diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/URIishTest.java b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/URIishTest.java
index bdc9b3ecd..e6990fb83 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/URIishTest.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit.test/tst/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/URIishTest.java
@@ -549,6 +549,6 @@ public void testFileProtocol() throws IllegalArgumentException,
 	public void testMissingPort() throws URISyntaxException {
 		final String incorrectSshUrl = "ssh://some-host:/path/to/repository.git";
 		URIish u = new URIish(incorrectSshUrl);
-		assertFalse(TransportGitSsh.PROTO_SSH.canHandle(null, u, null));
+		assertFalse(TransportGitSsh.PROTO_SSH.canHandle(u));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
index f8c4a7bcd..d9583d015 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/Transport.java
@@ -542,8 +542,8 @@ public static Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			if (proto.canHandle(local, uri, remoteName))
-				return proto.open(local, uri, remoteName);
+			if (proto.canHandle(uri, local, remoteName))
+				return proto.open(uri, local, remoteName);
 		}
 
 		throw new NotSupportedException(MessageFormat.format(JGitText.get().URINotSupported, uri));
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportAmazonS3.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportAmazonS3.java
index 0f65e0cac..d2cebd3d4 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportAmazonS3.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportAmazonS3.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public Set<URIishField> getOptionalFields() {
 			return Collections.unmodifiableSet(EnumSet.of(URIishField.PASS));
 		}
 
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NotSupportedException {
 			return new TransportAmazonS3(local, uri);
 		}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportBundleFile.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportBundleFile.java
index 15aa1fff0..856e10536 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportBundleFile.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportBundleFile.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public Set<String> getSchemes() {
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
+		public boolean canHandle(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName) {
 			if (uri.getPath() == null
 					|| uri.getPort() > 0
 					|| uri.getUser() != null
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NotSupportedException, TransportException {
 			if ("bundle".equals(uri.getScheme())) {
 				File path = local.getFS().resolve(new File("."), uri.getPath());
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
 			// resolve the path and figure out which type it is by testing
 			// the target.
 			//
-			return TransportLocal.PROTO_LOCAL.open(local, uri, remoteName);
+			return TransportLocal.PROTO_LOCAL.open(uri, local, remoteName);
 		}
 	};
 
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitAnon.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitAnon.java
index 081e7a90b..dedd1f694 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitAnon.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitAnon.java
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public int getDefaultPort() {
 			return GIT_PORT;
 		}
 
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NotSupportedException {
 			return new TransportGitAnon(local, uri);
 		}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitSsh.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitSsh.java
index a0cb8a380..47959f5c9 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitSsh.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportGitSsh.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public int getDefaultPort() {
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
+		public boolean canHandle(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName) {
 			if (uri.getScheme() == null) {
 				// scp-style URI "host:path" does not have scheme.
 				return uri.getHost() != null
@@ -124,10 +124,10 @@ public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
 					&& uri.getHost().length() != 0
 					&& uri.getPath().length() != 0;
 			}
-			return super.canHandle(local, uri, remoteName);
+			return super.canHandle(uri, local, remoteName);
 		}
 
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NotSupportedException {
 			return new TransportGitSsh(local, uri);
 		}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
index bb69b8c07..43ad98985 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public int getDefaultPort() {
 			return 80;
 		}
 
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NotSupportedException {
 			return new TransportHttp(local, uri);
 		}
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ public int getDefaultPort() {
 			return 21;
 		}
 
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NotSupportedException {
 			return new TransportHttp(local, uri);
 		}
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportLocal.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportLocal.java
index 280b7c58e..5c4855118 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportLocal.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportLocal.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public Set<String> getSchemes() {
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
+		public boolean canHandle(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName) {
 			if (uri.getPath() == null
 					|| uri.getPort() > 0
 					|| uri.getUser() != null
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
 		}
 
 		@Override
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NoRemoteRepositoryException {
 			// If the reference is to a local file, C Git behavior says
 			// assume this is a bundle, since repositories are directories.
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportProtocol.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportProtocol.java
index a55f495a6..32fa58046 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportProtocol.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportProtocol.java
@@ -138,17 +138,40 @@ public int getDefaultPort() {
 	 * {@link #getOptionalFields()}, returning true only if all of the fields
 	 * match the specification.
 	 *
-	 * @param local
-	 *            the local repository that will communicate with the other Git
-	 *            repository.
 	 * @param uri
 	 *            address of the Git repository; never null.
+	 * @return true if this protocol can handle this URI; false otherwise.
+	 */
+	public boolean canHandle(URIish uri) {
+		return canHandle(uri, null, null);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Determine if this protocol can handle a particular URI.
+	 * <p>
+	 * Implementations should try to avoid looking at the local filesystem, but
+	 * may look at implementation specific configuration options in the remote
+	 * block of {@code local.getConfig()} using {@code remoteName} if the name
+	 * is non-null.
+	 * <p>
+	 * The default implementation of this method matches the scheme against
+	 * {@link #getSchemes()}, required fields against
+	 * {@link #getRequiredFields()}, and optional fields against
+	 * {@link #getOptionalFields()}, returning true only if all of the fields
+	 * match the specification.
+	 *
+	 * @param uri
+	 *            address of the Git repository; never null.
+	 * @param local
+	 *            the local repository that will communicate with the other Git
+	 *            repository. May be null if the caller is only asking about a
+	 *            specific URI and does not have a local Repository.
 	 * @param remoteName
 	 *            name of the remote, if the remote as configured in
 	 *            {@code local}; otherwise null.
 	 * @return true if this protocol can handle this URI; false otherwise.
 	 */
-	public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
+	public boolean canHandle(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName) {
 		if (!getSchemes().isEmpty() && !getSchemes().contains(uri.getScheme()))
 			return false;
 
@@ -213,11 +236,11 @@ public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
 	 * within {@code local.getConfig()} using the remote block named by the
 	 * {@code remoteName}, if the name is non-null.
 	 *
+	 * @param uri
+	 *            address of the Git repository.
 	 * @param local
 	 *            the local repository that will communicate with the other Git
 	 *            repository.
-	 * @param uri
-	 *            address of the Git repository.
 	 * @param remoteName
 	 *            name of the remote, if the remote as configured in
 	 *            {@code local}; otherwise null.
@@ -227,7 +250,7 @@ public boolean canHandle(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName) {
 	 * @throws TransportException
 	 *             the transport cannot open this URI.
 	 */
-	public abstract Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri,
+	public abstract Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local,
 			String remoteName)
 			throws NotSupportedException, TransportException;
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportSftp.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportSftp.java
index c2e3662ff..9ab4a9926 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportSftp.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportSftp.java
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public int getDefaultPort() {
 			return 22;
 		}
 
-		public Transport open(Repository local, URIish uri, String remoteName)
+		public Transport open(URIish uri, Repository local, String remoteName)
 				throws NotSupportedException {
 			return new TransportSftp(local, uri);
 		}