--- a/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/doclets/internal/toolkit/Configuration.java	Thu Oct 25 13:33:27 2012 -0700
+++ b/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/doclets/internal/toolkit/Configuration.java	Fri Oct 26 13:10:56 2012 -0700
@@ -408,11 +408,11 @@
                 group.checkPackageGroups(os[1], os[2]);
             } else if (opt.equals("-link")) {
                 String url = os[1];
-                extern.url(url, url, root, false);
+                extern.link(url, url, root, false);
             } else if (opt.equals("-linkoffline")) {
                 String url = os[1];
                 String pkglisturl = os[2];
-                extern.url(url, pkglisturl, root, true);
+                extern.link(url, pkglisturl, root, true);
             }
         }
         if (sourcepath.length() == 0) {

--- a/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/doclets/internal/toolkit/util/Extern.java	Thu Oct 25 13:33:27 2012 -0700
+++ b/src/share/classes/com/sun/tools/doclets/internal/toolkit/util/Extern.java	Fri Oct 26 13:10:56 2012 -0700
@@ -167,17 +167,38 @@
      * @param pkglisturl This can be another URL for "package-list" or ordinary
      *                   file.
      * @param reporter   The <code>DocErrorReporter</code> used to report errors.
-     * @param linkoffline True if -linkoffline isused and false if -link is used.
+     * @param linkoffline True if -linkoffline is used and false if -link is used.
      */
-    public boolean url(String url, String pkglisturl,
+    public boolean link(String url, String pkglisturl,
                               DocErrorReporter reporter, boolean linkoffline) {
         this.linkoffline = linkoffline;
-        String errMsg = composeExternPackageList(url, pkglisturl);
-        if (errMsg != null) {
-            reporter.printWarning(errMsg);
+        try {
+            url = adjustEndFileSeparator(url);
+            if (isUrl(pkglisturl)) {
+                readPackageListFromURL(url, toURL(pkglisturl));
+            } else {
+                readPackageListFromFile(url, new File(pkglisturl));
+            }
+            return true;
+        } catch (Fault f) {
+            reporter.printWarning(f.getMessage());
             return false;
-        } else {
-            return true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private URL toURL(String url) throws Fault {
+        try {
+            return new URL(url);
+        } catch (MalformedURLException e) {
+            throw new Fault(configuration.getText("doclet.MalformedURL", url), e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private class Fault extends Exception {
+        private static final long serialVersionUID = 0;
+
+        Fault(String msg, Exception cause) {
+            super(msg, cause);
         }
     }
 
@@ -194,31 +215,10 @@
     }
 
     /**
-     * Adjusts the end file separator if it is missing from the URL or the
-     * directory path and depending upon the URL or file path, fetch or
-     * read the "package-list" file.
-     *
-     * @param urlOrDirPath        URL or the directory path.
-     * @param pkgListUrlOrDirPath URL or directory path for the "package-list" file or the "package-list"
-     * file itself.
-     */
-    private String composeExternPackageList(String urlOrDirPath, String pkgListUrlOrDirPath) {
-        urlOrDirPath = adjustEndFileSeparator(urlOrDirPath);
-        pkgListUrlOrDirPath = adjustEndFileSeparator(pkgListUrlOrDirPath);
-        return isUrl(pkgListUrlOrDirPath) ?
-            fetchURLComposeExternPackageList(urlOrDirPath, pkgListUrlOrDirPath) :
-            readFileComposeExternPackageList(urlOrDirPath, pkgListUrlOrDirPath);
-    }
-
-    /**
      * If the URL or Directory path is missing end file separator, add that.
      */
     private String adjustEndFileSeparator(String url) {
-        String filesep = "/";
-        if (!url.endsWith(filesep)) {
-            url += filesep;
-        }
-        return url;
+        return url.endsWith("/") ? url : url + '/';
     }
 
     /**
@@ -227,17 +227,18 @@
      * @param urlpath        Path to the packages.
      * @param pkglisturlpath URL or the path to the "package-list" file.
      */
-    private String fetchURLComposeExternPackageList(String urlpath,
-                                                   String pkglisturlpath) {
-        String link = pkglisturlpath + "package-list";
+    private void readPackageListFromURL(String urlpath, URL pkglisturlpath)
+            throws Fault {
         try {
-            readPackageList((new URL(link)).openStream(), urlpath, false);
+            URL link = pkglisturlpath.toURI().resolve(DocPaths.PACKAGE_LIST.getPath()).toURL();
+            readPackageList(link.openStream(), urlpath, false);
+        } catch (URISyntaxException exc) {
+            throw new Fault(configuration.getText("doclet.MalformedURL", pkglisturlpath.toString()), exc);
         } catch (MalformedURLException exc) {
-            return configuration.getText("doclet.MalformedURL", link);
+            throw new Fault(configuration.getText("doclet.MalformedURL", pkglisturlpath.toString()), exc);
         } catch (IOException exc) {
-            return configuration.getText("doclet.URL_error", link);
+            throw new Fault(configuration.getText("doclet.URL_error", pkglisturlpath.toString()), exc);
         }
-        return null;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -246,27 +247,22 @@
      * @param path URL or directory path to the packages.
      * @param pkgListPath Path to the local "package-list" file.
      */
-    private String readFileComposeExternPackageList(String path,
-                                                   String pkgListPath) {
-
-        String link = pkgListPath + "package-list";
-        if (! ((new File(pkgListPath)).isAbsolute() || linkoffline)){
-            link = configuration.destDirName + link;
+    private void readPackageListFromFile(String path, File pkgListPath)
+            throws Fault {
+        File file = new File(pkgListPath, "package-list");
+        if (! (file.isAbsolute() || linkoffline)){
+            file = new File(configuration.destDirName, file.getPath());
         }
         try {
-            File file = new File(link);
             if (file.exists() && file.canRead()) {
                 readPackageList(new FileInputStream(file), path,
                     ! ((new File(path)).isAbsolute() || isUrl(path)));
             } else {
-                return configuration.getText("doclet.File_error", link);
+                throw new Fault(configuration.getText("doclet.File_error", file.getPath()), null);
             }
-        } catch (FileNotFoundException exc) {
-            return configuration.getText("doclet.File_error", link);
         } catch (IOException exc) {
-            return configuration.getText("doclet.File_error", link);
+           throw new Fault(configuration.getText("doclet.File_error", file.getPath()), exc);
         }
-        return null;
     }
 
     /**