diff --git a/request/request.js b/request/request.js
index 91bc55cd..8c5d4017 100644
--- a/request/request.js
+++ b/request/request.js
@@ -25,14 +25,18 @@ module.exports = function($window, Promise) {
 			return promise
 		}
 	}
-	
-	function request(args, extra) {
-		var finalize = finalizer()
+	function normalize(args, extra) {
 		if (typeof args === "string") {
 			var url = args
 			args = extra || {}
 			if (args.url == null) args.url = url
 		}
+		return args
+	}
+	
+	function request(args, extra) {
+		var finalize = finalizer()
+		args = normalize(args, extra)
 
 		var promise = new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
 			if (args.method == null) args.method = "GET"
@@ -83,11 +87,13 @@ module.exports = function($window, Promise) {
 			if (useBody && (args.data != null)) xhr.send(args.data)
 			else xhr.send()
 		})
-		return args.redraw ===  false ? promise : finalize(promise)
+		return args.background ===  true ? promise : finalize(promise)
 	}
 
-	function jsonp(args) {
+	function jsonp(args, extra) {
 		var finalize = finalizer()
+		args = normalize(args, extra)
+		
 		var promise = new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
 			var callbackName = args.callbackName || "_mithril_" + Math.round(Math.random() * 1e16) + "_" + callbackCount++
 			var script = $window.document.createElement("script")
@@ -107,7 +113,7 @@ module.exports = function($window, Promise) {
 			script.src = assemble(args.url, args.data)
 			$window.document.documentElement.appendChild(script)
 		})
-		return args.redraw === false? promise : finalize(promise)
+		return args.background === true? promise : finalize(promise)
 	}
 
 	function interpolate(url, data) {
diff --git a/request/tests/test-jsonp.js b/request/tests/test-jsonp.js
index 5d2f261f..6dd0a619 100644
--- a/request/tests/test-jsonp.js
+++ b/request/tests/test-jsonp.js
@@ -7,10 +7,13 @@ var Promise = require("../../promise/promise")
 var parseQueryString = require("../../querystring/parse")
 
 o.spec("jsonp", function() {
-	var mock, jsonp, spy
+	var mock, jsonp, spy, complete
 	o.beforeEach(function() {
 		mock = xhrMock()
-		jsonp = new Request(mock, Promise).jsonp
+		var requestService = Request(mock, Promise)
+		jsonp = requestService.jsonp
+		complete = o.spy()
+		requestService.setCompletionCallback(complete)
 	})
 
 	o("works", function(done) {
@@ -24,6 +27,20 @@ o.spec("jsonp", function() {
 			o(data).deepEquals({a: 1})
 		}).then(done)
 	})
+	o("first argument can be a string aliasing url property", function(done){
+		var s = new Date
+		mock.$defineRoutes({
+			"GET /item": function(request) {
+				var queryData = parseQueryString(request.query)
+				return {status: 200, responseText: queryData["callback"] + "(" + JSON.stringify({a: 1}) + ")"}
+			}
+		})
+		jsonp("/item").then(function(data) {
+			o(data).deepEquals({a: 1})
+		}).then(function() {
+			done()
+		})
+	})
 	o("works w/ other querystring params", function(done) {
 		mock.$defineRoutes({
 			"GET /item": function(request) {
@@ -47,6 +64,64 @@ o.spec("jsonp", function() {
 			o(data).deepEquals({a: 2})
 		}).then(done)
 	})
+	o("works w/ custom callbackKey", function(done) {
+		mock.$defineRoutes({
+			"GET /item": function(request) {
+				var queryData = parseQueryString(request.query)
+				return {status: 200, responseText: queryData["cb"] + "(" + JSON.stringify({a: 2}) + ")"}
+			}
+		})
+		jsonp({url: "/item", callbackKey: "cb"}).then(function(data) {
+			o(data).deepEquals({a: 2})
+		}).then(done)
+	})
+	o("requests don't block each other", function(done) {
+		mock.$defineRoutes({
+			"GET /item": function(request) {
+				var queryData = parseQueryString(request.query)
+				return {status: 200, responseText: queryData["callback"] + "([])"}
+			}
+		})
+		jsonp("/item").then(function() {
+			return jsonp("/item")
+		})
+		jsonp("/item").then(function() {
+			return jsonp("/item")
+		})
+		setTimeout(function() {
+			o(complete.callCount).equals(4)
+			done()
+		}, 20)
+	})
+	o("requests trigger finally once with a chained then", function(done) {
+		mock.$defineRoutes({
+			"GET /item": function(request) {
+				var queryData = parseQueryString(request.query)
+				return {status: 200, responseText: queryData["callback"] + "([])"}
+			}
+		})
+		var promise = jsonp("/item")
+		promise.then(function() {}).then(function() {})
+		promise.then(function() {}).then(function() {})
+		setTimeout(function() {
+			o(complete.callCount).equals(1)
+			done()
+		}, 20)
+	})
+	o("requests does not trigger finally when background: true", function(done) {
+		mock.$defineRoutes({
+			"GET /item": function(request) {
+				var queryData = parseQueryString(request.query)
+				return {status: 200, responseText: queryData["callback"] + "([])"}
+			}
+		})
+		var promise = jsonp("/item", {background: true}).then(function() {})
+		
+		setTimeout(function() {
+			o(complete.callCount).equals(0)
+			done()
+		}, 20)
+	})
 	o("handles error", function(done) {
 		jsonp({url: "/item", callbackKey: "cb"}).catch(function(e) {
 			o(e.message).equals("JSONP request failed")
diff --git a/request/tests/test-request.js b/request/tests/test-request.js
index 7ddc4325..1de21861 100644
--- a/request/tests/test-request.js
+++ b/request/tests/test-request.js
@@ -329,6 +329,19 @@ o.spec("xhr", function() {
 				done()
 			}, 20)
 		})
+		o("requests does not trigger finally when background: true", function(done) {
+			mock.$defineRoutes({
+				"GET /item": function(request) {
+					return {status: 200, responseText: "[]"}
+				}
+			})
+			var promise = xhr("/item", {background: true}).then(function() {})
+			
+			setTimeout(function() {
+				o(complete.callCount).equals(0)
+				done()
+			}, 20)
+		})
 	})
 	o.spec("failure", function() {
 		o("rejects on server error", function(done) {