diff --git a/src/signalrclient/default_http_client.cpp b/src/signalrclient/default_http_client.cpp
index 49591ff..8df1fd6 100644
--- a/src/signalrclient/default_http_client.cpp
+++ b/src/signalrclient/default_http_client.cpp
@@ -86,35 +86,51 @@ namespace signalr
                 cts.cancel();
             });
 
-        web::http::client::http_client client(utility::conversions::to_string_t(url), m_config.get_http_client_config());
-        client.request(http_request, cts.get_token())
-            .then([context, callback](pplx::task<web::http::http_response> response_task)
+        try
         {
-            try
-            {
-                auto http_response = response_task.get();
-                auto status_code = http_response.status_code();
-                http_response.extract_utf8string()
-                    .then([callback, status_code](std::string response_body)
-                {
-                    signalr::http_response response;
-                    response.content = response_body;
-                    response.status_code = status_code;
-                    callback(std::move(response), nullptr);
-                });
-            }
-            catch (...)
-            {
-                callback(http_response(), std::current_exception());
-            }
+            web::http::client::http_client client(utility::conversions::to_string_t(url), m_config.get_http_client_config());
+            client.request(http_request, cts.get_token())
+                .then([context, callback](pplx::task<web::http::http_response> response_task)
+                    {
+                        try
+                        {
+                            auto http_response = response_task.get();
+                            auto status_code = http_response.status_code();
+                            http_response.extract_utf8string()
+                                .then([callback, status_code](std::string response_body)
+                                    {
+                                        signalr::http_response response;
+                            response.content = response_body;
+                            response.status_code = status_code;
+                            callback(std::move(response), nullptr);
+                                    });
+                        }
+                        catch (...)
+                        {
+                            callback(http_response(), std::current_exception());
+                        }
 
+                        if (context != nullptr)
+                        {
+                            std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lck(context->mtx);
+                            context->complete = true;
+                            context->cv.notify_all();
+                        }
+                    });
+        }
+        // Url validation could throw from the client ctor
+        catch (...)
+        {
+            // unblock timeout task if it was created
             if (context != nullptr)
             {
                 std::unique_lock<std::mutex> lck(context->mtx);
                 context->complete = true;
                 context->cv.notify_all();
             }
-        });
+            callback({}, std::current_exception());
+            return;
+        }
     }
 }
 #endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/signalrclienttests/CMakeLists.txt b/test/signalrclienttests/CMakeLists.txt
index ecb5e0b..b8f8d1e 100644
--- a/test/signalrclienttests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/signalrclienttests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ if(USE_MSGPACK)
   )
 endif()
 
+if(USE_CPPRESTSDK)
+  list (APPEND SOURCES
+    cpprestsdk_tests.cpp
+    )
+endif()
+
 include_directories(
   ../../src/signalrclient
 )
@@ -85,6 +91,28 @@ list (APPEND libraries ${JSONCPP_LIB})
 
 list (APPEND libraries gtest)
 
+if(NOT USE_CPPRESTSDK)
+  target_link_libraries(signalrclienttests)
+else()
+  set_target_properties(signalrclienttests PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "-DUSE_CPPRESTSDK" )
+
+  if(APPLE)
+    list (APPEND libraries
+      ${CPPREST_LIB}
+      OpenSSL::SSL Boost::boost Boost::system Boost::chrono Boost::thread
+    )
+  elseif(NOT WIN32)
+    list (APPEND libraries
+      ${CPPREST_LIB} Boost::system
+      OpenSSL::SSL
+    )
+  else()
+    list (APPEND libraries
+      ${CPPREST_LIB}
+    )
+  endif()
+endif()
+
 target_link_libraries(signalrclienttests ${libraries})
 
 add_test(NAME signalrclienttests COMMAND signalrclienttests)
diff --git a/test/signalrclienttests/cpprestsdk_tests.cpp b/test/signalrclienttests/cpprestsdk_tests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ce7090
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/signalrclienttests/cpprestsdk_tests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Licensed to the .NET Foundation under one or more agreements.
+// The .NET Foundation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
+// See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information.
+
+#include "stdafx.h"
+#include "connection_impl.h"
+#include "test_utils.h"
+#include "memory_log_writer.h"
+
+using namespace signalr;
+
+TEST(cpprestsdk, invalid_url_errors)
+{
+    auto connection = connection_impl::create("/path", trace_level::debug, std::make_shared<memory_log_writer>(), nullptr, nullptr, false);
+
+    manual_reset_event<void> mre;
+    connection->start([&mre](std::exception_ptr ex)
+        {
+            mre.set(ex);
+        });
+
+    try
+    {
+        mre.get();
+        ASSERT_TRUE(false);
+    }
+    catch (const std::exception& ex)
+    {
+        ASSERT_STREQ("URI must contain a hostname.", ex.what());
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file