# HG changeset patch
# Parent eede126ee89a7ea834f62425232e97bb550ac50b
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_urllib.py b/Lib/test/test_urllib.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_urllib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_urllib.py
@@ -992,16 +992,33 @@ class URLopener_Tests(unittest.TestCase)
         self.assertEqual(DummyURLopener().open(
             'spam://example/ /'),'//example/%20/')
 
         # test the safe characters are not quoted by urlopen
         self.assertEqual(DummyURLopener().open(
             "spam://c:|windows%/:=&?~#+!$,;'@()*[]|/path/"),
             "//c:|windows%/:=&?~#+!$,;'@()*[]|/path/")
 
+
+class Request_Tests(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_HEAD(self):
+        req = urllib.request.Request("http://example.org/", method="HEAD")
+        self.assertEquals(req.get_method(), "HEAD")
+
+    def test_PUT(self):
+        req = urllib.request.Request("http://example.org/", {}, method="PUT")
+        self.assertEquals(req.get_method(), "PUT")
+
+    def test_DELETE(self):
+        req = urllib.request.Request("http://example.org/", {},
+                method="DELETE")
+        self.assertEquals(req.get_method(), "DELETE")
+
+
 # Just commented them out.
 # Can't really tell why keep failing in windows and sparc.
 # Everywhere else they work ok, but on those machines, someteimes
 # fail in one of the tests, sometimes in other. I have a linux, and
 # the tests go ok.
 # If anybody has one of the problematic enviroments, please help!
 # .   Facundo
 #
@@ -1071,28 +1088,28 @@ class URLopener_Tests(unittest.TestCase)
 #
 #     def testTimeoutValue(self):
 #         ftp = urllib.ftpwrapper("myuser", "mypass", "localhost", 9093, [],
 #                                 timeout=30)
 #         self.assertEqual(ftp.ftp.sock.gettimeout(), 30)
 #         ftp.close()
 
 
-
 def test_main():
     support.run_unittest(
         urlopen_FileTests,
         urlopen_HttpTests,
         urlretrieve_FileTests,
         ProxyTests,
         QuotingTests,
         UnquotingTests,
         urlencode_Tests,
         Pathname_Tests,
         Utility_Tests,
         URLopener_Tests,
+        Request_Tests,
         #FTPWrapperTests,
     )
 
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/urllib/request.py b/Lib/urllib/request.py
--- a/Lib/urllib/request.py
+++ b/Lib/urllib/request.py
@@ -154,42 +154,45 @@ def request_host(request):
         host = request.get_header("Host", "")
 
     # remove port, if present
     host = _cut_port_re.sub("", host, 1)
     return host.lower()
 
 class Request:
 
-    def __init__(self, url, data=None, headers={},
-                 origin_req_host=None, unverifiable=False):
+    def __init__(self, url, data=None, headers={}, origin_req_host=None,
+            unverifiable=False, method=None):
         # unwrap('<URL:type://host/path>') --> 'type://host/path'
         self.full_url = unwrap(url)
         self.data = data
         self.headers = {}
         self._tunnel_host = None
         for key, value in headers.items():
             self.add_header(key, value)
         self.unredirected_hdrs = {}
         if origin_req_host is None:
             origin_req_host = request_host(self)
         self.origin_req_host = origin_req_host
         self.unverifiable = unverifiable
+        self.method = method
         self._parse()
 
     def _parse(self):
         self.type, rest = splittype(self.full_url)
         if self.type is None:
             raise ValueError("unknown url type: %s" % self.full_url)
         self.host, self.selector = splithost(rest)
         if self.host:
             self.host = unquote(self.host)
 
     def get_method(self):
-        if self.data is not None:
+        if self.method:
+            return self.method
+        elif self.data is not None:
             return "POST"
         else:
             return "GET"
 
     # Begin deprecated methods
 
     def add_data(self, data):
         self.data = data