diff --git a/client/httpapi/api.go b/client/httpapi/api.go
index b7cfb2b520d..5584de85d99 100644
--- a/client/httpapi/api.go
+++ b/client/httpapi/api.go
@@ -107,7 +107,21 @@ func NewApiWithClient(a ma.Multiaddr, c *http.Client) (*HttpApi, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return NewURLApiWithClient(url, c)
+	proto := "http://"
+
+	// By default, DialArgs is going to provide details suitable for connecting
+	// a socket to, but not really suitable for making an informed choice of http
+	// protocol.  For multiaddresses specifying tls and/or https we want to make
+	// a https request instead of a http request.
+	protocols := a.Protocols()
+	for _, p := range protocols {
+		if p.Code == ma.P_HTTPS || p.Code == ma.P_TLS {
+			proto = "https://"
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	return NewURLApiWithClient(proto+url, c)
 }
 
 func NewURLApiWithClient(url string, c *http.Client) (*HttpApi, error) {
diff --git a/client/httpapi/api_test.go b/client/httpapi/api_test.go
index 2832d722d37..a6d684b0d07 100644
--- a/client/httpapi/api_test.go
+++ b/client/httpapi/api_test.go
@@ -246,3 +246,31 @@ func Test_NewURLApiWithClient_With_Headers(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+func Test_NewURLApiWithClient_HTTP_Variant(t *testing.T) {
+	testcases := []struct {
+		address  string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{address: "/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/80", expected: "http://127.0.0.1:80"},
+		{address: "/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/443/tls", expected: "https://127.0.0.1:443"},
+		{address: "/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/443/https", expected: "https://127.0.0.1:443"},
+		{address: "/ip4/127.0.0.1/tcp/443/tls/http", expected: "https://127.0.0.1:443"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testcases {
+		address, err := ma.NewMultiaddr(tc.address)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		api, err := NewApiWithClient(address, &http.Client{})
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		if api.url != tc.expected {
+			t.Errorf("Expected = %s; got %s", tc.expected, api.url)
+		}
+	}
+}