include/network.h
+++ b/include/network.h
@@ -164,9 +164,53 @@ static inline void vlc_UrlClean( vlc_url_t *url )
     url->psz_path     = NULL;
     url->psz_option   = NULL;
 }
+                    
+/*****************************************************************************
+ * vlc_b64_encode:
+ *****************************************************************************
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+static inline char *vlc_b64_encode( unsigned char *src )
+{
+    static const char b64[] = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/";
+                                                                                
+    char *dst = malloc( strlen( src ) * 4 / 3 + 12 );
+    char *ret = dst;
+    unsigned i_bits = 0;
+    unsigned i_shift = 0;
+                                                                                
+    for( ;; )
+    {
+        if( *src )
+        {
+            i_bits = ( i_bits << 8 )|( *src++ );
+            i_shift += 8;
+        }
+        else if( i_shift > 0 )
+        {
+           i_bits <<= 6 - i_shift;
+           i_shift = 6;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            *dst++ = '=';
+            break;
+        }
+                                                                                
+        while( i_shift >= 6 )
+        {
+            i_shift -= 6;
+            *dst++ = b64[(i_bits >> i_shift)&0x3f];
+        }
+    }
+                                                                                
+    *dst++ = '\0';
+                                                                                
+    return ret;
+}
 
 #define net_OpenTCP(a, b, c) __net_OpenTCP(VLC_OBJECT(a), b, c)
-VLC_EXPORT( int, __net_OpenTCP, ( vlc_object_t *p_this, char *psz_host, int i_port ) );
+VLC_EXPORT( int, __net_OpenTCP, ( vlc_object_t *p_this, const char *psz_host, int i_port ) );
 
 #define net_ListenTCP(a, b, c) __net_ListenTCP(VLC_OBJECT(a), b, c)
 VLC_EXPORT( int, __net_ListenTCP, ( vlc_object_t *p_this, char *psz_localaddr, int i_port ) );
diff --git a/modules/access/http.c b/modules/access/http.c
index 3db276bfc11edf760508ea692dcba955974faf04..fa37fb47f4832854c527c48f34e4412c745d518f 100644
--- a/modules/access/http.c
+++ b/modules/access/http.c
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ static int Control( access_t *, int, va_list );
 /* */
 static void ParseURL( access_sys_t *, char *psz_url );
 static int  Connect( access_t *, int64_t );
-static char *b64_encode( unsigned char *src );
 
 /*****************************************************************************
  * Open:
@@ -685,7 +684,7 @@ static int Connect( access_t *p_access, int64_t i_tell )
         asprintf( &buf, "%s:%s", p_sys->psz_user,
                    p_sys->psz_passwd ? p_sys->psz_passwd : "" );
 
-        b64 = b64_encode( buf );
+        b64 = vlc_b64_encode( buf );
 
         net_Printf( VLC_OBJECT(p_access), p_sys->fd,
                     "Authorization: Basic %s\r\n", b64 );
@@ -818,44 +817,3 @@ error:
     return VLC_EGENERIC;
 }
 
-/*****************************************************************************
- * b64_encode:
- *****************************************************************************/
-static char *b64_encode( unsigned char *src )
-{
-    static const char b64[] = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/";
-
-    char *dst = malloc( strlen( src ) * 4 / 3 + 12 );
-    char *ret = dst;
-    unsigned i_bits = 0;
-    unsigned i_shift = 0;
-
-    for( ;; )
-    {
-        if( *src )
-        {
-            i_bits = ( i_bits << 8 )|( *src++ );
-            i_shift += 8;
-        }
-        else if( i_shift > 0 )
-        {
-           i_bits <<= 6 - i_shift;
-           i_shift = 6;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            *dst++ = '=';
-            break;
-        }
-
-        while( i_shift >= 6 )
-        {
-            i_shift -= 6;
-            *dst++ = b64[(i_bits >> i_shift)&0x3f];
-        }
-    }
-
-    *dst++ = '\0';
-
-    return ret;
-}