diff --git a/src/Elasticsearch/ClientBuilder.php b/src/Elasticsearch/ClientBuilder.php
index 5a161b7f9..1cf1d80ff 100644
--- a/src/Elasticsearch/ClientBuilder.php
+++ b/src/Elasticsearch/ClientBuilder.php
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ private function normalizeExtendedHost(array $host)
             $host['scheme'] = 'http';
         }
         if (isset($host['port']) === false) {
-            $host['port'] = '9200';
+            $host['port'] = 9200;
         }
         return $host;
     }
diff --git a/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/Connection.php b/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/Connection.php
index 63a2cfe84..c5cd2903f 100644
--- a/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/Connection.php
+++ b/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/Connection.php
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ class Connection implements ConnectionInterface
      * @var string|null
      */
     protected $path;
+    
+    /**
+    * @var int
+    */
+    protected $port;
 
     /**
      * @var LoggerInterface
@@ -121,18 +126,23 @@ public function __construct(
             $connectionParams['client']['curl'][CURLOPT_USERPWD] = $hostDetails['user'].':'.$hostDetails['pass'];
         }
 
+        $connectionParams['client']['curl'][CURLOPT_PORT] = $hostDetails['port'];
+
         if (isset($connectionParams['client']['headers']) === true) {
             $this->headers = $connectionParams['client']['headers'];
             unset($connectionParams['client']['headers']);
         }
 
-        $host = $hostDetails['host'].':'.$hostDetails['port'];
+        $host = $hostDetails['host'];
         $path = null;
         if (isset($hostDetails['path']) === true) {
             $path = $hostDetails['path'];
         }
+        $port = $hostDetails['port'];
+        
         $this->host             = $host;
         $this->path             = $path;
+        $this->port             = $port;
         $this->log              = $log;
         $this->trace            = $trace;
         $this->connectionParams = $connectionParams;
@@ -528,6 +538,14 @@ public function getPath()
     {
         return $this->path;
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function getPort()
+    {
+        return $this->port;
+    }
 
     /**
      * @param array $request
diff --git a/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/ConnectionInterface.php b/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/ConnectionInterface.php
index de819a5f0..a5082cdca 100644
--- a/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/ConnectionInterface.php
+++ b/src/Elasticsearch/Connections/ConnectionInterface.php
@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ public function getTransportSchema();
      */
     public function getHost();
 
+    /**
+     * Get the port for this connection
+     *
+     * @return int
+     */
+    public function getPort();
+
     /**
      * Get the username:password string for this connection, null if not set
      *
diff --git a/tests/Elasticsearch/Tests/ClientTest.php b/tests/Elasticsearch/Tests/ClientTest.php
index 245e2608d..4260b62fe 100644
--- a/tests/Elasticsearch/Tests/ClientTest.php
+++ b/tests/Elasticsearch/Tests/ClientTest.php
@@ -276,7 +276,8 @@ public function testInlineHosts()
             'localhost:9200'
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("localhost:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("localhost", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -284,21 +285,24 @@ public function testInlineHosts()
             'http://localhost:9200'
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("localhost:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("localhost", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
         $client = Elasticsearch\ClientBuilder::create()->setHosts([
             'http://foo.com:9200'
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
         $client = Elasticsearch\ClientBuilder::create()->setHosts([
             'https://foo.com:9200'
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("https", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -306,7 +310,8 @@ public function testInlineHosts()
             'https://user:pass@foo.com:9200'
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("https", $host->getTransportSchema());
         $this->assertSame("user:pass", $host->getUserPass());
     }
@@ -321,7 +326,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("localhost:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("localhost", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -333,7 +339,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -345,7 +352,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("https", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -356,7 +364,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -366,7 +375,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -378,7 +388,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9500", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9500, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("https", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -401,7 +412,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("the_foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("the_foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
 
 
@@ -414,7 +426,8 @@ public function testExtendedHosts()
             ]
         ])->build();
         $host = $client->transport->getConnection();
-        $this->assertSame("foo.com:9200", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame("foo.com", $host->getHost());
+        $this->assertSame(9200, $host->getPort());
         $this->assertSame("http", $host->getTransportSchema());
         $this->assertSame("user:abc#$@?%!abc", $host->getUserPass());
     }