diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 307d9f1..96c6e62 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ UrlGrey.prototype.path = function(){
     str = str.replace(/\/$/, '');  // remove all trailing slashes
     args = str.split('/');
     for(var i = 0; i < args.length; i++){
-      args[i] = encodeURIComponent(args[i]);
+      args[i] = this.encode(args[i]);
     }
     str = args.join('/');
     if (str[0] !== '/'){ str = '/' + str; }
@@ -262,11 +262,19 @@ UrlGrey.prototype.rawPath = function(){
 };
 
 UrlGrey.prototype.encode = function(str){
-  return encodeURIComponent(str);
+  try {
+    return encodeURIComponent(str);
+  } catch (ex) {
+    return querystring.escape(str);
+  }
 };
 
 UrlGrey.prototype.decode = function(str){
-  return decodeURIComponent(str);
+  try {
+    return decodeURIComponent(str);
+  } catch (ex) {
+    return querystring.unescape(str);
+  }
 };
 
 UrlGrey.prototype.parent = function(){
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9572be9..c1ff116 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "url",
     "uri"
   ],
-  "version": "0.3.2",
+  "version": "0.3.3",
   "bugs": {
     "url": "https://github.com/cainus/urlgrey/issues"
   },
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 57ca164..63dd044 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -186,13 +186,13 @@ describe("urlgrey", function(){
   describe("#rawChild", function(){
     it("returns a url with the given path suffix added", function(){
       var url = "http://asdf.com/path?asdf=1234#frag";
-      urlgrey(url).rawChild('kid here')
-        .toString().should.equal('http://asdf.com/path/kid here');
+      urlgrey(url).rawChild('{kid here}')
+        .toString().should.equal('http://asdf.com/path/{kid here}');
     });
     it("returns a url with the given path suffixes added, without escaping", function(){
       var url = "http://asdf.com/path?asdf=1234#frag";
-      urlgrey(url).rawChild('kid here', 'and here')
-        .toString().should.equal('http://asdf.com/path/kid here/and here');
+      urlgrey(url).rawChild('{kid here}', '{and here}')
+        .toString().should.equal('http://asdf.com/path/{kid here}/{and here}');
     });
     it("returns the last item in the path if there is no input", function(){
       var url = "http://asdf.com/path/kid?asdf=1234#frag";