diff --git a/ChangeLog.md b/ChangeLog.md
--- a/ChangeLog.md
+++ b/ChangeLog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog for http-client
 
+## 0.7.3
+
+* Added `withSocket` to `Network.HTTP.Client.Connection`.
+
 ## 0.7.2.1
 
 * Fix bug in `useProxySecureWithoutConnect`.
diff --git a/Network/HTTP/Client/Connection.hs b/Network/HTTP/Client/Connection.hs
--- a/Network/HTTP/Client/Connection.hs
+++ b/Network/HTTP/Client/Connection.hs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     , openSocketConnectionSize
     , makeConnection
     , socketConnection
+    , withSocket
     ) where
 
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString, empty)
@@ -144,7 +145,17 @@
                          -> String -- ^ host
                          -> Int -- ^ port
                          -> IO Connection
-openSocketConnectionSize tweakSocket chunksize hostAddress' host' port' = do
+openSocketConnectionSize tweakSocket chunksize hostAddress' host' port' =
+    withSocket tweakSocket hostAddress' host' port' $ \ sock ->
+        socketConnection sock chunksize
+
+withSocket :: (Socket -> IO ())
+           -> Maybe HostAddress
+           -> String -- ^ host
+           -> Int -- ^ port
+           -> (Socket -> IO a)
+           -> IO a
+withSocket tweakSocket hostAddress' host' port' f = do
     let hints = NS.defaultHints { NS.addrSocketType = NS.Stream }
     addrs <- case hostAddress' of
         Nothing ->
@@ -160,16 +171,18 @@
                  , NS.addrCanonName = Nothing
                  }]
 
-    firstSuccessful addrs $ \addr ->
-        E.bracketOnError
-            (NS.socket (NS.addrFamily addr) (NS.addrSocketType addr)
-                       (NS.addrProtocol addr))
-            NS.close
-            (\sock -> do
-                NS.setSocketOption sock NS.NoDelay 1
-                tweakSocket sock
-                NS.connect sock (NS.addrAddress addr)
-                socketConnection sock chunksize)
+    E.bracketOnError (firstSuccessful addrs $ openSocket tweakSocket) NS.close f
+
+openSocket tweakSocket addr =
+    E.bracketOnError
+        (NS.socket (NS.addrFamily addr) (NS.addrSocketType addr)
+                   (NS.addrProtocol addr))
+        NS.close
+        (\sock -> do
+            NS.setSocketOption sock NS.NoDelay 1
+            tweakSocket sock
+            NS.connect sock (NS.addrAddress addr)
+            return sock)
 
 firstSuccessful :: [NS.AddrInfo] -> (NS.AddrInfo -> IO a) -> IO a
 firstSuccessful []     _  = error "getAddrInfo returned empty list"
diff --git a/http-client.cabal b/http-client.cabal
--- a/http-client.cabal
+++ b/http-client.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name:                http-client
-version:             0.7.2.1
+version:             0.7.3
 synopsis:            An HTTP client engine
 description:         Hackage documentation generation is not reliable. For up to date documentation, please see: <http://www.stackage.org/package/http-client>.
 homepage:            https://github.com/snoyberg/http-client