diff --git a/src/io/socket/IOConnection.java b/src/io/socket/IOConnection.java
index 0febf78..c1abb3f 100644
--- a/src/io/socket/IOConnection.java
+++ b/src/io/socket/IOConnection.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.Properties;
 import java.util.Scanner;
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@
 import java.util.TimerTask;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
+
 import javax.net.ssl.HttpsURLConnection;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLContext;
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLSocketFactory;
@@ -102,6 +104,9 @@ class IOConnection implements IOCallback {
 	/** Custom Request headers used while handshaking */
 	private Properties headers;
 
+	/** Custom Request headers used while connecting to the websocket */
+	private Map<String, String> websocketHeaders;
+	
 	/**
 	 * The first socket to be connected. the socket.io server does not send a
 	 * connected response to this one.
@@ -331,7 +336,7 @@ private synchronized void connectTransport() {
 			return;
 		setState(STATE_CONNECTING);
 		if (protocols.contains(WebsocketTransport.TRANSPORT_NAME))
-			transport = WebsocketTransport.create(url, this);
+			transport = WebsocketTransport.create(url, this, websocketHeaders);
 		else if (protocols.contains(XhrTransport.TRANSPORT_NAME))
 			transport = XhrTransport.create(url, this);
 		else {
@@ -412,6 +417,7 @@ private IOConnection(String url, SocketIO socket) {
 		}
 		firstSocket = socket;
 		headers = socket.getHeaders();
+		websocketHeaders = socket.getWebsocketHeaders();
 		sockets.put(socket.getNamespace(), socket);
 		new ConnectThread().start();
 	}
@@ -589,7 +595,7 @@ public void transportData(String text) {
 				.listIterator(1);
 		while (fragments.hasNext()) {
 			int length = Integer.parseInt(fragments.next());
-			String string = (String) fragments.next();
+			String string = fragments.next();
 			// Potential BUG: it is not defined if length is in bytes or
 			// characters. Assuming characters.
 
diff --git a/src/io/socket/SocketIO.java b/src/io/socket/SocketIO.java
index 26143b7..c1cd4bc 100644
--- a/src/io/socket/SocketIO.java
+++ b/src/io/socket/SocketIO.java
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URL;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Properties;
 
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLContext;
@@ -34,6 +36,9 @@ public class SocketIO {
 	/** Used for setting header during handshaking. */
 	private Properties headers = new Properties();
 
+	/** Used for setting header during connecting. */
+	private Map<String, String> websocketHeaders = new HashMap<String, String>();
+	
 	private URL url;
 
 	/**
@@ -391,6 +396,20 @@ public SocketIO addHeader(String key, String value) {
 		return this;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Adds an header for connecting
+	 * @return SocketIO.this for daisy chaining.
+	 */
+	public SocketIO addWebsocketHeader(String key, String value) {
+		if (this.connection != null)
+			throw new RuntimeException(
+					"You may only set headers before connecting.\n"
+							+ " Try to use new SocketIO().addHeader(key, value).connect(host, callback) "
+							+ "instead of SocketIO(host, callback).addHeader(key, value)");
+		this.websocketHeaders.put(key, value);
+		return this;
+	}
+	
 	/**
 	 * Returns the header value
 	 * 
@@ -401,4 +420,13 @@ public String getHeader(String key) {
 			return this.headers.getProperty(key);
 		return null;
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the headers used while connecting.
+	 * 
+	 * @return the headers used while connecting
+	 */
+	public Map<String, String> getWebsocketHeaders() {
+		return websocketHeaders;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/io/socket/WebsocketTransport.java b/src/io/socket/WebsocketTransport.java
index 0ec9bee..f55a27f 100644
--- a/src/io/socket/WebsocketTransport.java
+++ b/src/io/socket/WebsocketTransport.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URL;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import javax.net.ssl.SSLContext;
@@ -10,23 +11,25 @@
 
 import org.java_websocket.client.DefaultSSLWebSocketClientFactory;
 import org.java_websocket.client.WebSocketClient;
+import org.java_websocket.drafts.Draft;
+import org.java_websocket.drafts.Draft_17;
 import org.java_websocket.handshake.ServerHandshake;
 
 class WebsocketTransport extends WebSocketClient implements IOTransport {
     private final static Pattern PATTERN_HTTP = Pattern.compile("^http");
     public static final String TRANSPORT_NAME = "websocket";
     private IOConnection connection;
-    public static IOTransport create(URL url, IOConnection connection) {
+    public static IOTransport create(URL url, IOConnection connection, Map<String,String> httpHeaders) {
         URI uri = URI.create(
                 PATTERN_HTTP.matcher(url.toString()).replaceFirst("ws")
                 + IOConnection.SOCKET_IO_1 + TRANSPORT_NAME
                 + "/" + connection.getSessionId());
 
-        return new WebsocketTransport(uri, connection);
+        return new WebsocketTransport(uri, connection, httpHeaders);
     }
 
-    public WebsocketTransport(URI uri, IOConnection connection) {
-        super(uri);
+    public WebsocketTransport(URI uri, IOConnection connection, Map<String,String> httpHeaders) {
+        super(uri, new Draft_17(), httpHeaders, 0);
         this.connection = connection;
         SSLContext context = IOConnection.getSslContext();
         if("wss".equals(uri.getScheme()) && context != null) {