diff --git a/src/share/classes/sun/net/www/protocol/http/HttpURLConnection.java b/src/share/classes/sun/net/www/protocol/http/HttpURLConnection.java
index f361814..25949db 100644
--- a/src/share/classes/sun/net/www/protocol/http/HttpURLConnection.java
+++ b/src/share/classes/sun/net/www/protocol/http/HttpURLConnection.java
@@ -484,7 +484,8 @@
     private void checkMessageHeader(String key, String value) {
         char LF = '\n';
         int index = key.indexOf(LF);
-        if (index != -1) {
+        int index1 = key.indexOf(':');
+        if (index != -1 || index1 != -1) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                 "Illegal character(s) in message header field: " + key);
         }