diff --git a/proxy.go b/proxy.go
index d1474189..d272785a 100644
--- a/proxy.go
+++ b/proxy.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/google/martian/v3/nosigpipe"
 	"github.com/google/martian/v3/proxyutil"
 	"github.com/google/martian/v3/trafficshape"
+	"golang.org/x/net/proxy"
 )
 
 var errClose = errors.New("closing connection")
@@ -606,30 +607,31 @@ func (p *Proxy) roundTrip(ctx *Context, req *http.Request) (*http.Response, erro
 }
 
 func (p *Proxy) connect(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, net.Conn, error) {
+	var (
+		conn net.Conn
+		err  error
+	)
+
 	if p.proxyURL != nil {
 		log.Debugf("martian: CONNECT with downstream proxy: %s", p.proxyURL.Host)
 
-		conn, err := p.dial("tcp", p.proxyURL.Host)
+		dialer, err := proxy.FromURL(
+			p.proxyURL, &net.Dialer{
+				Timeout:   30 * time.Second,
+				KeepAlive: 30 * time.Second,
+			},
+		)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, err
 		}
-		pbw := bufio.NewWriter(conn)
-		pbr := bufio.NewReader(conn)
-
-		req.Write(pbw)
-		pbw.Flush()
 
-		res, err := http.ReadResponse(pbr, req)
-		if err != nil {
-			return nil, nil, err
-		}
+		conn, err = dialer.Dial("tcp", req.URL.Host)
+	} else {
+		log.Debugf("martian: CONNECT to host directly: %s", req.URL.Host)
 
-		return res, conn, nil
+		conn, err = p.dial("tcp", req.URL.Host)
 	}
 
-	log.Debugf("martian: CONNECT to host directly: %s", req.URL.Host)
-
-	conn, err := p.dial("tcp", req.URL.Host)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}