diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ec8d507..d5cd41e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ pkg/
 coverage
 .DS_Store
 .ruby-version
+.ruby-gemset
diff --git a/URLcrypt.gemspec b/URLcrypt.gemspec
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d2b4ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/URLcrypt.gemspec
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Gem::Specification.new do |s|
+  s.author = "Thomas Fuchs"
+  s.email = "thomas@slash7.com"
+  s.extra_rdoc_files = ["README.md"]
+  s.files = `git ls-files`.split("\n")
+  s.has_rdoc = true
+  s.name = 'urlcrypt'
+  s.require_paths << 'lib'
+  s.requirements << 'none'
+  s.summary = "Securely encode and decode short pieces of arbitrary binary data in URLs."
+  s.version = "0.1.1"
+end
diff --git a/lib/URLcrypt.rb b/lib/URLcrypt.rb
index 3893cd8..262311f 100644
--- a/lib/URLcrypt.rb
+++ b/lib/URLcrypt.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 require 'openssl'
+require 'base64'
+require 'cgi'
 
 module URLcrypt
   # avoid vowels to not generate four-letter words, etc.
@@ -10,6 +12,10 @@ def self.key=(key)
     @key = key
   end
 
+  def self.key
+    @key
+  end
+
   class Chunk
     def initialize(bytes)
       @bytes = bytes
@@ -29,52 +35,124 @@ def encode
       p = n < 8 ? 5 - (@bytes.length * 8) % 5 : 0
       c = @bytes.inject(0) {|m,o| (m << 8) + o} << p
       [(0..n-1).to_a.reverse.collect {|i| TABLE[(c >> i * 5) & 0x1f].chr},
-       ("=" * (8-n))] # TODO: remove '=' padding generation
+        ("=" * (8-n))] # TODO: remove '=' padding generation
     end
-    
   end
 
-  def self.chunks(str, size)
-    result = []
-    bytes = str.bytes
-    while bytes.any? do
-      result << Chunk.new(bytes.take(size))
-      bytes = bytes.drop(size)
+  class BaseCoder
+    def initialize(options = {})
+      @key = options[:key] || URLcrypt.key
+      @data = options[:data]
+    end
+
+    # strip '=' padding, because we don't need it
+    def encode(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      chunks(d, 5).collect(&:encode).flatten.join.tr('=','')
+    end
+
+    def decode(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      chunks(d, 8).collect(&:decode).flatten.join
+    end
+
+    def encrypt(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      crypter = cipher(:encrypt)
+      crypter.iv = iv = crypter.random_iv
+      join_parts encode(iv), encode(crypter.update(d) + crypter.final)
+    end
+
+    def split_parts str
+      str.split('Z')
+    end
+
+    def join_parts *args
+      args.join("Z")
+    end
+
+    def decrypt(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      iv, encrypted = split_parts(d).map{|part| decode(part)}
+      fail DecryptError, "not a valid string to decrypt" unless iv && encrypted
+      decrypter = cipher(:decrypt)
+      decrypter.iv = iv
+      decrypter.update(encrypted) + decrypter.final 
+    end
+
+    def cipher(mode)
+      cipher = OpenSSL::Cipher.new('aes-256-cbc')
+      cipher.send(mode)
+      cipher.key = @key
+      cipher
+    end
+
+    def chunks(str, size)
+      result = []
+      bytes = str.bytes
+      while bytes.any? do
+        result << Chunk.new(bytes.take(size))
+        bytes = bytes.drop(size)
+      end
+      result
     end
-    result
   end
 
-  # strip '=' padding, because we don't need it
+  class Base64Coder < BaseCoder
+    def encode(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      Base64.urlsafe_encode64(d)
+    end
+
+    def decode(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      Base64.urlsafe_decode64(d)
+    end
+
+    def split_parts str
+      str.split(':')
+    end
+
+    def join_parts *args
+      args.join(":")
+    end
+  end
+
+  class CGIBase64Coder < BaseCoder
+    def encode(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      CGI.escape super(d)
+    end
+
+    def decode(d = nil)
+      d ||= @data
+      super CGI.unescape(d)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def self.default_coder
+    @default_coder || BaseCoder
+  end
+
+  def self.default_coder= val
+    @default_coder = val
+  end
+
   def self.encode(data)
-    chunks(data, 5).collect(&:encode).flatten.join.tr('=','')
+    default_coder.new(data: data).encode
   end
 
   def self.decode(data)
-    chunks(data, 8).collect(&:decode).flatten.join
+    default_coder.new(data: data).decode
   end
-  
+
   def self.decrypt(data)
-    iv, encrypted = data.split('Z').map{|part| decode(part)}
-    fail DecryptError, "not a valid string to decrypt" unless iv && encrypted
-    decrypter = cipher(:decrypt)
-    decrypter.iv = iv
-    decrypter.update(encrypted) + decrypter.final 
+    default_coder.new(data: data).decrypt
   end
-    
+
   def self.encrypt(data)
-    crypter = cipher(:encrypt)
-    crypter.iv = iv = crypter.random_iv
-    "#{encode(iv)}Z#{encode(crypter.update(data) + crypter.final)}"
+    default_coder.new(data: data).encrypt
   end
   
-  private 
-    
-    def self.cipher(mode)
-      cipher = OpenSSL::Cipher.new('aes-256-cbc')
-      cipher.send(mode)
-      cipher.key = @key
-      cipher
-    end
-
   class DecryptError < ::ArgumentError; end
 end
diff --git a/test/URLcrypt_test.rb b/test/URLcrypt_test.rb
index 0275db1..abbeb20 100644
--- a/test/URLcrypt_test.rb
+++ b/test/URLcrypt_test.rb
@@ -64,10 +64,53 @@ def test_encryption
     assert_equal(URLcrypt::decrypt(encrypted), original)
   end
 
+  def test_base64_encryption
+    # this key was generated via rake secret in a rails app, the pack() converts it into a byte array
+    URLcrypt::key =
+['d25883a27b9a639da85ea7e159b661218799c9efa63069fac13a6778c954fb6d721968887a19bdb01af8f59eb5a90d256bd9903355c20b0b4b39bf4048b9b17b'].pack('H*')
+    
+    original  = "hello world!"
+    
+    URLcrypt.default_coder = URLcrypt::Base64Coder
+
+    encrypted = URLcrypt::encrypt(original)
+    assert_equal(URLcrypt::decrypt(encrypted), original)
+
+    URLcrypt.default_coder = nil
+  end
+
+  def test_cgi_base64_encryption
+    # this key was generated via rake secret in a rails app, the pack() converts it into a byte array
+    URLcrypt::key =
+['d25883a27b9a639da85ea7e159b661218799c9efa63069fac13a6778c954fb6d721968887a19bdb01af8f59eb5a90d256bd9903355c20b0b4b39bf4048b9b17b'].pack('H*')
+    
+    original  = "hello world!"
+    
+    URLcrypt.default_coder = URLcrypt::CGIBase64Coder
+
+    encrypted = URLcrypt::encrypt(original)
+    assert_equal(URLcrypt::decrypt(encrypted), original)
+
+    URLcrypt.default_coder = nil
+  end
+
   def test_decrypt_error
     error = assert_raises(URLcrypt::DecryptError) do
       ::URLcrypt::decrypt("just some plaintext")
     end
     assert_equal error.message, "not a valid string to decrypt"
   end
+
+  def test_multiple_coders
+    coder1 = URLcrypt::BaseCoder.new(key: [SecureRandom.hex(64)].pack("H*"))
+    coder2 = URLcrypt::BaseCoder.new(key: [SecureRandom.hex(64)].pack("H*"))
+  
+    str = "hello there friends."
+    coder1_encrypted = coder1.encrypt(str)
+    coder2_encrypted = coder2.encrypt(str)
+
+    assert_not_equal(coder1_encrypted, coder2_encrypted)
+    assert_equal(coder1.decrypt(coder1_encrypted), coder2.decrypt(coder2_encrypted))
+  end
+
 end