diff --git a/rester/http.py b/rester/http.py
index 26efbaa..6dfbb4f 100644
--- a/rester/http.py
+++ b/rester/http.py
@@ -157,18 +157,26 @@ def run(self):
                                 timeout=self._timeout)
 
         try:
-            # Body
+
+            # Body: encode and add Content-length header
             body_bytes = None
             if self.request.body:
                 body_bytes = self.request.body.encode(self._encoding)
                 if not self.request.get_header("Content-length"):
                     self.request.headers.append(("Content-length", len(body_bytes)))
+
+            # Insert a host header, if needed.
+            if not self.request.get_header("host"):
+               self.request.headers.append(("Host", self.request.host))
+
             # Method and Path
             conn.putrequest(self.request.method, self.request.full_path, True, True)
+
             # Headers
             for key, value in self.request.headers:
                 conn.putheader(key, value)
             conn.endheaders()
+
             # Body
             if body_bytes:
                 conn.send(body_bytes)
diff --git a/rester/message.py b/rester/message.py
index 4897833..90c7fb9 100644
--- a/rester/message.py
+++ b/rester/message.py
@@ -28,24 +28,13 @@ class Request(Message):
 
     def __init__(self):
         Message.__init__(self)
-        self._host = None
+        self.host = None
         self.protocol = "http"
         self.method = "GET"
         self.path = "/"
         self.port = None
         self.query = {}
 
-    @property
-    def host(self):
-        return self._host
-
-    @host.setter
-    def host(self, host):
-        self._host = host
-        # Add a host header, only if none exists.
-        if not self.get_header("host"):
-            self.headers.append(("Host", host))
-
     @property
     def full_path(self):
         """Path + query string for the request."""
@@ -62,7 +51,7 @@ def request_line(self):
     @property
     def uri(self):
         """Full URI, including protocol"""
-        uri = self.protocol + "://" + self._host
+        uri = self.protocol + "://" + self.host
         if self.port:
             uri += ":" + str(self.port)
         uri += self.full_path
diff --git a/rester/parse.py b/rester/parse.py
index 2f89c90..2011c6e 100644
--- a/rester/parse.py
+++ b/rester/parse.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ def get_request(self, text):
             for header in default_headers:
                 self.request.headers.append(header)
 
+        self.request.host = self.settings.get("host", None)
         self.request.port = self.settings.get("port", None)
         self.request.protocol = self.settings.get("protocol", None)