diff --git a/url.bs b/url.bs
index d65c67a3..36c7556e 100644
--- a/url.bs
+++ b/url.bs
@@ -1237,7 +1237,12 @@ and a boolean <var>isSpecial</var>, and then runs these steps:</p>
  <li><p>If <var>isSpecial</var> is true, then return the result of
  <a lt="host parser">host parsing</a> <var>input</var>.
 
- <li><p>If <var>input</var> contains a <a>forbidden host code point</a>, <a>syntax violation</a>,
+ <li><p>Let <var>buffer</var> be the result of
+ <a>UTF-8 decode without BOM</a> on the
+ <a lt="percent decode">percent decoding</a> of
+ <a>UTF-8 encode</a> on <var>input</var>.
+
+ <li><p>If <var>buffer</var> contains a <a>forbidden host code point</a>, <a>syntax violation</a>,
  return failure.
 
  <li><p>Let <var>output</var> be the empty string.