diff --git a/schema_salad/metaschema.py b/schema_salad/metaschema.py
index 0b95799a..836c111a 100644
--- a/schema_salad/metaschema.py
+++ b/schema_salad/metaschema.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
     cast,
 )
 from urllib.parse import quote, urldefrag, urlparse, urlsplit, urlunsplit
-from urllib.request import pathname2url, url2pathname
+from urllib.request import pathname2url
 
 from rdflib import Graph
 from rdflib.plugins.parsers.notation3 import BadSyntax
@@ -145,29 +145,6 @@ def __init__(
                 self.vocab[k] = v
                 self.rvocab[v] = k
 
-    def check_exists(self, url: str) -> bool:
-        """Check if a url exists and is valid."""
-        if url in self.cache:
-            return True
-
-        split = urlsplit(url)
-        scheme, path = split.scheme, split.path
-
-        if scheme in ["http", "https"]:
-            if self.fetcher is None:
-                raise ValidationException(f"Can't check {self.fetcher} URL, fetcher is None")
-            try:
-                self.fetcher.fetch_text(url)
-            except Exception:
-                return False
-            self.cache[url] = True
-            return True
-        if scheme == "file":
-            return os.path.exists(url2pathname(str(path)))
-        if scheme == "mailto":
-            return True
-        raise ValidationException(f"Unsupported scheme '{scheme}' in url: {url}")
-
     @property
     def graph(self) -> Graph:
         """Generate a merged rdflib.Graph from all entries in self.schemas."""
@@ -489,7 +466,7 @@ def load(self, doc, baseuri, loadingOptions, docRoot=None, lc=None):
                         if doc[i].get("id") in fields:
                             errors.append(
                                 ValidationException(
-                                    f"Duplicate field '{doc[i].get('id')}'",
+                                    f"Duplicate field {doc[i].get('id')!r}",
                                     SourceLine(doc[i], "id", str),
                                     [],
                                 )
@@ -743,7 +720,7 @@ def load(self, doc, baseuri, loadingOptions, docRoot=None, lc=None):
         if isinstance(doc, str):
             errors = []
             try:
-                if not loadingOptions.check_exists(doc):
+                if not loadingOptions.fetcher.check_exists(doc):
                     errors.append(ValidationException(f"contains undefined reference to `{doc}`"))
             except ValidationException:
                 pass
diff --git a/schema_salad/python_codegen_support.py b/schema_salad/python_codegen_support.py
index 196ddaf3..a07a934e 100644
--- a/schema_salad/python_codegen_support.py
+++ b/schema_salad/python_codegen_support.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     cast,
 )
 from urllib.parse import quote, urldefrag, urlparse, urlsplit, urlunsplit
-from urllib.request import pathname2url, url2pathname
+from urllib.request import pathname2url
 
 from rdflib import Graph
 from rdflib.plugins.parsers.notation3 import BadSyntax
@@ -142,29 +142,6 @@ def __init__(
                 self.vocab[k] = v
                 self.rvocab[v] = k
 
-    def check_exists(self, url: str) -> bool:
-        """Check if a url exists and is valid."""
-        if url in self.cache:
-            return True
-
-        split = urlsplit(url)
-        scheme, path = split.scheme, split.path
-
-        if scheme in ["http", "https"]:
-            if self.fetcher is None:
-                raise ValidationException(f"Can't check {self.fetcher} URL, fetcher is None")
-            try:
-                self.fetcher.fetch_text(url)
-            except Exception:
-                return False
-            self.cache[url] = True
-            return True
-        if scheme == "file":
-            return os.path.exists(url2pathname(str(path)))
-        if scheme == "mailto":
-            return True
-        raise ValidationException(f"Unsupported scheme '{scheme}' in url: {url}")
-
     @property
     def graph(self) -> Graph:
         """Generate a merged rdflib.Graph from all entries in self.schemas."""
@@ -486,7 +463,7 @@ def load(self, doc, baseuri, loadingOptions, docRoot=None, lc=None):
                         if doc[i].get("id") in fields:
                             errors.append(
                                 ValidationException(
-                                    f"Duplicate field '{doc[i].get('id')}'",
+                                    f"Duplicate field {doc[i].get('id')!r}",
                                     SourceLine(doc[i], "id", str),
                                     [],
                                 )
@@ -740,7 +717,7 @@ def load(self, doc, baseuri, loadingOptions, docRoot=None, lc=None):
         if isinstance(doc, str):
             errors = []
             try:
-                if not loadingOptions.check_exists(doc):
+                if not loadingOptions.fetcher.check_exists(doc):
                     errors.append(ValidationException(f"contains undefined reference to `{doc}`"))
             except ValidationException:
                 pass