diff --git a/src/pool.rs b/src/pool.rs
index 14b0da7..b8a7e7e 100644
--- a/src/pool.rs
+++ b/src/pool.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ use crate::Proxy;
 
 use url::Url;
 
-pub const DEFAULT_HOST: &str = "localhost";
 const DEFAULT_MAX_IDLE_CONNECTIONS: usize = 100;
 const DEFAULT_MAX_IDLE_CONNECTIONS_PER_HOST: usize = 1;
 
diff --git a/src/request.rs b/src/request.rs
index 31478cc..85bce0c 100644
--- a/src/request.rs
+++ b/src/request.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ use crate::body::BodySize;
 use crate::body::{Payload, SizedReader};
 use crate::error::Error;
 use crate::header::{self, Header};
-use crate::pool;
 use crate::unit::{self, Unit};
 use crate::Response;
 
@@ -500,8 +499,13 @@ impl Request {
     /// assert_eq!(req2.get_host().unwrap(), "localhost");
     /// ```
     pub fn get_host(&self) -> Result<String, Error> {
-        self.to_url()
-            .map(|u| u.host_str().unwrap_or(pool::DEFAULT_HOST).to_string())
+        match self.to_url() {
+            Ok(u) => match u.host_str() {
+                Some(host) => Ok(host.to_string()),
+                None => Err(Error::BadUrl("No hostname in URL".into())),
+            },
+            Err(e) => Err(e),
+        }
     }
 
     /// Returns the scheme for this request.
@@ -637,3 +641,13 @@ impl fmt::Debug for TLSConnector {
         f.debug_struct("TLSConnector").finish()
     }
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn no_hostname() {
+    let req = Request::new(
+        &Agent::default(),
+        "GET".to_string(),
+        "unix:/run/foo.socket".to_string(),
+    );
+    assert!(req.get_host().is_err());
+}
diff --git a/src/stream.rs b/src/stream.rs
index c51520f..a38899c 100644
--- a/src/stream.rs
+++ b/src/stream.rs
@@ -301,9 +301,8 @@ impl Write for Stream {
     }
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn connect_http(unit: &Unit) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
+pub(crate) fn connect_http(unit: &Unit, hostname: &str) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
     //
-    let hostname = unit.url.host_str().unwrap();
     let port = unit.url.port().unwrap_or(80);
 
     connect_host(unit, hostname, port)
@@ -325,7 +324,7 @@ fn configure_certs(config: &mut rustls::ClientConfig) {
 }
 
 #[cfg(all(feature = "tls", not(feature = "native-tls")))]
-pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
+pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit, hostname: &str) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
     use lazy_static::lazy_static;
     use std::sync::Arc;
 
@@ -337,7 +336,6 @@ pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
         };
     }
 
-    let hostname = unit.url.host_str().unwrap();
     let port = unit.url.port().unwrap_or(443);
 
     let sni = webpki::DNSNameRef::try_from_ascii_str(hostname)
@@ -358,10 +356,9 @@ pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
 }
 
 #[cfg(all(feature = "native-tls", not(feature = "tls")))]
-pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
+pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit, hostname: &str) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
     use std::sync::Arc;
 
-    let hostname = unit.url.host_str().unwrap();
     let port = unit.url.port().unwrap_or(443);
     let sock = connect_host(unit, hostname, port)?;
 
@@ -657,6 +654,6 @@ pub(crate) fn connect_test(unit: &Unit) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
 }
 
 #[cfg(not(any(feature = "tls", feature = "native-tls")))]
-pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
+pub(crate) fn connect_https(unit: &Unit, _hostname: &str) -> Result<Stream, Error> {
     Err(Error::UnknownScheme(unit.url.scheme().to_string()))
 }
diff --git a/src/unit.rs b/src/unit.rs
index 6ca617b..58df934 100644
--- a/src/unit.rs
+++ b/src/unit.rs
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ use crate::resolve::ArcResolver;
 use crate::stream::{self, connect_test, Stream};
 use crate::{Error, Header, Request, Response};
 
-#[cfg(feature = "cookie")]
-use crate::pool::DEFAULT_HOST;
-
 /// It's a "unit of work". Maybe a bad name for it?
 ///
 /// *Internal API*
@@ -51,7 +48,9 @@ impl Unit {
 
         let query_string = combine_query(&url, &req.query, mix_queries);
 
-        let cookie_header: Option<Header> = extract_cookies(&req.agent, &url);
+        let cookie_header: Option<Header> = url
+            .host_str()
+            .and_then(|host_str| extract_cookies(&req.agent, &url.scheme(), host_str, &url.path()));
 
         let extra_headers = {
             let mut extra = vec![];
@@ -145,8 +144,9 @@ pub(crate) fn connect(
 ) -> Result<Response, Error> {
     //
 
+    let host = req.get_host()?;
     // open socket
-    let (mut stream, is_recycled) = connect_socket(&unit, use_pooled)?;
+    let (mut stream, is_recycled) = connect_socket(&unit, &host, use_pooled)?;
 
     let send_result = send_prelude(&unit, &mut stream, redir);
 
@@ -238,16 +238,25 @@ pub(crate) fn connect(
 }
 
 #[cfg(feature = "cookie")]
-fn extract_cookies(state: &std::sync::Mutex<AgentState>, url: &Url) -> Option<Header> {
+fn extract_cookies(
+    state: &std::sync::Mutex<AgentState>,
+    scheme: &str,
+    host: &str,
+    path: &str,
+) -> Option<Header> {
     let state = state.lock().unwrap();
-    let is_secure = url.scheme().eq_ignore_ascii_case("https");
-    let hostname = url.host_str().unwrap_or(DEFAULT_HOST).to_string();
+    let is_secure = scheme.eq_ignore_ascii_case("https");
 
-    match_cookies(&state.jar, &hostname, url.path(), is_secure)
+    match_cookies(&state.jar, host, path, is_secure)
 }
 
 #[cfg(not(feature = "cookie"))]
-fn extract_cookies(_state: &std::sync::Mutex<AgentState>, _url: &Url) -> Option<Header> {
+fn extract_cookies(
+    _state: &std::sync::Mutex<AgentState>,
+    _scheme: &str,
+    _host: &str,
+    _path: &str,
+) -> Option<Header> {
     None
 }
 
@@ -298,7 +307,7 @@ pub(crate) fn combine_query(url: &Url, query: &QString, mix_queries: bool) -> St
 }
 
 /// Connect the socket, either by using the pool or grab a new one.
-fn connect_socket(unit: &Unit, use_pooled: bool) -> Result<(Stream, bool), Error> {
+fn connect_socket(unit: &Unit, hostname: &str, use_pooled: bool) -> Result<(Stream, bool), Error> {
     match unit.url.scheme() {
         "http" | "https" | "test" => (),
         _ => return Err(Error::UnknownScheme(unit.url.scheme().to_string())),
@@ -316,8 +325,8 @@ fn connect_socket(unit: &Unit, use_pooled: bool) -> Result<(Stream, bool), Error
         }
     }
     let stream = match unit.url.scheme() {
-        "http" => stream::connect_http(&unit),
-        "https" => stream::connect_https(&unit),
+        "http" => stream::connect_http(&unit, hostname),
+        "https" => stream::connect_https(&unit, hostname),
         "test" => connect_test(&unit),
         _ => Err(Error::UnknownScheme(unit.url.scheme().to_string())),
     };
@@ -408,7 +417,7 @@ fn save_cookies(unit: &Unit, resp: &Response) {
         let to_parse = if raw_cookie.to_lowercase().contains("domain=") {
             (*raw_cookie).to_string()
         } else {
-            let host = &unit.url.host_str().unwrap_or(DEFAULT_HOST).to_string();
+            let host = &unit.url.host_str().unwrap().to_string();
             format!("{}; Domain={}", raw_cookie, host)
         };
         match Cookie::parse_encoded(&to_parse[..]) {