diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d1b663dcc2..3cdd635e2f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -15,3 +15,7 @@ objs_static/
 examples/chat_server/chat_server
 examples/echo_server/echo_server
 examples/echo_server/echo_server
+
+examples/echo_server/echo_server
+
+examples/chat_client/chat_client
diff --git a/examples/chat_client/chat_client b/examples/chat_client/chat_client
index 3763f4a732..6fd7b4357e 100755
Binary files a/examples/chat_client/chat_client and b/examples/chat_client/chat_client differ
diff --git a/examples/chat_server/Makefile b/examples/chat_server/Makefile
index 06150c10ab..a91db10f3e 100644
--- a/examples/chat_server/Makefile
+++ b/examples/chat_server/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ CXX		?= c++
 SHARED  ?= "1"
 
 ifeq ($(SHARED), 1)
-	LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS) -lboost_system -boost_date_time -lwebsocketpp
+	LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS) -lboost_system -lboost_date_time -lwebsocketpp
 else
 	LDFLAGS := $(LDFLAGS) -lboost_system -lboost_date_time ../../libwebsocketpp.a
 endif
diff --git a/examples/echo_server/echo_server b/examples/echo_server/echo_server
index ac8dfcf6ca..cacfd5b2b1 100755
Binary files a/examples/echo_server/echo_server and b/examples/echo_server/echo_server differ
diff --git a/src/websocket_client_session.cpp b/src/websocket_client_session.cpp
index 22eed0ef7f..dde98e5f26 100644
--- a/src/websocket_client_session.cpp
+++ b/src/websocket_client_session.cpp
@@ -56,10 +56,71 @@ void client_session::set_url(const std::string& url) {
 	// TODO: impliment
 	// TODO: input validation
 	
-	m_host = "thor-websocket.zaphoyd.net";
-	m_port = 9003;
-	m_resource = "/chat";
-
+	std::string::size_type start = 0;
+	std::string::size_type end;
+	
+	if (url.substr(0,5) == "ws://") {
+		m_secure = false;
+		start = 5;
+	} else if (url.substr(0,6) == "wss://") {
+		m_secure = true;
+		start = 6;
+		throw client_error("wss / secure connections are not supported by WebSocket++ at this time");
+	} else {
+		throw client_error("Invalid websocket URL");
+	}
+	
+	end = url.find(":",start);
+	
+	if (end == std::string::npos) {
+		// no port
+		if (m_secure) {
+			m_port = 443;
+		} else {
+			m_port = 80;
+		}
+		
+		end = url.find("/",start);
+		
+		if (end == std::string::npos) {
+			m_host = url.substr(start);
+			m_resource = "/";
+		} else {
+			m_host = url.substr(start,end-start);
+			m_resource = url.substr(end);
+		}
+	} else {
+		m_host = url.substr(start,end-start);
+		
+		start += end-start + 1;
+		
+		end = url.find("/",start);
+		
+		std::string port_str;
+		if (end == std::string::npos) {
+			port_str = url.substr(start);
+			m_resource = "/";
+		} else {
+			port_str = url.substr(start,end-start);
+			m_resource = url.substr(end);
+		}
+		
+		unsigned int port = std::atoi(port_str.c_str());
+		
+		if (port > 65535) {
+			throw client_error("Invalid websocket URL");
+		}
+		
+		// TODO: fix cast
+		m_port = (uint16_t) port;
+	}
+	
+	std::stringstream l;
+	
+	l << "parsed websocket url: secure: " << m_secure << " host: " << m_host
+	  << " port (final): " << m_port << " resource " << m_resource;
+	
+	log(l.str(),LOG_DEBUG);
 }
 
 bool client_session::get_secure() const {