diff --git a/src/main/java/org/scribe/model/Request.java b/src/main/java/org/scribe/model/Request.java
index ddaee41..3392e4d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/scribe/model/Request.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/scribe/model/Request.java
@@ -36,13 +36,6 @@ class Request
     this.url = url;
     this.bodyParams = new HashMap<String, String>();
     this.headers = new HashMap<String, String>();
-    try
-    {
-      connection = (HttpURLConnection) new URL(url).openConnection();
-    } catch (IOException ioe)
-    {
-      throw new OAuthException("Could not open connection to: " + url, ioe);
-    }
   }
 
   /**
@@ -56,6 +49,7 @@ class Request
   {
     try
     {
+      createConnection();
       return doSend();
     } catch (IOException ioe)
     {
@@ -63,6 +57,14 @@ class Request
     }
   }
 
+  private void createConnection() throws IOException
+  {
+    if (connection == null)
+    {
+      connection = (HttpURLConnection) new URL(url).openConnection();
+    }
+  }
+
   Response doSend() throws IOException
   {
     connection.setRequestMethod(this.verb.name());