diff --git a/Azure.hs b/Azure.hs
--- a/Azure.hs
+++ b/Azure.hs
@@ -36,16 +36,17 @@
 #endif
 
 import Network.HTTP.Conduit
+import Network.HTTP.Types (urlDecode, renderQuery, simpleQueryToQuery)
 import Network.HTTP.Types.Header
 import Network.HTTP.Types.Status
-import Network.HTTP.Base (urlEncodeVars, urlDecode)
 import System.Locale
 import System.IO (openBinaryFile, IOMode(..))
 import Data.List
 import Data.Time
 import Data.Char (isSpace)
 import Data.CaseInsensitive (foldedCase)
-import Data.Maybe (fromJust, isJust)
+import Data.Maybe (fromJust, isJust, listToMaybe, fromMaybe)
+import Data.Ord (comparing)
 import Network (withSocketsDo)
 
 import qualified Data.ByteString as B
@@ -257,10 +258,22 @@
         let headers = ("x-ms-version", "2011-08-18")
                     : ("x-ms-date", now)
                     : extraHeaders ++ requestHeaders initReq
+        let getHeader hdr = listToMaybe $ map snd $ filter (\(a,b) -> a == hdr) headers
         let signData = defaultSignData { verb = reqType
                                        , contentLength = if reqType `elem` ["PUT", "DELETE"] || not (B.null reqBody) then B8.pack $ show $ B.length reqBody else ""
                                        , canonicalizedHeaders = canonicalizeHeaders headers
-                                       , canonicalizedResource = canonicalizeResource account resource params }
+                                       , canonicalizedResource = canonicalizeResource account resource params
+                                       , contentType = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "Content-Type"
+                                       , contentEncoding = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "Content-Encoding"
+                                       , contentLanguage = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "Content-Language"
+                                       , contentMD5 = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "Content-MD5"
+                                       , date = ""
+                                       , ifModifiedSince = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "If-Modified-Since"
+                                       , ifMatch = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "If-Match"
+                                       , ifNoneMatch = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "If-None-Match"
+                                       , ifUnmodifiedSince = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "If-Unmodified-Since"
+                                       , range = fromMaybe "" $ getHeader "Range"
+                                       }
         let signature = sign authKey signData
         let authHeader = ("Authorization", "SharedKey " <> account <> ":" <> signature)
         let request = initReq { method = reqType
@@ -270,8 +283,7 @@
         httpLbs request manager
 
 encodeParams :: [(B.ByteString, B.ByteString)] -> B.ByteString
-encodeParams [] = ""
-encodeParams vars = ("?" <>) $ B8.pack $ urlEncodeVars $ map (\(a,b) -> (B8.unpack a, B8.unpack b)) vars
+encodeParams = renderQuery True . simpleQueryToQuery
 
 liftToString :: (String -> String) -> B8.ByteString -> B8.ByteString
 liftToString f = B8.pack . f . B8.unpack
@@ -285,7 +297,7 @@
 
 canonicalizeResource :: B.ByteString -> B.ByteString -> [(B.ByteString, B.ByteString)] -> B.ByteString
 canonicalizeResource accountName uriPath params = "/" <> accountName <> uriPath <> "\n" <> canonParams
-    where canonParams = strip $ B.intercalate "\n" $ map (\(k,v) -> liftToString urlDecode k <> ":" <> liftToString urlDecode v) $ sortBy (\(k1,_) (k2,_) -> compare k1 k2) params
+    where canonParams = strip $ B.intercalate "\n" $ map (\(k,v) -> (urlDecode True) k <> ":" <> (urlDecode True v)) $ sortBy (comparing fst) params
 
 strip :: B.ByteString -> B.ByteString
 strip = f . f
diff --git a/azurify.cabal b/azurify.cabal
--- a/azurify.cabal
+++ b/azurify.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                azurify
-version:             0.4.0.1
+version:             0.4.0.2
 synopsis:            A simple library for accessing Azure blob storage
 description:         An interface for a few basic functions of the Microsoft Azure blob storage. Creating and deleting containers as well as uploading, downloading and breaking leases of blobs is supported.
 homepage:            http://arnovanlumig.com/azure
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@
     utf8-string >= 0.3.7,
     old-locale >= 1.0.0.4,
     filepath,
-    unix-compat,
-    HTTP
+    unix-compat
 
   if !flag(no-hxt)
     build-depends:
@@ -75,6 +74,8 @@
   if flag(no-hxt)
       cpp-options:   -DNO_XML
 
+  ghc-options: -O2 -rtsopts
+  -- ld-options: -static -pthread
   extensions:
     OverloadedStrings
     CPP
@@ -101,8 +102,7 @@
     cmdargs >= 0.10,
     directory >= 1.1.0.2,
     filepath,
-    unix-compat,
-    HTTP
+    unix-compat
 
   if !flag(no-hxt)
     build-depends:
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 - Breaking a blob lease
 
 The following features are *not* implemented (yet):
-- Setting container and blob metadata
 - Doing anything else with leases
 - Anything with snapshots
 - Proper error handling