diff --git a/connection.go b/connection.go
index 98dd850..141c565 100644
--- a/connection.go
+++ b/connection.go
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ package nostr
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	"crypto/tls"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/textproto"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ type writeRequest struct {
 	answer chan error
 }
 
-func (r *Relay) newConnection(ctx context.Context, tlsConfig *tls.Config) error {
+func (r *Relay) newConnection(ctx context.Context, httpClient *http.Client) error {
 	debugLogf("{%s} connecting!\n", r.URL)
 
 	dialCtx := ctx
@@ -29,7 +30,18 @@ func (r *Relay) newConnection(ctx context.Context, tlsConfig *tls.Config) error
 		dialCtx, _ = context.WithTimeoutCause(ctx, 7*time.Second, errors.New("connection took too long"))
 	}
 
-	c, _, err := ws.Dial(dialCtx, r.URL, getConnectionOptions(r.requestHeader, tlsConfig))
+	dialOpts := &ws.DialOptions{
+		HTTPHeader: http.Header{
+			textproto.CanonicalMIMEHeaderKey("User-Agent"): {"fiatjaf.com/nostr"},
+		},
+		CompressionMode: ws.CompressionContextTakeover,
+		HTTPClient:      httpClient,
+	}
+	for k, v := range r.requestHeader {
+		dialOpts.HTTPHeader[k] = v
+	}
+
+	c, _, err := ws.Dial(dialCtx, r.URL, dialOpts)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/connection_options.go b/connection_options.go
deleted file mode 100644
index c14b933..0000000
--- a/connection_options.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-//go:build !js
-
-package nostr
-
-import (
-	"crypto/tls"
-	"net/http"
-	"net/textproto"
-
-	ws "github.com/coder/websocket"
-)
-
-var defaultConnectionOptions = &ws.DialOptions{
-	CompressionMode: ws.CompressionContextTakeover,
-	HTTPHeader: http.Header{
-		textproto.CanonicalMIMEHeaderKey("User-Agent"): {"fiatjaf.com/nostr"},
-	},
-}
-
-func getConnectionOptions(requestHeader http.Header, tlsConfig *tls.Config) *ws.DialOptions {
-	if requestHeader == nil && tlsConfig == nil {
-		return defaultConnectionOptions
-	}
-
-	return &ws.DialOptions{
-		HTTPHeader:      requestHeader,
-		CompressionMode: ws.CompressionContextTakeover,
-		HTTPClient: &http.Client{
-			Transport: &http.Transport{
-				TLSClientConfig: tlsConfig,
-			},
-		},
-	}
-}
diff --git a/connection_options_js.go b/connection_options_js.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 3e80025..0000000
--- a/connection_options_js.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-package nostr
-
-import (
-	"crypto/tls"
-	"net/http"
-
-	ws "github.com/coder/websocket"
-)
-
-var emptyOptions = ws.DialOptions{}
-
-func getConnectionOptions(_ http.Header, _ *tls.Config) *ws.DialOptions {
-	// on javascript we ignore everything because there is nothing else we can do
-	return &emptyOptions
-}
diff --git a/relay.go b/relay.go
index d81c279..c7e9383 100644
--- a/relay.go
+++ b/relay.go
@@ -114,11 +114,20 @@ func (r *Relay) IsConnected() bool { return !r.closed.Load() }
 // The given context here is only used during the connection phase. The long-living
 // relay connection will be based on the context given to NewRelay().
 func (r *Relay) Connect(ctx context.Context) error {
-	return r.ConnectWithTLS(ctx, nil)
+	return r.ConnectWithClient(ctx, nil)
 }
 
 // ConnectWithTLS is like Connect(), but takes a special tls.Config if you need that.
 func (r *Relay) ConnectWithTLS(ctx context.Context, tlsConfig *tls.Config) error {
+	return r.ConnectWithClient(ctx, &http.Client{
+		Transport: &http.Transport{
+			TLSClientConfig: tlsConfig,
+		},
+	})
+}
+
+// ConnectWithClient is like Connect(), but takes a special *http.Client if you need that.
+func (r *Relay) ConnectWithClient(ctx context.Context, client *http.Client) error {
 	if r.connectionContext == nil || r.Subscriptions == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("relay must be initialized with a call to NewRelay()")
 	}
@@ -127,7 +136,7 @@ func (r *Relay) ConnectWithTLS(ctx context.Context, tlsConfig *tls.Config) error
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid relay URL '%s'", r.URL)
 	}
 
-	if err := r.newConnection(ctx, tlsConfig); err != nil {
+	if err := r.newConnection(ctx, client); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error opening websocket to '%s': %w", r.URL, err)
 	}