diff --git a/includes/ingest.form.inc b/includes/ingest.form.inc
index 0f8e843e..db031dc0 100644
--- a/includes/ingest.form.inc
+++ b/includes/ingest.form.inc
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function islandora_ingest_form(array $form, array &$form_state, array $configura
     islandora_ingest_form_init_form_state_storage($form_state, $configuration);
     return islandora_ingest_form_execute_step($form, $form_state);
   }
-  catch(Exception $e) {
+  catch (Exception $e) {
     drupal_set_message($e->getMessage(), 'error');
     return array(array(
         '#markup' => l(t('Back'), 'javascript:window.history.back();', array('external' => TRUE))));
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ function islandora_ingest_get_approximate_steps(array $configuration) {
   try {
     islandora_ingest_form_validate_configuration($configuration);
   }
-  catch(InvalidArgumentException $e) {
+  catch (InvalidArgumentException $e) {
     // Don't log or display exception.
     return array();
   }
diff --git a/includes/tuque_wrapper.inc b/includes/tuque_wrapper.inc
index 4d989e9f..14a770e2 100644
--- a/includes/tuque_wrapper.inc
+++ b/includes/tuque_wrapper.inc
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ class IslandoraFedoraApiM extends FedoraApiM {
       }
       return $ret;
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       watchdog('islandora', 'Failed to modify datastream @dsid from @pid</br>code: @code<br/>message: @msg', array(
           '@pid' => $pid,
           '@dsid' => $dsid,
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class IslandoraFedoraApiM extends FedoraApiM {
       }
       return $ret;
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       watchdog('islandora', 'Failed to modify object: @pid</br>code: @code<br/>message: @msg', array(
           '@pid' => $pid,
           '@code' => $e->getCode(),
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ class IslandoraFedoraApiM extends FedoraApiM {
           return $ret;
       }
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       watchdog('islandora', 'Failed to purge datastream @dsid from @pid</br>code: @code<br/>message: @msg', array(
           '@pid' => $pid,
           '@dsid' => $dsid,
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ class IslandoraFedoraApiM extends FedoraApiM {
           return $ret;
       }
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       watchdog('islandora', 'Failed to purge object @pid</br>code: @code<br/>message: @msg', array(
           '@pid' => $pid,
           '@code' => $e->getCode(),
diff --git a/includes/utilities.inc b/includes/utilities.inc
index f061f72c..ec155eb9 100644
--- a/includes/utilities.inc
+++ b/includes/utilities.inc
@@ -465,20 +465,44 @@ function islandora_prepare_new_object($namespace = NULL, $label = NULL, $datastr
     if (isset($ds['control_group']) && in_array($ds['control_group'], $groups)) {
       $control_group = $ds['control_group'];
     }
-    $ds_uri = FALSE;
+
+    $as_file = FALSE;
     if (file_valid_uri($ds['datastream_file'])) {
+      // A local file with as a Drupal file/stream wrapper URI.
       $datastream_file = $ds['datastream_file'];
-      $ds_uri = TRUE;
+      $as_file = TRUE;
+    }
+    elseif (is_readable($ds['datastream_file'])) {
+      // A local file as a filesystem path.
+      $datastream_file = drupal_realpath($ds['datastream_file']);
+      $as_file = TRUE;
     }
     else {
-      $datastream_file = url($ds['datastream_file'], array('absolute' => TRUE));
+      $scheme = parse_url($ds['datastream_file'], PHP_URL_SCHEME);
+      if (in_array($scheme, stream_get_wrappers())) {
+        // A URI which gets handled by one of the PHP-native stream wrappers.
+        $datastream_file = $ds['datastream_file'];
+        $as_file = TRUE;
+      }
+      else {
+        // Schema does not match available php stream wrapper. Attempt to
+        // set datastream_file by url for the given scheme. Https (SSL) can
+        // cause this to fail, and trigger an output log in watchdog.
+        $datastream_file = url($ds['datastream_file'], array('absolute' => TRUE));
+        watchdog('islandora', 'Attempting to ingest %file in islandora_prepare_new_object(), ' .
+                              ' but it does not appear to be readable. We will pass the path through' .
+                              ' url(), and pass along as such.',
+                              array('%file' => $datastream_file),
+                              WATCHDOG_WARNING);
+      }
     }
+
     $datastream = $object->constructDatastream($dsid, $control_group);
     $datastream->label = $label;
     $datastream->mimetype = $mimetype;
     switch ($control_group) {
       case 'M':
-        if ($ds_uri) {
+        if ($as_file) {
           $datastream->setContentFromFile($datastream_file);
         }
         else {
@@ -490,8 +514,10 @@ function islandora_prepare_new_object($namespace = NULL, $label = NULL, $datastr
         $datastream->setContentFromString(file_get_contents($datastream_file));
         break;
     }
+
     $object->ingestDatastream($datastream);
   }
+
   return $object;
 }
 
@@ -505,8 +531,8 @@ function islandora_display_repository_inaccessible_message() {
   $text = t('Islandora configuration');
   $link = l($text, 'admin/islandora/configure', array('attributes' => array('title' => $text)));
   $message = t('Could not connect to the repository. Please check the settings on the !link page.',
-             array('!link' => $link));
-  drupal_set_message($message, 'error', FALSE);
+    array('!link' => $link));
+  drupal_set_message(check_plain($message), 'error', FALSE);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/islandora.module b/islandora.module
index a4552379..ad9e569e 100644
--- a/islandora.module
+++ b/islandora.module
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ function islandora_delete_object(FedoraObject &$object) {
     $object = NULL;
     return TRUE;
   }
-  catch(Exception $e) {
+  catch (Exception $e) {
     // Exception message gets logged in Tuque Wrapper.
     return FALSE;
   }
diff --git a/tests/hooks.test b/tests/hooks.test
index bc3020f3..3133d656 100644
--- a/tests/hooks.test
+++ b/tests/hooks.test
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ class IslandoraHooksTestCase extends IslandoraWebTestCase {
         $object->label = "Don't Block";
         $this->repository->purgeObject($object->id);
       }
-      catch(Exception $e) {
+      catch (Exception $e) {
         // Meh... Either it didn't exist or the purge failed.
       }
     }
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class IslandoraHooksTestCase extends IslandoraWebTestCase {
       $this->fail('Blocked ingest should throw an Exception.');
       $this->repository->purgeObject($object->id);
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       $this->pass('Ingest blocked and exception thrown.');
       $this->assert($_SESSION['islandora_hooks']['alter'][ISLANDORA_OBJECT_INGESTED_HOOK], 'Called "hook_islandora_object_alter" when blocking ingesting via FedoraRepository::ingestObject.');
       $this->assertFalse($_SESSION['islandora_hooks']['hook'][ISLANDORA_OBJECT_INGESTED_HOOK], 'Did not called ISLANDORA_OBJECT_INGESTED_HOOK when blocking ingesting via FedoraRepository::ingestObject.');
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class IslandoraHooksTestCase extends IslandoraWebTestCase {
       $object->label = 'block';
       $this->fail('Blocked modify should throw an Exception.');
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       $this->pass('Modify blocked and exception thrown.');
       $this->assertNotEqual($object->label, 'block', 'Modification did not stick.');
       $this->assert($_SESSION['islandora_hooks']['alter'][ISLANDORA_OBJECT_MODIFIED_HOOK], 'Called "hook_islandora_object_alter" when blocking modifying via set magic functions.');
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class IslandoraHooksTestCase extends IslandoraWebTestCase {
       $this->repository->purgeObject($object->id);
       $this->fail('Blocked modify should throw an Exception.');
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       $this->pass('Modify blocked and exception thrown.');
       $this->assert($_SESSION['islandora_hooks']['alter'][ISLANDORA_OBJECT_PURGED_HOOK], 'Called "hook_islandora_object_alter" when blocking purge via FedoraRepository::purgeObject.');
       $this->assertFalse($_SESSION['islandora_hooks']['hook'][ISLANDORA_OBJECT_PURGED_HOOK], 'Called ISLANDORA_OBJECT_PURGED_HOOK when blocking purge via FedoraRepository::purgeObject.');
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class IslandoraHooksTestCase extends IslandoraWebTestCase {
       $ds->label = 'block';
       $this->fail('Blocked modify should throw an Exception.');
     }
-    catch(Exception $e) {
+    catch (Exception $e) {
       $this->pass('Modify blocked and exception thrown.');
       $this->assert($_SESSION['islandora_hooks']['alter'][ISLANDORA_DATASTREAM_MODIFIED_HOOK], 'Called "hook_islandora_datastream_alter" when blocking modifying via set magic functions.');
       $this->assertFALSE($_SESSION['islandora_hooks']['hook'][ISLANDORA_DATASTREAM_MODIFIED_HOOK], 'Called ISLANDORA_DATASTREAM_MODIFIED_HOOK when blocking modifying via set magic functions.');