diff --git a/includes/common.inc b/includes/common.inc
index de85c77a0f7569d25d2efe5395f7190144481500..8d6b8c6a1c3d45d9b70c9eb3b613fa1727599d71 100644
--- a/includes/common.inc
+++ b/includes/common.inc
@@ -578,11 +578,13 @@ function drupal_http_request($url, array $options = array()) {
 
   if ($uri == FALSE) {
     $result->error = 'unable to parse URL';
+    $result->code = -1001;
     return $result;
   }
 
   if (!isset($uri['scheme'])) {
     $result->error = 'missing schema';
+    $result->code = -1002;
     return $result;
   }
 
@@ -611,6 +613,7 @@ function drupal_http_request($url, array $options = array()) {
       break;
     default:
       $result->error = 'invalid schema ' . $uri['scheme'];
+      $result->code = -1003;
       return $result;
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test
index d58a0ec1abd250b5f09493571b28b20d3863967a..da49b8f564f0dcb40918864148c447ff2a13bedc 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test
@@ -473,10 +473,12 @@ class DrupalHTTPRequestTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   function testDrupalHTTPRequest() {
     // Parse URL schema.
     $missing_scheme = drupal_http_request('example.com/path');
-    $this->assertEqual($missing_scheme->error, 'missing schema', t('Returned with "missing schema" error.'));
+    $this->assertEqual($missing_scheme->code, -1002, t('Returned with "-1002" error code.'));
+    $this->assertEqual($missing_scheme->error, 'missing schema', t('Returned with "missing schema" error message.'));
 
     $unable_to_parse = drupal_http_request('http:///path');
-    $this->assertEqual($unable_to_parse->error, 'unable to parse URL', t('Returned with "unable to parse URL" error.'));
+    $this->assertEqual($unable_to_parse->code, -1001, t('Returned with "-1001" error code.'));
+    $this->assertEqual($unable_to_parse->error, 'unable to parse URL', t('Returned with "unable to parse URL" error message.'));
 
     // Fetch page.
     $result = drupal_http_request(url('node', array('absolute' => TRUE)));
@@ -525,13 +527,16 @@ class DrupalHTTPRequestTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->assertFalse(isset($redirect_301->redirect_code), t('drupal_http_request does not follow 301 redirect if max_redirects = 0.'));
 
     $redirect_invalid = drupal_http_request(url('system-test/redirect-noscheme', array('absolute' => TRUE)), array('max_redirects' => 1));
-    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->error, 'missing schema', t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error "!error".', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
+    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->code, -1002, t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error code !error.', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
+    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->error, 'missing schema', t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error message "!error".', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
 
     $redirect_invalid = drupal_http_request(url('system-test/redirect-noparse', array('absolute' => TRUE)), array('max_redirects' => 1));
-    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->error, 'unable to parse URL', t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error "!error".', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
+    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->code, -1001, t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error message code "!error".', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
+    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->error, 'unable to parse URL', t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error message "!error".', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
 
     $redirect_invalid = drupal_http_request(url('system-test/redirect-invalid-scheme', array('absolute' => TRUE)), array('max_redirects' => 1));
-    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->error, 'invalid schema ftp', t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error "!error".', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
+    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->code, -1003, t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error code !error.', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
+    $this->assertEqual($redirect_invalid->error, 'invalid schema ftp', t('301 redirect to invalid URL returned with error message "!error".', array('!error' => $redirect_invalid->error)));
 
     $redirect_302 = drupal_http_request(url('system-test/redirect/302', array('absolute' => TRUE)), array('max_redirects' => 1));
     $this->assertEqual($redirect_302->redirect_code, 302, t('drupal_http_request follows the 302 redirect.'));