diff --git a/backends/forward.go b/backends/forward.go
index 6cbf23c431..1c1a8041d2 100644
--- a/backends/forward.go
+++ b/backends/forward.go
@@ -229,27 +229,36 @@ func newClient(peer, version string) (*client, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	protoAddrParts := strings.SplitN(peer, "://", 2)
 	c := &client{
 		URL:     u,
+		proto:   protoAddrParts[0],
+		addr:    protoAddrParts[1],
 		version: version,
 	}
 	c.URL.Scheme = "http"
 	return c, nil
 }
 
+func (c *client) dial() (net.Conn, error) {
+	return net.Dial(c.proto, c.addr)
+}
+
 func (c *client) call(method, path, body string) (*http.Response, error) {
 	path = fmt.Sprintf("/%s%s", c.version, path)
 	u, err := url.Parse(path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	u.Host = c.URL.Host
+	u.Host = "dummy.host"
 	u.Scheme = c.URL.Scheme
 	req, err := http.NewRequest(method, u.String(), strings.NewReader(body))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
+	tr := &http.Transport{Dial: func(_, _ string) (net.Conn, error) { return c.dial() }}
+	client := &http.Client{Transport: tr}
+	resp, err := client.Do(req)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -258,7 +267,7 @@ func (c *client) call(method, path, body string) (*http.Response, error) {
 
 func (c *client) hijack(method, path string, in io.ReadCloser, stdout, stderr io.Writer) error {
 	path = fmt.Sprintf("/%s%s", c.version, path)
-	dial, err := net.Dial("tcp", c.URL.Host)
+	dial, err := c.dial()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}