diff --git a/doc/api/https.markdown b/doc/api/https.markdown
index 5f0052c2c3..13691d5b3d 100644
--- a/doc/api/https.markdown
+++ b/doc/api/https.markdown
@@ -48,8 +48,12 @@ Or
 
 ## https.request(options, callback)
 
-Makes a request to a secure web server.  All options from [http.request()][]
-are valid.
+Makes a request to a secure web server.
+
+`options` can be an object or a string. If `options` is a string, it is
+automatically parsed with [url.parse()](url.html#url.parse).
+
+All options from [http.request()][] are valid.
 
 Example:
 
@@ -157,11 +161,14 @@ Example:
 
 Like `http.get()` but for HTTPS.
 
+`options` can be an object or a string. If `options` is a string, it is
+automatically parsed with [url.parse()](url.html#url.parse).
+
 Example:
 
     var https = require('https');
 
-    https.get({ host: 'encrypted.google.com', path: '/' }, function(res) {
+    https.get('https://encrypted.google.com/' }, function(res) {
       console.log("statusCode: ", res.statusCode);
       console.log("headers: ", res.headers);
 
diff --git a/lib/https.js b/lib/https.js
index 9778354007..a243b2bc2e 100644
--- a/lib/https.js
+++ b/lib/https.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 var tls = require('tls');
 var http = require('http');
+var url = require('url');
 var inherits = require('util').inherits;
 
 function Server(opts, requestListener) {
@@ -88,6 +89,10 @@ exports.globalAgent = globalAgent;
 exports.Agent = Agent;
 
 exports.request = function(options, cb) {
+  if (typeof options === 'string') {
+    options = url.parse(options);
+  }
+
   if (options.protocol && options.protocol !== 'https:') {
     throw new Error('Protocol:' + options.protocol + ' not supported.');
   }
diff --git a/test/simple/test-https-client-get-url.js b/test/simple/test-https-client-get-url.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c6ddb032d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/simple/test-https-client-get-url.js
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+// 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.
+
+if (!process.versions.openssl) {
+  console.error('Skipping because node compiled without OpenSSL.');
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+var common = require('../common');
+var assert = require('assert');
+var https = require('https');
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+var seen_req = false;
+
+var options = {
+  key: fs.readFileSync(common.fixturesDir + '/keys/agent1-key.pem'),
+  cert: fs.readFileSync(common.fixturesDir + '/keys/agent1-cert.pem')
+};
+
+var server = https.createServer(options, function(req, res) {
+  assert.equal('GET', req.method);
+  assert.equal('/foo?bar', req.url);
+  res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
+  res.write('hello\n');
+  res.end();
+  server.close();
+  seen_req = true;
+});
+
+server.listen(common.PORT, function() {
+  https.get('https://127.0.0.1:' + common.PORT + '/foo?bar');
+});
+
+process.on('exit', function() {
+  assert(seen_req);
+});