diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySalt.h b/src/lay/lay/laySalt.h
index 46d0d8b74..3bd170e0d 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySalt.h
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySalt.h
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Loads the salt from a "salt mine" stream
    */
-  void load (tl::InputStream &s)
+  void load (const std::string &p, tl::InputStream &s)
   {
-    m_root.load (s);
+    m_root.load (p, s);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
index 4953d347c..a0a2a0b62 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrain.cc
@@ -481,14 +481,12 @@ SaltGrain::from_path (const std::string &path)
 }
 
 tl::InputStream *
-SaltGrain::stream_from_url (std::string &url_in)
+SaltGrain::stream_from_url (std::string &url)
 {
-  if (url_in.empty ()) {
+  if (url.empty ()) {
     throw tl::Exception (tl::to_string (QObject::tr ("No download link available")));
   }
 
-  std::string url = url_in;
-
   //  base relative URL's on the salt mine URL
   if (url.find ("http:") != 0 && url.find ("https:") != 0 && url.find ("file:") != 0 && !url.empty() && url[0] != '/' && url[0] != '\\' && lay::SaltController::instance ()) {
 
@@ -500,7 +498,7 @@ SaltGrain::stream_from_url (std::string &url_in)
     }
     sami_url.setPath (path_comp.join (QString::fromUtf8 ("/")));
 
-    url_in = tl::to_string (sami_url.toString ());
+    url = tl::to_string (sami_url.toString ());
 
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.cc b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.cc
index 672e0cb15..cc6fefcf0 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.cc
@@ -318,11 +318,11 @@ SaltGrains::load (const std::string &p)
 }
 
 void
-SaltGrains::load (tl::InputStream &p)
+SaltGrains::load (const std::string &p, tl::InputStream &s)
 {
-  m_url.clear ();
+  m_url = p;
 
-  tl::XMLStreamSource source (p);
+  tl::XMLStreamSource source (s);
   s_xml_struct.parse (source, *this);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.h b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.h
index b4cd01f96..6d2fb1ebe 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.h
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltGrains.h
@@ -201,8 +201,9 @@ public:
 
   /**
    *  @brief Loads the grain collection from the given input stream
+   *  "url" is used as the source URL.
    */
-  void load (tl::InputStream &p);
+  void load (const std::string &p, tl::InputStream &s);
 
   /**
    *  @brief Saves the grain collection to the given file
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/laySaltManagerDialog.cc b/src/lay/lay/laySaltManagerDialog.cc
index 9ffa00582..f8115ed7d 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/laySaltManagerDialog.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/laySaltManagerDialog.cc
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ BEGIN_PROTECTED
     if (m_salt_mine_reader.get ()) {
 
       lay::Salt new_mine;
-      new_mine.load (*m_salt_mine_reader);
+      new_mine.load (m_salt_mine_url, *m_salt_mine_reader);
       m_salt_mine = new_mine;
 
     }
@@ -977,10 +977,13 @@ SaltManagerDialog::get_remote_grain_info (lay::SaltGrain *g, SaltGrainDetailsTex
     details->setHtml (html);
 
     std::string url = g->url ();
-    m_downloaded_grain_reader.reset (SaltGrain::stream_from_url (url));
     m_downloaded_grain.reset (new SaltGrain ());
     m_downloaded_grain->set_url (url);
 
+    //  NOTE: stream_from_url may modify the URL, hence we set it again
+    m_downloaded_grain_reader.reset (SaltGrain::stream_from_url (url));
+    m_downloaded_grain->set_url (url);
+
     tl::InputHttpStream *http = dynamic_cast<tl::InputHttpStream *> (m_downloaded_grain_reader->base ());
     if (http) {
       //  async reading on HTTP
@@ -1038,7 +1041,7 @@ SaltManagerDialog::show_error (tl::Exception &ex)
       "</body>"
     "</html>"
   )
-  .arg (tl::to_qstring (m_downloaded_grain->url ()))
+  .arg (tl::to_qstring (m_downloaded_grain.get () ? m_downloaded_grain->url () : ""))
   .arg (tl::to_qstring (tl::escaped_to_html (ex.msg ())));
   mp_downloaded_target->setHtml (html);