diff --git a/Web/Routes/Happstack.hs b/Web/Routes/Happstack.hs
--- a/Web/Routes/Happstack.hs
+++ b/Web/Routes/Happstack.hs
@@ -3,16 +3,19 @@
 
 import Control.Applicative ((<$>))
 import Control.Monad (MonadPlus(mzero))
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as C
 import Data.List (intercalate)
+import           Data.Text (Text)
+import qualified Data.Text as Text
 import Happstack.Server (Happstack, FilterMonad(..), ServerMonad(..), WebMonad(..), HasRqData(..), ServerPartT, Response, Request(rqPaths), ToMessage(..), dirs, seeOther)
-import Web.Routes.RouteT (RouteT(RouteT), ShowURL, URL, showURL, liftRouteT, mapRouteT)
+import Web.Routes.RouteT (RouteT(RouteT), MonadRoute, URL, showURL, liftRouteT, mapRouteT)
 import Web.Routes.Site (Site, runSite)
 
 instance (ServerMonad m) => ServerMonad (RouteT url m) where
     askRq       = liftRouteT askRq
     localRq f m = mapRouteT (localRq f) m
 
-instance (FilterMonad a m)=> FilterMonad a (RouteT url m) where
+instance (FilterMonad a m) => FilterMonad a (RouteT url m) where
     setFilter     = liftRouteT . setFilter
     composeFilter = liftRouteT . composeFilter
     getFilter     = mapRouteT getFilter 
@@ -33,8 +36,8 @@
 --
 -- see also: 'implSite_'
 implSite :: (Functor m, Monad m, MonadPlus m, ServerMonad m) => 
-            String         -- ^ "http://example.org"
-         -> FilePath       -- ^ path to this handler, .e.g. "/route/"
+            Text           -- ^ "http://example.org"
+         -> Text           -- ^ path to this handler, .e.g. "/route/" or ""
          -> Site url (m a) -- ^ the 'Site'
          -> m a
 implSite domain approot siteSpec =
@@ -50,17 +53,18 @@
 --
 -- see also: 'implSite'
 implSite_ :: (Functor m, Monad m, MonadPlus m, ServerMonad m) => 
-             String          -- ^ "http://example.org"
-          -> FilePath        -- ^ path to this handler, .e.g. "/route/"
+             Text          -- ^ "http://example.org" (or "http://example.org:80")
+          -> Text        -- ^ path to this handler, .e.g. "/route/" or ""
           -> Site url (m a)  -- ^ the 'Site'
           -> m (Either String a) 
 implSite_ domain approot siteSpec =
-    dirs approot $ do rq <- askRq
-                      let pathInfo = intercalate "/" (map escapeSlash (rqPaths rq))
-                          f        = runSite (domain ++ approot) siteSpec pathInfo
-                      case f of
-                        (Left parseError) -> return (Left parseError)
-                        (Right sp)   -> Right <$> (localRq (const $ rq { rqPaths = [] }) sp)
+    dirs (Text.unpack approot) $
+         do rq <- askRq
+            let pathInfo = intercalate "/" (map escapeSlash (rqPaths rq))
+                f        = runSite (domain `Text.append` approot) siteSpec (C.pack pathInfo)
+            case f of
+              (Left parseError) -> return (Left parseError)
+              (Right sp)   -> Right <$> (localRq (const $ rq { rqPaths = [] }) sp)
         where
           escapeSlash :: String -> String
           escapeSlash [] = []
@@ -78,7 +82,7 @@
 -}
 
 -- | similar to 'seeOther' but takes a 'URL' 'm' as an argument
-seeOtherURL :: (ShowURL m, FilterMonad Response m) => URL m -> m Response
+seeOtherURL :: (MonadRoute m, FilterMonad Response m) => URL m -> m Response
 seeOtherURL url = 
     do otherURL <- showURL url
-       seeOther otherURL (toResponse "")
+       seeOther (Text.unpack otherURL) (toResponse "")
diff --git a/web-routes-happstack.cabal b/web-routes-happstack.cabal
--- a/web-routes-happstack.cabal
+++ b/web-routes-happstack.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:             web-routes-happstack
-Version:          0.22.2
+Version:          0.23.0
 License:          BSD3
 License-File:     LICENSE
 Author:           jeremy@seereason.com
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@
 Build-type:       Simple
 
 Library
-        Build-Depends:    base >= 4 && < 5, happstack-server >= 6.0, web-routes >= 0.24.1
+        Build-Depends:    base >= 4 && < 5, 
+                          bytestring == 0.9.*,
+                          happstack-server >= 6.0, 
+                          text == 0.11.*,
+                          web-routes >= 0.26.1
         Exposed-Modules:  Web.Routes.Happstack
 
 source-repository head