diff --git a/app/models/story.rb b/app/models/story.rb
index 47a9aa8..8419441 100644
--- a/app/models/story.rb
+++ b/app/models/story.rb
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ class Story < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def self.find_recent_similar_by_url(url)
-    urls = [ url ]
-    urls2 = [ url ]
+    urls = [ url.to_s ]
+    urls2 = [ url.to_s ]
 
     # https
     urls.each do |u|
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class Story < ActiveRecord::Base
     # trailing slash
     urls.each do |u|
       urls2.push u.gsub(/\/+\z/, "")
-      urls2.push (u << "/")
+      urls2.push (u + "/")
     end
     urls = urls2.clone
 
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ class Story < ActiveRecord::Base
     urls = urls2.clone
 
     conds = [ "created_at >= ? AND (", (Time.now - 30.days) ]
-    urls.uniq.each_with_index do |url,x|
+    urls.uniq.each_with_index do |u,x|
       conds[0] << (x == 0 ? "" : " OR ") << "url = ?"
-      conds.push url
+      conds.push u
     end
     conds[0] << ")"
 
diff --git a/spec/models/story_spec.rb b/spec/models/story_spec.rb
index 34d81fc..1688c91 100644
--- a/spec/models/story_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/story_spec.rb
@@ -103,4 +103,11 @@ describe Story do
     s = Story.make(:title => "The One-second War (What Time Will You Die?) ")
     s.title_as_url.should == "the_one-second_war_what_time_will_you_die"
   end
+
+  it "sets the url properly" do
+    s = Story.make(:title => "blah")
+    s.url = "https://factorable.net/"
+    s.valid?
+    s.url.should == "https://factorable.net/"
+  end
 end