diff --git a/lib/client-handshake.c b/lib/client-handshake.c
index 9d4b573d..4ccf73b4 100644
--- a/lib/client-handshake.c
+++ b/lib/client-handshake.c
@@ -562,6 +562,7 @@ lws_client_connect_via_info(struct lws_client_connect_info *i)
 {
 	struct lws *wsi;
 	int v = SPEC_LATEST_SUPPORTED;
+	const struct lws_protocols *p;
 
 	if (i->context->requested_kill)
 		return NULL;
@@ -590,7 +591,6 @@ lws_client_connect_via_info(struct lws_client_connect_info *i)
 	wsi->ietf_spec_revision = v;
 	wsi->user_space = NULL;
 	wsi->state = LWSS_CLIENT_UNCONNECTED;
-	wsi->protocol = NULL;
 	wsi->pending_timeout = NO_PENDING_TIMEOUT;
 	wsi->position_in_fds_table = -1;
 	wsi->u.hdr.c_port = i->port;
@@ -599,6 +599,15 @@ lws_client_connect_via_info(struct lws_client_connect_info *i)
 		wsi->vhost = i->context->vhost_list;
 
 	wsi->protocol = &wsi->vhost->protocols[0];
+
+	/* for http[s] connection, allow protocol selection by name */
+
+	if (i->method && i->vhost && i->protocol) {
+		p = lws_vhost_name_to_protocol(i->vhost, i->protocol);
+		if (p)
+			wsi->protocol = p;
+	}
+
 	if (wsi && !wsi->user_space && i->userdata) {
 		wsi->user_space_externally_allocated = 1;
 		wsi->user_space = i->userdata;
diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.c b/lib/libwebsockets.c
index bf78584a..63374d05 100755
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.c
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.c
@@ -857,6 +857,18 @@ lws_protocol_get(struct lws *wsi)
 	return wsi->protocol;
 }
 
+LWS_VISIBLE LWS_EXTERN const struct lws_protocols *
+lws_vhost_name_to_protocol(struct lws_vhost *vh, const char *name)
+{
+	int n;
+
+	for (n = 0; n < vh->count_protocols; n++)
+		if (!strcmp(name, vh->protocols[n].name))
+			return &vh->protocols[n];
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 LWS_VISIBLE int
 lws_callback_all_protocol(struct lws_context *context,
 			  const struct lws_protocols *protocol, int reason)
diff --git a/lib/server.c b/lib/server.c
index 73367406..1da15295 100644
--- a/lib/server.c
+++ b/lib/server.c
@@ -251,18 +251,6 @@ lws_select_vhost(struct lws_context *context, int port, const char *servername)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-LWS_VISIBLE LWS_EXTERN const struct lws_protocols *
-lws_vhost_name_to_protocol(struct lws_vhost *vh, const char *name)
-{
-	int n;
-
-	for (n = 0; n < vh->count_protocols; n++)
-		if (!strcmp(name, vh->protocols[n].name))
-			return &vh->protocols[n];
-
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 LWS_VISIBLE LWS_EXTERN const char *
 lws_get_mimetype(const char *file, const struct lws_http_mount *m)
 {