diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 44ceff1e2..bfe4dfef7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 *.la
 *.a
 *.d
+*.vsp
+*.psess
 
 # Make #
 ########
diff --git a/Foundation/include/Poco/Bugcheck.h b/Foundation/include/Poco/Bugcheck.h
index 3683ac98d..904200fc2 100644
--- a/Foundation/include/Poco/Bugcheck.h
+++ b/Foundation/include/Poco/Bugcheck.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public:
 	static void assertion(const char* cond, const char* file, int line, const char* text = 0);
 		/// An assertion failed. Break into the debugger, if
 		/// possible, then throw an AssertionViolationException.
-		
+
 	static void nullPointer(const char* ptr, const char* file, int line);
 		/// An null pointer was encountered. Break into the debugger, if
 		/// possible, then throw an NullPointerException.
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ protected:
 
 #define poco_bugcheck_msg(msg) \
 	Poco::Bugcheck::bugcheck(msg, __FILE__, __LINE__)
-	
-	
+
+
 #define poco_unexpected() \
 	Poco::Bugcheck::unexpected(__FILE__, __LINE__);
 
@@ -143,22 +143,25 @@ protected:
 
 //
 // poco_static_assert
-// 
+//
 // The following was ported from <boost/static_assert.hpp>
 //
 
 
+GCC_DIAG_OFF(unused-local-typedefs) // supress numerous gcc warnings
+
+
 template <bool x>
 struct POCO_STATIC_ASSERTION_FAILURE;
 
 
-template <> 
-struct POCO_STATIC_ASSERTION_FAILURE<true> 
+template <>
+struct POCO_STATIC_ASSERTION_FAILURE<true>
 {
-	enum 
-	{ 
-		value = 1 
-	}; 
+	enum
+	{
+		value = 1
+	};
 };
 
 
diff --git a/Foundation/src/LogStream.cpp b/Foundation/src/LogStream.cpp
index 4ff724fce..6cc307a0b 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/LogStream.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/LogStream.cpp
@@ -47,9 +47,12 @@ int LogStreamBuf::writeToDevice(char c)
 {
 	if (c == '\n' || c == '\r')
 	{
-		Message msg(_logger.name(), _message, _priority);
-		_message.clear();
-		_logger.log(msg);
+		if (_message.find_first_not_of("\r\n") != std::string::npos)
+		{
+			Message msg(_logger.name(), _message, _priority);
+			_message.clear();
+			_logger.log(msg);
+		}
 	}
 	else _message += c;
 	return c;
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32.cpp b/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32.cpp
index 76165821c..ba0465b57 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32.cpp
@@ -55,14 +55,16 @@ std::string PathImpl::systemImpl()
 std::string PathImpl::homeImpl()
 {
 	std::string result;
-	
-	// windows service has no home dir, return system directory instead
-	try
+	if (EnvironmentImpl::hasImpl("USERPROFILE"))
+	{
+		result = EnvironmentImpl::getImpl("USERPROFILE");
+	}
+	else if (EnvironmentImpl::hasImpl("HOMEDRIVE") && EnvironmentImpl::hasImpl("HOMEPATH"))
 	{
 		result = EnvironmentImpl::getImpl("HOMEDRIVE");
 		result.append(EnvironmentImpl::getImpl("HOMEPATH"));
 	}
-	catch (NotFoundException&) 
+	else
 	{
 		result = systemImpl();
 	}
diff --git a/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32U.cpp b/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32U.cpp
index 10d2b7fc4..0c37063ff 100644
--- a/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32U.cpp
+++ b/Foundation/src/Path_WIN32U.cpp
@@ -65,14 +65,16 @@ std::string PathImpl::systemImpl()
 std::string PathImpl::homeImpl()
 {
 	std::string result;
-	
-	// windows service has no home dir, return system directory instead
-	try
+	if (EnvironmentImpl::hasImpl("USERPROFILE"))
+	{
+		result = EnvironmentImpl::getImpl("USERPROFILE");
+	}
+	else if (EnvironmentImpl::hasImpl("HOMEDRIVE") && EnvironmentImpl::hasImpl("HOMEPATH"))
 	{
 		result = EnvironmentImpl::getImpl("HOMEDRIVE");
 		result.append(EnvironmentImpl::getImpl("HOMEPATH"));
 	}
-	catch (NotFoundException&) 
+	else
 	{
 		result = systemImpl();
 	}
diff --git a/Net/include/Poco/Net/HTTPRequest.h b/Net/include/Poco/Net/HTTPRequest.h
index 79cd722b0..497ff26c6 100644
--- a/Net/include/Poco/Net/HTTPRequest.h
+++ b/Net/include/Poco/Net/HTTPRequest.h
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ private:
 	enum Limits
 	{
 		MAX_METHOD_LENGTH  = 32,
-		MAX_URI_LENGTH     = 4096,
+		MAX_URI_LENGTH     = 16384,
 		MAX_VERSION_LENGTH = 8
 	};