diff --git a/lib/websockex/conn.ex b/lib/websockex/conn.ex
index f33077b..881a104 100644
--- a/lib/websockex/conn.ex
+++ b/lib/websockex/conn.ex
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
             cacerts: nil,
             insecure: true,
             resp_headers: [],
-            ssl_options: nil
+            ssl_options: nil,
+            socket_options: nil
 
   @type socket :: :gen_tcp.socket() | :ssl.sslsocket()
   @type header :: {field :: String.t(), value :: String.t()}
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
   - `:socket_recv_timeout` - Timeout in ms for receiving a HTTP response header
     from socket, default #{@socket_recv_timeout_default} ms.
   - `:ssl_options` - extra options for an SSL connection
+  - `:socket_options` - extra options for the TCP part of the connection
 
   [public_key]: http://erlang.org/doc/apps/public_key/using_public_key.html
   """
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
           | {:socket_connect_timeout, non_neg_integer}
           | {:socket_recv_timeout, non_neg_integer}
           | {:ssl_options, [:ssl.tls_client_option()]}
+          | {:socket_options, [:gen_tcp.option()]}
 
   @type t :: %__MODULE__{
           conn_mod: :gen_tcp | :ssl,
@@ -95,7 +98,8 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
       socket_connect_timeout:
         Keyword.get(opts, :socket_connect_timeout, @socket_connect_timeout_default),
       socket_recv_timeout: Keyword.get(opts, :socket_recv_timeout, @socket_recv_timeout_default),
-      ssl_options: Keyword.get(opts, :ssl_options, nil)
+      ssl_options: Keyword.get(opts, :ssl_options, nil),
+      socket_options: Keyword.get(opts, :socket_options, nil),
     }
   end
 
@@ -121,7 +125,7 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
       %URI{host: host, port: port, scheme: protocol}
       when is_nil(host)
       when is_nil(port)
-      when not (protocol in ["ws", "wss", "http", "https"]) ->
+      when protocol not in ["ws", "wss", "http", "https"] ->
         {:error, %WebSockex.URLError{url: url}}
 
       %URI{path: nil} = uri ->
@@ -132,6 +136,24 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
     end
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Parses a URI host
+  Host can be "x.y.z.t" or "some.name.domain". If "x.y.z.t", the function
+  will return a valid :inet.ip_address() which __MODULE__.open_socket
+  accepts. This will prevent extra DNS operations which can time out
+  in some contexts
+  """
+  @spec parse_host(String.t()) :: charlist() | :inet.ip_address()
+  def parse_host(host) do
+    host
+    |> to_charlist()
+    |> :inet.parse_address()
+    |> then(fn
+      {:error, :einval} -> to_charlist(host)
+      {:ok, addr} -> addr
+    end)
+  end
+
   @doc """
   Sends data using the `conn_mod` module.
   """
@@ -151,9 +173,9 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
 
   def open_socket(%{conn_mod: :gen_tcp} = conn) do
     case :gen_tcp.connect(
-           String.to_charlist(conn.host),
+           parse_host(conn.host),
            conn.port,
-           [:binary, active: false, packet: 0],
+           socket_connection_options(conn),
            conn.socket_connect_timeout
          ) do
       {:ok, socket} ->
@@ -166,7 +188,7 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
 
   def open_socket(%{conn_mod: :ssl} = conn) do
     case :ssl.connect(
-           String.to_charlist(conn.host),
+           parse_host(conn.host),
            conn.port,
            ssl_connection_options(conn),
            conn.socket_connect_timeout
@@ -317,6 +339,25 @@ defmodule WebSockex.Conn do
     end
   end
 
+  defp minimal_socket_connection_options() do
+    [
+      mode: :binary,
+      active: false,
+      packet: 0
+    ]
+  end
+
+
+  defp socket_connection_options(%{socket_options: socket_options}) when not is_nil(socket_options) do
+    minimal_socket_connection_options()
+    |> Keyword.merge(socket_options)
+  end
+
+  defp socket_connection_options(%{socket_options: socket_options}) do
+    minimal_socket_connection_options()
+  end
+
+
   # Crazy SSL Stuff (It will be normal SSL stuff when I figure out Erlang's ssl)
 
   defp ssl_connection_options(%{ssl_options: ssl_options}) when not is_nil(ssl_options) do
diff --git a/test/websockex/conn_test.exs b/test/websockex/conn_test.exs
index bdf8687..f513149 100644
--- a/test/websockex/conn_test.exs
+++ b/test/websockex/conn_test.exs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ defmodule WebSockex.ConnTest do
     on_exit(fn -> WebSockex.TestServer.shutdown(server_ref) end)
 
     uri = URI.parse(url)
-
     conn = WebSockex.Conn.new(uri)
 
     {:ok, conn} = WebSockex.Conn.open_socket(conn)
@@ -15,86 +14,97 @@ defmodule WebSockex.ConnTest do
     [url: url, uri: uri, conn: conn]
   end
 
-  test "new" do
-    tcp_conn = %WebSockex.Conn{
-      host: "localhost",
-      port: 80,
-      path: "/ws",
-      query: nil,
-      conn_mod: :gen_tcp,
-      transport: :tcp,
-      extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
-      socket: nil,
-      socket_connect_timeout: 6000,
-      socket_recv_timeout: 5000
-    }
-
-    ssl_conn = %WebSockex.Conn{
-      host: "localhost",
-      port: 443,
-      path: "/ws",
-      query: nil,
-      conn_mod: :ssl,
-      transport: :ssl,
-      extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
-      socket: nil,
-      socket_connect_timeout: 6000,
-      socket_recv_timeout: 5000
-    }
-
-    regular_url = "ws://localhost/ws"
-    regular_uri = URI.parse(regular_url)
-
-    regular_opts = [
-      extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
-      socket_connect_timeout: 123,
-      socket_recv_timeout: 456
-    ]
-
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(regular_uri, regular_opts) == %{
-             tcp_conn
-             | socket_connect_timeout: 123,
-               socket_recv_timeout: 456
-           }
-
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(regular_url, regular_opts) ==
-             WebSockex.Conn.new(regular_uri, regular_opts)
-
-    conn_opts = [extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}]]
-
-    ssl_url = "wss://localhost/ws"
-    ssl_uri = URI.parse(ssl_url)
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(ssl_uri, conn_opts) == ssl_conn
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(ssl_url, conn_opts) == WebSockex.Conn.new(ssl_uri, conn_opts)
-
-    http_url = "http://localhost/ws"
-    http_uri = URI.parse(http_url)
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(http_uri, conn_opts) == tcp_conn
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(http_url, conn_opts) == WebSockex.Conn.new(http_uri, conn_opts)
-
-    https_url = "https://localhost/ws"
-    https_uri = URI.parse(https_url)
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(https_uri, conn_opts) == ssl_conn
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(https_url, conn_opts) == WebSockex.Conn.new(https_uri, conn_opts)
-
-    llama_url = "llama://localhost/ws"
-    llama_conn = URI.parse(llama_url)
-
-    assert WebSockex.Conn.new(llama_conn, conn_opts) ==
-             %WebSockex.Conn{
-               host: "localhost",
-               port: nil,
-               path: "/ws",
-               query: nil,
-               conn_mod: nil,
-               transport: nil,
-               extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
-               socket: nil,
-               socket_connect_timeout: 6000,
-               socket_recv_timeout: 5000
+  for host <- ["localhost", "127.0.0.1"] do
+    test "new, with host #{host}" do
+      localhost = unquote(host)
+
+      localhost_or_addr =
+        case WebSockex.Conn.parse_host(localhost) do
+          addr when is_tuple(addr) -> addr
+          other -> to_string(other)
+        end
+
+      tcp_conn = %WebSockex.Conn{
+        host: localhost_or_addr,
+        port: 80,
+        path: "/ws",
+        query: nil,
+        conn_mod: :gen_tcp,
+        transport: :tcp,
+        extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
+        socket: nil,
+        socket_connect_timeout: 6000,
+        socket_recv_timeout: 5000
+      }
+
+      ssl_conn = %WebSockex.Conn{
+        host: localhost_or_addr,
+        port: 443,
+        path: "/ws",
+        query: nil,
+        conn_mod: :ssl,
+        transport: :ssl,
+        extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
+        socket: nil,
+        socket_connect_timeout: 6000,
+        socket_recv_timeout: 5000
+      }
+
+      regular_url = "ws://" <> localhost <> "/ws"
+      regular_uri = URI.parse(regular_url)
+
+      regular_opts = [
+        extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
+        socket_connect_timeout: 123,
+        socket_recv_timeout: 456
+      ]
+
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(regular_uri, regular_opts) == %{
+               tcp_conn
+               | socket_connect_timeout: 123,
+                 socket_recv_timeout: 456,
+                 host: localhost
              }
 
-    assert {:error, %WebSockex.URLError{}} = WebSockex.Conn.new(llama_url, conn_opts)
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(regular_url, regular_opts) ==
+               WebSockex.Conn.new(regular_uri, regular_opts)
+
+      conn_opts = [extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}]]
+
+      ssl_url = "wss://" <> localhost <> "/ws"
+      ssl_uri = URI.parse(ssl_url)
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(ssl_uri, conn_opts) == %{ssl_conn | host: localhost}
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(ssl_url, conn_opts) == WebSockex.Conn.new(ssl_uri, conn_opts)
+
+      http_url = "http://" <> localhost <> "/ws"
+      http_uri = URI.parse(http_url)
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(http_uri, conn_opts) == %{tcp_conn | host: localhost}
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(http_url, conn_opts) == WebSockex.Conn.new(http_uri, conn_opts)
+
+      https_url = "https://" <> localhost <> "/ws"
+      https_uri = URI.parse(https_url)
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(https_uri, conn_opts) == %{ssl_conn | host: localhost}
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(https_url, conn_opts) == WebSockex.Conn.new(https_uri, conn_opts)
+
+      llama_url = "llama://" <> localhost <> "/ws"
+      llama_conn = URI.parse(llama_url)
+
+      assert WebSockex.Conn.new(llama_conn, conn_opts) ==
+               %WebSockex.Conn{
+                 host: localhost,
+                 port: nil,
+                 path: "/ws",
+                 query: nil,
+                 conn_mod: nil,
+                 transport: nil,
+                 extra_headers: [{"Pineapple", "Cake"}],
+                 socket: nil,
+                 socket_connect_timeout: 6000,
+                 socket_recv_timeout: 5000
+               }
+
+      assert {:error, %WebSockex.URLError{}} = WebSockex.Conn.new(llama_url, conn_opts)
+    end
   end
 
   test "parse_url" do
@@ -117,6 +127,12 @@ defmodule WebSockex.ConnTest do
     assert WebSockex.Conn.parse_url(pathless_url) == {:ok, %{URI.parse(pathless_url) | path: "/"}}
   end
 
+  test "parse_host" do
+    assert WebSockex.Conn.parse_host("strawberry.cake") == 'strawberry.cake'
+    assert WebSockex.Conn.parse_host("1.2.3.4") == {1, 2, 3, 4}
+    assert WebSockex.Conn.parse_host("a.b.c.d") == 'a.b.c.d'
+  end
+
   test "open_socket", context do
     %{host: host, port: port, path: path} = context.uri