diff --git a/lib/tests/weblib_test.php b/lib/tests/weblib_test.php
index 8ba4a4d5255..4ddffd6c149 100644
--- a/lib/tests/weblib_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/weblib_test.php
@@ -147,6 +147,35 @@ class web_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals(wikify_links('this is a <a href="http://someaddress.com/query">link</a>'), 'this is a link [ http://someaddress.com/query ]');
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Test basic moodle_url construction.
+     */
+    function test_moodle_url_constructor() {
+        global $CFG;
+
+        $url = new moodle_url('/index.php');
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php', $url->out());
+
+        $url = new moodle_url('/index.php', array());
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php', $url->out());
+
+        $url = new moodle_url('/index.php', array('id' => 2));
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php?id=2', $url->out());
+
+        $url = new moodle_url('/index.php', array('id' => 'two'));
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php?id=two', $url->out());
+
+        $url = new moodle_url('/index.php', array('id' => 1, 'cid' => '2'));
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php?id=1&amp;cid=2', $url->out());
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php?id=1&cid=2', $url->out(false));
+
+        $url = new moodle_url('/index.php', null, 'test');
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php#test', $url->out());
+
+        $url = new moodle_url('/index.php', array('id' => 2), 'test');
+        $this->assertEquals($CFG->wwwroot.'/index.php?id=2#test', $url->out());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Tests moodle_url::get_path().
      */
diff --git a/lib/weblib.php b/lib/weblib.php
index f6b646886e5..24f5a935ff7 100644
--- a/lib/weblib.php
+++ b/lib/weblib.php
@@ -298,8 +298,9 @@ class moodle_url {
      *      $params instead. For admin URLs, just use /admin/script.php, this
      *      class takes care of the $CFG->admin issue.
      * @param array $params these params override current params or add new
+     * @param string $anchor The anchor to use as part of the URL if there is one.
      */
-    public function __construct($url, array $params = null) {
+    public function __construct($url, array $params = null, $anchor = null) {
         global $CFG;
 
         if ($url instanceof moodle_url) {
@@ -361,6 +362,9 @@ class moodle_url {
         }
 
         $this->params($params);
+        if ($anchor !== null) {
+            $this->anchor = (string)$anchor;
+        }
     }
 
     /**