diff --git a/testing/regress/hpcc/util/ecl/file.py b/testing/regress/hpcc/util/ecl/file.py
index 9c5da6897f3..25eced0c77a 100644
--- a/testing/regress/hpcc/util/ecl/file.py
+++ b/testing/regress/hpcc/util/ecl/file.py
@@ -566,7 +566,10 @@ def setJobnameVersion(self,  version):
         #  'multiPart=false,useSequential=true'
         # to this
         #   'multiPart(false)-useSequential(true)'
-        self.jobnameVersion += '-' +version.replace('=', '(').replace(',', ')-')+')'
+        # need to handle this kind of value as well:
+        #  url='http://.:9876'
+        # where the ':', '.' and '/' can cause problem later in version result check 
+        self.jobnameVersion += '-' +version.replace('=', '(').replace(',', ')-').replace('.','-dot-').replace(':','-colon-').replace('/','-slash-').replace('?','-qmark-').replace('*','-star-')+')'
         pass
         
     def setJobname(self,  timestamp):
diff --git a/testing/regress/hpcc/util/util.py b/testing/regress/hpcc/util/util.py
index 6dd9a9432e6..814cda4c561 100644
--- a/testing/regress/hpcc/util/util.py
+++ b/testing/regress/hpcc/util/util.py
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ def queryWuid(jobname,  taskId):
             result = 'OK'
             for resultItem in resultItems:
                 resultItem = resultItem.strip()
-                [key, val] = resultItem.split(':')
+                logger.debug("%3d. resultItem: '%s'",  taskId,  resultItem)
+                [key, val] = resultItem.split(':', 1)
                 if key == 'ID':
                     wuid = val
                 if key == 'state':