diff --git a/scripts/showHTMLTitle.nse b/scripts/showHTMLTitle.nse
index 502af9c4a..313f02b14 100644
--- a/scripts/showHTMLTitle.nse
+++ b/scripts/showHTMLTitle.nse
@@ -42,13 +42,9 @@ action = function(host, port)
   if data and data.status and tostring( data.status ):match( "30%d" ) and data.header and data.header.location then
     redir = ("Did not follow redirect to %s"):format( data.header.location )
     local url = url.parse( data.header.location )
-    local loc = {}
-    -- test the redirect to see if we're allowed to go there
-    for i, rule in ipairs( rules ) do
-      if not rule( loc, url, host, port ) then break end
-    end
-    -- follow redirect
-    if loc.host and loc.port and loc.path then
+    local loc = redirect_ok( url, host, port )
+    if loc then
+      -- follow redirect
       redir = ("Requested resource was %s://%s%s"):format( url.scheme or port.service, loc.host, loc.path )
       data = http.get( loc.host, loc.port, loc.path )
     else
@@ -83,63 +79,78 @@ action = function(host, port)
 end
 
 
+-- Check if the given URL is okay to redirect to. Return a table with keys
+-- "host", "port", and "path" if okay, nil otherwise.
+function redirect_ok(url, host, port)
+  -- A battery of tests a URL is subjected to in order to decide if it may be
+  -- redirected to. They incrementally fill in loc.host, loc.port, and loc.path.
+  local rules = {
+    function (loc, url, host, port)
+      -- if url.scheme is present then it must match the scanned port
+      if url.scheme and url.scheme ~= port.service then return false end
+      return true
+    end,
 
-rules = {
-          function (loc, url, host, port)
-            -- if url.scheme is present then it must match the scanned port
-            if url.scheme and url.scheme ~= port.service then return false end
-            return true
-          end,
+    function (loc, url, host, port)
+      -- bail if userinfo is present
+      return ( url.userinfo and false ) or true
+    end,
 
-          function (loc, url, host, port)
-            -- bail if userinfo is present
-            return ( url.userinfo and false ) or true
-          end,
+    function (loc, url, host, port)
+      -- if present, url.host must be the same scanned target
+      -- loc.host must be set if returning true
+      if not url.host then
+        loc.host = ( host.targetname or host.ip )
+        return true
+      end
+      if url.host and
+      url.host == host.ip or
+      url.host == host.targetname or
+      url.host == ( host.name ~= '' and host.name ) or
+      is_vhost( url.host, host ) then -- dns lookup as last resort
+        loc.host = url.host
+        return true
+      end
+      return false
+    end,
 
-          function (loc, url, host, port)
-            -- if present, url.host must be the same scanned target
-            -- loc.host must be set if returning true
-            if not url.host then
-              loc.host = ( host.targetname or host.ip )
-              return true
-            end
-            if url.host and
-            url.host == host.ip or
-            url.host == host.targetname or
-            url.host == ( host.name ~= '' and host.name ) or
-            is_vhost( url.host, host ) then -- dns lookup as last resort
-              loc.host = url.host
-              return true
-            end
-            return false
-          end,
+    function (loc, url, host, port)
+      -- if present, url.port must be the same as the scanned port
+      -- loc.port must be set if returning true
+      if (not url.port) or url.port == port.number then
+        loc.port = port
+        return true
+      end
+      return false
+    end,
 
-          function (loc, url, host, port)
-            -- if present, url.port must be the same as the scanned port
-            -- loc.port must be set if returning true
-            if (not url.port) or url.port == port.number then
-              loc.port = port
-              return true
-            end
-            return false
-          end,
+    function (loc, url, host, port)
+      -- path cannot be unchanged unless host has changed
+      -- loc.path must be set if returning true
+      if ( not url.path or url.path == "/" ) and url.host == ( host.targetname or host.ip) then return false end
+      if not url.path then loc.path = "/"; return true end
+      loc.path = ( ( url.path:sub(1,1) == "/" and "" ) or "/" ) .. url.path -- ensuring leading slash
+      return true
+    end,
 
-          function (loc, url, host, port)
-            -- path cannot be unchanged unless host has changed
-            -- loc.path must be set if returning true
-            if ( not url.path or url.path == "/" ) and url.host == ( host.targetname or host.ip) then return false end
-            if not url.path then loc.path = "/"; return true end
-            loc.path = ( ( url.path:sub(1,1) == "/" and "" ) or "/" ) .. url.path -- ensuring leading slash
-            return true
-          end,
+    function (loc, url, host, port)
+      -- always true - jut add the query to loc.path
+      if url.query then loc.path = ("%s?%s"):format( loc.path, url.query ) end
+      return true
+    end
+  }
 
-          function (loc, url, host, port)
-            -- always true - jut add the query to loc.path
-            if url.query then loc.path = ("%s?%s"):format( loc.path, url.query ) end
-            return true
-          end
-       }
+  local loc = {}
+  for i, rule in ipairs( rules ) do
+    if not rule( loc, url, host, port ) then return nil end
+  end
 
+  if loc.host and loc.port and loc.path then
+    return loc
+  else
+    return nil
+  end
+end
 
 function is_vhost( rhost, host )