diff --git a/samples/sockets/client.cpp b/samples/sockets/client.cpp
index a3815d8ffa..2e11482d44 100644
--- a/samples/sockets/client.cpp
+++ b/samples/sockets/client.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "wx/socket.h"
 #include "wx/url.h"
 #include "wx/sstream.h"
+#include "wx/thread.h"
 #include <memory>
 
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -575,23 +576,13 @@ void MyFrame::OnDatagram(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
 
 #if wxUSE_URL
 
-void MyFrame::OnTestURL(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
+void DoDownload(const wxString& urlname)
 {
-    // Ask for the URL
-    static wxString s_urlname("http://www.google.com/");
-    wxString urlname = wxGetTextFromUser
-                       (
-                        _("Enter an URL to get"),
-                        _("URL:"),
-                        s_urlname
-                       );
-    if ( urlname.empty() )
-        return; // cancelled by user
+    wxString testname("URL");
+    if ( !wxIsMainThread() )
+        testname += " in worker thread";
 
-    s_urlname = urlname;
-
-
-    TestLogger logtest("URL");
+    TestLogger logtest(testname);
 
     // Parse the URL
     wxURL url(urlname);
@@ -626,6 +617,51 @@ void MyFrame::OnTestURL(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
                  urlname, sout.GetString());
 }
 
+void MyFrame::OnTestURL(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
+{
+    // Ask for the URL
+    static wxString s_urlname("http://www.google.com/");
+    wxString urlname = wxGetTextFromUser
+                       (
+                        _("Enter an URL to get"),
+                        _("URL:"),
+                        s_urlname
+                       );
+    if ( urlname.empty() )
+        return; // cancelled by user
+
+    s_urlname = urlname;
+
+    // First do it in this thread.
+    DoDownload(urlname);
+
+    // And then also in a worker thread.
+#if wxUSE_THREADS
+    class DownloadThread : public wxThread
+    {
+    public:
+        explicit DownloadThread(const wxString& url): m_url(url)
+        {
+            Run();
+        }
+
+        virtual void* Entry() wxOVERRIDE
+        {
+            DoDownload(m_url);
+
+            return NULL;
+        }
+
+    private:
+        const wxString m_url;
+    };
+
+    // NB: there is a race condition here, we don't check for this thread
+    // termination before exiting the application, don't do this in real code!
+    new DownloadThread(urlname);
+#endif // wxUSE_THREADS
+}
+
 #endif // wxUSE_URL
 
 void MyFrame::OnSocketEvent(wxSocketEvent& event)
diff --git a/src/common/ftp.cpp b/src/common/ftp.cpp
index 596dc8cc34..4dca4bddc2 100644
--- a/src/common/ftp.cpp
+++ b/src/common/ftp.cpp
@@ -79,8 +79,6 @@ wxFTP::wxFTP()
     m_username = wxT("anonymous");
     m_password << wxGetUserId() << wxT('@') << wxGetFullHostName();
 
-    SetNotify(0);
-    SetFlags(wxSOCKET_NOWAIT);
     m_bPassive = true;
     m_bEncounteredError = false;
 }
@@ -782,8 +780,6 @@ wxInputStream *wxFTP::GetInputStream(const wxString& path)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    sock->SetFlags(wxSOCKET_WAITALL);
-
     m_streaming = true;
 
     wxInputFTPStream *in_stream = new wxInputFTPStream(this, sock);
diff --git a/src/common/http.cpp b/src/common/http.cpp
index 73fddbb3ae..0ddfdbe673 100644
--- a/src/common/http.cpp
+++ b/src/common/http.cpp
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ wxHTTP::wxHTTP()
     m_read = false;
     m_proxy_mode = false;
     m_http_response = 0;
-
-    SetNotify(wxSOCKET_LOST_FLAG);
 }
 
 wxHTTP::~wxHTTP()
@@ -370,16 +368,6 @@ bool wxHTTP::BuildRequest(const wxString& path, const wxString& method)
         SetHeader(wxT("Authorization"), GenerateAuthString(m_username, m_password));
     }
 
-    SaveState();
-
-    // we may use non blocking sockets only if we can dispatch events from them
-    int flags = wxIsMainThread() && wxApp::IsMainLoopRunning() ? wxSOCKET_NONE
-                                                               : wxSOCKET_BLOCK;
-    // and we must use wxSOCKET_WAITALL to ensure that all data is sent
-    flags |= wxSOCKET_WAITALL;
-    SetFlags(flags);
-    Notify(false);
-
     wxString buf;
     buf.Printf(wxT("%s %s HTTP/1.0\r\n"), method, path);
     const wxWX2MBbuf pathbuf = buf.mb_str();
@@ -395,10 +383,8 @@ bool wxHTTP::BuildRequest(const wxString& path, const wxString& method)
 
     wxString tmp_str;
     m_lastError = ReadLine(this, tmp_str);
-    if (m_lastError != wxPROTO_NOERR) {
-        RestoreState();
+    if (m_lastError != wxPROTO_NOERR)
         return false;
-    }
 
     if (!tmp_str.Contains(wxT("HTTP/"))) {
         // TODO: support HTTP v0.9 which can have no header.
@@ -441,7 +427,7 @@ bool wxHTTP::BuildRequest(const wxString& path, const wxString& method)
 
     m_lastError = wxPROTO_NOERR;
     ret_value = ParseHeaders();
-    RestoreState();
+
     return ret_value;
 }
 
@@ -540,9 +526,6 @@ wxInputStream *wxHTTP::GetInputStream(const wxString& path)
 
     inp_stream->m_read_bytes = 0;
 
-    Notify(false);
-    SetFlags(wxSOCKET_BLOCK | wxSOCKET_WAITALL);
-
     // no error; reset m_lastError
     m_lastError = wxPROTO_NOERR;
     return inp_stream;
diff --git a/src/common/protocol.cpp b/src/common/protocol.cpp
index 8572d834f4..dc97f4fb3b 100644
--- a/src/common/protocol.cpp
+++ b/src/common/protocol.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,10 @@ wxIMPLEMENT_ABSTRACT_CLASS(wxProtocol, wxObject);
 
 wxProtocol::wxProtocol()
 #if wxUSE_SOCKETS
- : wxSocketClient()
+    // Only use non blocking sockets if we can dispatch events.
+    : wxSocketClient((wxIsMainThread() && wxApp::IsMainLoopRunning()
+                        ? wxSOCKET_NONE
+                        : wxSOCKET_BLOCK) | wxSOCKET_WAITALL)
 #endif
 {
     m_lastError = wxPROTO_NOERR;