gistfile1.diff

diff --git i/lib/carrierwave/uploader/download.rb w/lib/carrierwave/uploader/download.rb
index 123168b..5f39eae 100644
--- i/lib/carrierwave/uploader/download.rb
+++ w/lib/carrierwave/uploader/download.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ module CarrierWave
 
       class RemoteFile
         def initialize(uri)
-          @uri = URI.parse(URI.escape(uri))
+          @uri = uri
         end
 
         def original_filename
@@ -52,12 +52,24 @@ module CarrierWave
       #
       def download!(uri)
         unless uri.blank?
-          file = RemoteFile.new(uri)
+          processed_uri = process_uri(uri)
+          file = RemoteFile.new(processed_uri)
           raise CarrierWave::DownloadError, "trying to download a file which is not served over HTTP" unless file.http?
           cache!(file) 
         end
       end
 
+      ##
+      # Processes the given URL by parsing and escaping it. Public to allow overriding.
+      #
+      # === Parameters
+      #
+      # [url (String)] The URL where the remote file is stored
+      #
+      def process_uri(uri)
+        URI.parse(URI.escape(uri))
+      end
+
     end # Download
   end # Uploader
 end # CarrierWave
diff --git i/spec/uploader/download_spec.rb w/spec/uploader/download_spec.rb
index 312451a..e271d2f 100644
--- i/spec/uploader/download_spec.rb
+++ w/spec/uploader/download_spec.rb
@@ -73,6 +73,22 @@ describe CarrierWave::Uploader::Download do
       @uploader.url.should == '/uploads/tmp/20071201-1234-345-2255/file.png'
     end
   end
+  
+  describe '#download! with an overridden process_uri method' do
 
-end
+    before do
+      @uploader_class.class_eval do
+        def process_uri(uri)
+          raise CarrierWave::DownloadError
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "should allow overriding the process_uri method" do      
+      running {
+        @uploader.download!('http://www.example.com/test/file.png')
+      }.should raise_error(CarrierWave::DownloadError)
+    end
+  end
 
+end