diff --git a/lib/mongrel.rb b/lib/mongrel.rb
index 15e493c4..2c63e61b 100644
--- a/lib/mongrel.rb
+++ b/lib/mongrel.rb
@@ -597,44 +597,103 @@ module Mongrel
   # to get existing CGI based systems working.  It should handle everything, but please
   # notify me if you see special warnings.  This work is still very alpha so I need 
   # testers to help work out the various corner cases.
-
   class CGIWrapper < ::CGI
     public :env_table
     attr_reader :options
-    
+
+    # these are stripped out of any keys passed to CGIWrapper.header function
+    REMOVED_KEYS = [ "nph","status","server","connection","type",
+                     "charset","length","language","expires"]
+
     def initialize(request, response, *args)
       @request = request
       @response = response
       @args = *args
       @input = StringIO.new(request.body)
-      @options = {}
+      @head = {}
+      @out_called = false
       super(*args)
     end
     
     # The header is typically called to send back the header.  In our case we
-    # collect it into a hash for later usage.  Options passed to this function
-    # are capitalized properly (unlike CGI), sanitized and then just stored.
+    # collect it into a hash for later usage.
+    #
+    # nph -- Mostly ignored.  It'll output the date.
+    # connection -- Completely ignored.  Why is CGI doing this?
+    # length -- Ignored since Mongrel figures this out from what you write to output.
+    # 
     def header(options = "text/html")
-      if options.class == Hash
-        # passing in a header so need to keep the status around and other options
-        @options = @options.merge(options)
-      else
-        @options["Content-Type"] = options
-      end
       
+      # if they pass in a string then just write the Content-Type
+      if options.class == String
+        @head['Content-Type'] = options
+      else
+        # convert the given options into what Mongrel wants
+        @head['Content-Type'] = options['type'] || "text/html"
+        @head['Content-Type'] += "; charset=" + options['charset'] if options.has_key? "charset" if options['charset']
+        
+        # setup date only if they use nph
+        @head['Date'] = CGI::rfc1123_date(Time.now) if options['nph']
+
+        # setup the server to use the default or what they set
+        @head['Server'] = options['server'] || env_table['SERVER_SOFTWARE']
+
+        # remaining possible options they can give
+        @head['Status'] = options['status'] if options['status']
+        @head['Content-Language'] = options['language'] if options['language']
+        @head['Expires'] = options['expires'] if options['expires']
+
+        # drop the keys we don't want anymore
+        REMOVED_KEYS.each {|k| options.delete(k) }
+
+        # finally just convert the rest raw (which puts 'cookie' directly)
+        # 'cookie' is translated later as we write the header out
+        options.each{|k,v| @head[k] = v}
+      end
+
       # doing this fakes out the cgi library to think the headers are empty
       # we then do the real headers in the out function call later
       ""
     end
+
+    # Takes any 'cookie' setting and sends it over the Mongrel header,
+    # then removes the setting from the options. If cookie is an 
+    # Array or Hash then it sends those on with .to_s, otherwise
+    # it just calls .to_s on it and hopefully your "cookie" can
+    # write itself correctly.
+    def send_cookies(to)
+      # convert the cookies based on the myriad of possible ways to set a cookie
+      if @head['cookie']
+        cookie = @head['cookie']
+        case cookie
+        when Array
+          cookie.each {|c| to['Set-Cookie'] = c.to_s }
+        when Hash
+          cookie.each_value {|c| to['Set-Cookie'] = c.to_s}
+        else
+          to['Set-Cookie'] = options['cookie'].to_s
+        end
+        
+        @head.delete('cookie')
+
+        # @output_cookies seems to never be used, but we'll process it just in case
+        @output_cookies.each {|c| to['Set-Cookie'] = c.to_s } if @output_cookies
+      end
+    end
     
     # The dumb thing is people can call header or this or both and in any order.
     # So, we just reuse header and then finalize the HttpResponse the right way.
     # Status is taken from the various options and converted to what Mongrel needs
     # via the CGIWrapper.status function.
     def out(options = "text/html")
+      return if @out_called  # don't do this more than once
+
       header(options)
+
       @response.start status do |head, out|
-        @options.each {|k,v| head[k.capitalize] = v}
+        send_cookies(head)
+        
+        @head.each {|k,v| head[k] = v}
         out.write(yield || "")
       end
     end
@@ -644,7 +703,7 @@ module Mongrel
     # message in the status we have to do a bit of parsing.
     def status
       if not @status
-        @status = @options["Status"] || @options["status"]
+        @status = @head["Status"] || @head["status"]
         
         if @status
           @status[0 ... @status.index(' ')] || "200"
@@ -652,7 +711,7 @@ module Mongrel
           @status = "200"
         end
       end
-    end    
+    end
     
     # Used to wrap the normal args variable used inside CGI.
     def args