diff --git a/lib/http.js b/lib/http.js
index ac6b1c6bf7..f6a9b7d4f6 100644
--- a/lib/http.js
+++ b/lib/http.js
@@ -1774,6 +1774,11 @@ ClientRequest.prototype.clearTimeout = function(cb) {
 exports.request = function(options, cb) {
   if (typeof options === 'string') {
     options = url.parse(options);
+  } else if (options && options.path) {
+    options = util._extend({}, options);
+    options.path = encodeURI(options.path);
+    // encodeURI() doesn't escape quotes while url.parse() does. Fix up.
+    options.path = options.path.replace(/'/g, '%27');
   }
 
   if (options.protocol && options.protocol !== 'http:') {
diff --git a/test/simple/test-http-client-escape-path.js b/test/simple/test-http-client-escape-path.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d4203c5f69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-http-client-escape-path.js
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// Copyright Joyent, Inc. and other Node contributors.
+//
+// Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+// copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
+// "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including
+// without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish,
+// distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit
+// persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the
+// following conditions:
+//
+// The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included
+// in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+//
+// THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS
+// OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF
+// MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN
+// NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM,
+// DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR
+// OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE
+// USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+var common = require('../common');
+var assert = require('assert');
+var http = require('http');
+
+first();
+
+function first() {
+  test('/~username/', '/~username/', second);
+}
+function second() {
+  test('/\'foo bar\'', '/%27foo%20bar%27', third);
+}
+function third() {
+  var expected = '/%3C%3E%22%60%20%0D%0A%09%7B%7D%7C%5C%5E~%60%27';
+  test('/<>"` \r\n\t{}|\\^~`\'', expected);
+}
+
+function test(path, expected, next) {
+  var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
+    assert.equal(req.url, expected);
+    res.end('OK');
+    server.close(function() {
+      if (next) next();
+    });
+  });
+  server.on('clientError', function(err) {
+    throw err;
+  });
+  var options = {
+    host: '127.0.0.1',
+    port: common.PORT,
+    path: path
+  };
+  server.listen(options.port, options.host, function() {
+    http.get(options);
+  });
+}