diff --git a/examples/wss/client_with_proxy.js b/examples/wss/client_with_proxy.js
index 49513907a..4a0d9f3c9 100644
--- a/examples/wss/client_with_proxy.js
+++ b/examples/wss/client_with_proxy.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
 var mqtt = require('mqtt')
+var url = require('url')
 var HttpsProxyAgent = require('https-proxy-agent')
 /*
 host: host of the endpoint you want to connect e.g. my.mqqt.host.com
@@ -12,8 +13,8 @@ proxy: your proxy e.g. proxy.foo.bar.com
 port: http proxy port e.g. 8080
 */
 var proxy = process.env.http_proxy || 'http://<proxy>:<port>'
-var parsed = new URL(endpoint)
-var proxyOpts = new URL(proxy)
+var parsed = url.parse(endpoint)
+var proxyOpts = url.parse(proxy)
 // true for wss
 proxyOpts.secureEndpoint = parsed.protocol ? parsed.protocol === 'wss:' : true
 var agent = new HttpsProxyAgent(proxyOpts)
diff --git a/lib/connect/index.js b/lib/connect/index.js
index 30a2ece28..97e7b4c15 100644
--- a/lib/connect/index.js
+++ b/lib/connect/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 var MqttClient = require('../client')
 var Store = require('../store')
+var url = require('url')
+var xtend = require('xtend')
 var debug = require('debug')('mqttjs')
 
 var protocols = {}
@@ -58,39 +60,24 @@ function connect (brokerUrl, opts) {
   opts = opts || {}
 
   if (brokerUrl) {
+    var parsed = url.parse(brokerUrl, true)
+    if (parsed.port != null) {
+      parsed.port = Number(parsed.port)
+    }
+
+    opts = xtend(parsed, opts)
+
     if (opts.protocol === null) {
       throw new Error('Missing protocol')
     }
-    var parsed = new URL(brokerUrl)
-
-    // the URL object is a bit special, so copy individual
-    // items to the opts object
-    opts.hash = parsed.hash
-    opts.host = parsed.host
-    opts.hostname = parsed.hostname
-    opts.href = parsed.href
-    opts.origin = parsed.origin
-    opts.pathname = parsed.pathname
-    opts.port = Number(parsed.port) || null
-    opts.protocol = parsed.protocol
-    opts.username = opts.username || parsed.username || null
-    opts.password = opts.password || parsed.password || null
-    opts.search = parsed.search
-    opts.searchParams = parsed.searchParams
-    opts.path = parsed.pathname + parsed.search
+
     opts.protocol = opts.protocol.replace(/:$/, '')
   }
 
   // merge in the auth options if supplied
-  // legacy support for url.parse objects (now deprecated in node.js)
   parseAuthOptions(opts)
 
   // support clientId passed in the query string of the url
-  if (opts.searchParams && typeof opts.searchParams.get('clientId') === 'string') {
-    opts.clientId = opts.searchParams.get('clientId')
-  }
-
-  // legacy support for url.parse objects (now deprecated in node.js)
   if (opts.query && typeof opts.query.clientId === 'string') {
     opts.clientId = opts.query.clientId
   }
diff --git a/test/browser/test.js b/test/browser/test.js
index fd25abafb..8e9cd42e3 100644
--- a/test/browser/test.js
+++ b/test/browser/test.js
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 
 var mqtt = require('../../lib/connect')
 var xtend = require('xtend')
-var parsed = new URL(document.URL)
+var _URL = require('url')
+var parsed = _URL.parse(document.URL)
 var isHttps = parsed.protocol === 'https:'
 var port = parsed.port || (isHttps ? 443 : 80)
 var host = parsed.hostname
diff --git a/test/mqtt.js b/test/mqtt.js
index a96e18fee..f55d04a33 100644
--- a/test/mqtt.js
+++ b/test/mqtt.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe('mqtt', function () {
       (function () {
         var c = mqtt.connect('foo.bar.com')
         c.end()
-      }).should.throw('Invalid URL: foo.bar.com')
+      }).should.throw('Missing protocol')
     })
 
     it('should throw an error when called with no protocol specified - with options', function () {