diff --git a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java
index 7d7dd9d1..7a843380 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/schmizz/sshj/SocketClient.java
@@ -48,12 +48,50 @@ public abstract class SocketClient {
         this.defaultPort = defaultPort;
     }
 
-    public void connect(InetAddress host, int port) throws IOException {
-        socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
-        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(host, port), connectTimeout);
+    /**
+     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
+     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
+     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
+     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
+     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public void connect(String hostname, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
+        connect(hostname, defaultPort, proxy);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
+     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
+     * @param port The port to connect to.
+     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
+     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
+     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public void connect(String hostname, int port, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
+        this.hostname = hostname;
+        if (JavaVersion.isJava7OrEarlier() && proxy.type() == Proxy.Type.HTTP) {
+            // Java7 and earlier have no support for HTTP Connect proxies, return our custom socket.
+            socket = new Jdk7HttpProxySocket(proxy);
+        } else {
+            socket = new Socket(proxy);
+        }
+        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(hostname, port), connectTimeout);
         onConnect();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
+     * @param host The host address to connect to.
+     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
+     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
+     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public void connect(InetAddress host, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
+        connect(host, defaultPort, proxy);
+    }
 
     /**
      * Connect to a host via a proxy.
@@ -75,23 +113,33 @@ public abstract class SocketClient {
         onConnect();
     }
 
-    public void connect(String hostname, int port) throws IOException {
-        this.hostname = hostname;
-        connect(InetAddress.getByName(hostname), port);
+    public void connect(String hostname) throws IOException {
+        connect(hostname, defaultPort);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
-     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
-     * @param port The port to connect to.
-     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
-     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
-     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public void connect(String hostname, int port, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
+    public void connect(String hostname, int port) throws IOException {
         this.hostname = hostname;
-        connect(InetAddress.getByName(hostname), port, proxy);
+        socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
+        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(hostname, port), connectTimeout);
+        onConnect();
+    }
+
+    public void connect(String hostname, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort) throws IOException {
+        this.hostname = hostname;
+        socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
+        socket.bind(new InetSocketAddress(localAddr, localPort));
+        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(hostname, port), connectTimeout);
+        onConnect();
+    }
+
+    public void connect(InetAddress host) throws IOException {
+        connect(host, defaultPort);
+    }
+
+    public void connect(InetAddress host, int port) throws IOException {
+        socket = socketFactory.createSocket();
+        socket.connect(new InetSocketAddress(host, port), connectTimeout);
+        onConnect();
     }
 
     public void connect(InetAddress host, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort)
@@ -102,43 +150,6 @@ public abstract class SocketClient {
         onConnect();
     }
 
-    public void connect(String hostname, int port, InetAddress localAddr, int localPort) throws IOException {
-        this.hostname = hostname;
-        connect(InetAddress.getByName(hostname), port, localAddr, localPort);
-    }
-
-    public void connect(InetAddress host) throws IOException {
-        connect(host, defaultPort);
-    }
-
-    public void connect(String hostname) throws IOException {
-        connect(hostname, defaultPort);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
-     * @param host The host address to connect to.
-     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
-     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
-     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public void connect(InetAddress host, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
-        connect(host, defaultPort, proxy);
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Connect to a host via a proxy.
-     * @param hostname The host name to connect to.
-     * @param proxy The proxy to connect via.
-     * @deprecated This method will be removed after v0.12.0. If you want to connect via a proxy, you can do this by injecting a {@link javax.net.SocketFactory}
-     *             into the SocketClient. The SocketFactory should create sockets using the {@link java.net.Socket#Socket(java.net.Proxy)} constructor.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    public void connect(String hostname, Proxy proxy) throws IOException {
-        connect(hostname, defaultPort, proxy);
-    }
-
     public void disconnect() throws IOException {
         if (socket != null) {
             socket.close();