diff --git a/examples/embedded/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/embedded/LikeJettyXml.java b/examples/embedded/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/embedded/LikeJettyXml.java
index 25f14c9713d..3dfa4d96a2c 100644
--- a/examples/embedded/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/embedded/LikeJettyXml.java
+++ b/examples/embedded/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/embedded/LikeJettyXml.java
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import org.eclipse.jetty.deploy.bindings.DebugListenerBinding;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.deploy.providers.WebAppProvider;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.http.HttpVersion;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.jmx.MBeanContainer;
+import org.eclipse.jetty.rewrite.handler.CompactPathRule;
+import org.eclipse.jetty.rewrite.handler.RewriteHandler;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.security.HashLoginService;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.ConnectorStatistics;
 import org.eclipse.jetty.server.DebugListener;
@@ -63,11 +65,17 @@ public class LikeJettyXml
         
         // Find jetty home and base directories
         String homePath = System.getProperty("jetty.home", jettyHomeBuild);
-        File homeDir = new File(homePath);
-        if (!homeDir.exists())
+        File start_jar = new File(homePath,"start.jar");
+        if (!start_jar.exists())
         {
-            throw new FileNotFoundException(homeDir.getAbsolutePath());
+            homePath = jettyHomeBuild = "jetty-distribution/target/distribution";
+            start_jar = new File(homePath,"start.jar");
+            if (!start_jar.exists())
+                throw new FileNotFoundException(start_jar.toString());
         }
+
+        File homeDir = new File(homePath);
+
         String basePath = System.getProperty("jetty.base", homeDir + "/demo-base");
         File baseDir = new File(basePath);
         if(!baseDir.exists())
@@ -188,6 +196,10 @@ public class LikeJettyXml
         server.setHandler(stats);
         ConnectorStatistics.addToAllConnectors(server);
 
+        // === Rewrite Handler
+        RewriteHandler rewrite = new RewriteHandler();
+        rewrite.setHandler(server.getHandler());
+        server.setHandler(rewrite);
 
         // === jetty-requestlog.xml ===
         NCSARequestLog requestLog = new NCSARequestLog();
diff --git a/jetty-rewrite/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/rewrite/handler/RuleContainer.java b/jetty-rewrite/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/rewrite/handler/RuleContainer.java
index 1db6be5a7f3..69526ca9c57 100644
--- a/jetty-rewrite/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/rewrite/handler/RuleContainer.java
+++ b/jetty-rewrite/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/rewrite/handler/RuleContainer.java
@@ -161,9 +161,6 @@ public class RuleContainer extends Rule
     {
         boolean original_set=_originalPathAttribute==null;
         
-        // TODO why is this always done?
-        target = URIUtil.compactPath(target);
-            
         if (_rules==null)
             return target;
         
@@ -172,9 +169,6 @@ public class RuleContainer extends Rule
             String applied=rule.matchAndApply(target,request, response);
             if (applied!=null)
             {
-                // TODO why is this always done?
-                applied = URIUtil.compactPath(applied);
-                
                 LOG.debug("applied {}",rule);
                 LOG.debug("rewrote {} to {}",target,applied);
                 if (!original_set)