diff --git a/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpClient.java b/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpClient.java
index 95fd9f9ce4c..2280d3c299e 100644
--- a/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpClient.java
+++ b/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpClient.java
@@ -444,8 +444,7 @@ public class HttpClient extends ContainerLifeCycle
 
     protected HttpDestination provideDestination(String scheme, String host, int port)
     {
-        if (port <= 0)
-            port = "https".equalsIgnoreCase(scheme) ? 443 : 80;
+        port = normalizePort(scheme, port);
 
         String address = address(scheme, host, port);
         HttpDestination destination = destinations.get(address);
@@ -871,6 +870,12 @@ public class HttpClient extends ContainerLifeCycle
         return encodingField;
     }
 
+    protected int normalizePort(String scheme, int port)
+    {
+        return port > 0 ? port :
+                "https".equalsIgnoreCase(scheme) ? 443 : 80;
+    }
+
     protected HttpConnection newHttpConnection(HttpClient httpClient, EndPoint endPoint, HttpDestination destination)
     {
         return new HttpConnection(httpClient, endPoint, destination);
diff --git a/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpDestination.java b/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpDestination.java
index c30ecb58a36..4463d519bdf 100644
--- a/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpDestination.java
+++ b/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpDestination.java
@@ -88,11 +88,7 @@ public class HttpDestination implements Destination, AutoCloseable, Dumpable
         proxyAddress = proxyConfig != null && proxyConfig.matches(host, port) ?
                 new InetSocketAddress(proxyConfig.getHost(), proxyConfig.getPort()) : null;
 
-        String hostValue = host;
-        if ("https".equalsIgnoreCase(scheme) && port != 443 ||
-                "http".equalsIgnoreCase(scheme) && port != 80)
-            hostValue += ":" + port;
-        hostField = new HttpField(HttpHeader.HOST, hostValue);
+        hostField = new HttpField(HttpHeader.HOST, host + ":" + port);
     }
 
     protected BlockingQueue<Connection> getIdleConnections()
diff --git a/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpRequest.java b/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpRequest.java
index 7307895442c..c0c320eb255 100644
--- a/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpRequest.java
+++ b/jetty-client/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/HttpRequest.java
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ public class HttpRequest implements Request
     {
         this.client = client;
         this.conversation = conversation;
-        scheme(uri.getScheme());
+        scheme = uri.getScheme();
         host = uri.getHost();
-        port = uri.getPort();
-        path(uri.getPath());
+        port = client.normalizePort(scheme, uri.getPort());
+        path = uri.getPath();
         String query = uri.getRawQuery();
         if (query != null)
         {
@@ -482,7 +482,11 @@ public class HttpRequest implements Request
 
     private URI buildURI()
     {
-        return URI.create(getScheme() + "://" + getHost() + ":" + getPort() + getPath());
+        String path = getPath();
+        URI result = URI.create(path);
+        if (!result.isAbsolute())
+            result = URI.create(getScheme() + "://" + getHost() + ":" + getPort() + path);
+        return result;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/jetty-client/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/ExternalSiteTest.java b/jetty-client/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/ExternalSiteTest.java
index 67c538d683e..c5982b4a344 100644
--- a/jetty-client/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/ExternalSiteTest.java
+++ b/jetty-client/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/client/ExternalSiteTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package org.eclipse.jetty.client;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.net.Socket;
+import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
@@ -69,17 +70,32 @@ public class ExternalSiteTest
             Assume.assumeNoException(x);
         }
 
-        final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        final CountDownLatch latch1 = new CountDownLatch(1);
         client.newRequest(host, port).send(new Response.CompleteListener()
         {
             @Override
             public void onComplete(Result result)
             {
                 if (!result.isFailed() && result.getResponse().getStatus() == 200)
-                    latch.countDown();
+                    latch1.countDown();
             }
         });
+        Assert.assertTrue(latch1.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
 
-        Assert.assertTrue(latch.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+        // Try again the same URI, but without specifying the port
+        final CountDownLatch latch2 = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        client.newRequest("http://" + host).send(new Response.CompleteListener()
+        {
+            @Override
+            public void onComplete(Result result)
+            {
+                Assert.assertTrue(result.isSucceeded());
+                Assert.assertEquals(200, result.getResponse().getStatus());
+                URI uri = result.getRequest().getURI();
+                Assert.assertTrue(uri.getPort() > 0);
+                latch2.countDown();
+            }
+        });
+        Assert.assertTrue(latch2.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
     }
 }