diff --git a/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.html b/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.html
index ff6ed7425..4551327b5 100644
--- a/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.html
+++ b/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.html
@@ -13,13 +13,80 @@
   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   limitations under the License.
 -->
+<script type="text/javascript">
+function ws_oneditprepare() {
+    $("#websocket-client-row").hide();            
+    $("#node-input-mode").change(function(){
+        if( $("#node-input-mode").val() === 'client') {
+            $("#websocket-server-row").hide();
+            $("#websocket-client-row").show();
+        }
+        else {
+            $("#websocket-server-row").show();
+            $("#websocket-client-row").hide();
+        }
+    });
 
+    if(this.client) {
+        $("#node-input-mode").val('client').change();
+    }
+    else {
+        $("#node-input-mode").val('server').change();
+    }
+}
+
+function ws_oneditsave() {
+    if($("#node-input-mode").val() === 'client') {
+        $("#node-input-server").append('<option value="">Dummy</option>');
+        $("#node-input-server").val('');                
+    }
+    else {
+        $("#node-input-client").append('<option value="">Dummy</option>');
+        $("#node-input-client").val('');                
+    }
+}
+
+function ws_label() {
+    var nodeid = (this.client)?this.client:this.server;
+    var wsNode = RED.nodes.node(nodeid);
+    return this.name||(wsNode?"[ws] "+wsNode.label():"websocket");
+}
+
+function ws_validateserver() {
+    if($("#node-input-mode").val() === 'client' || (this.client && !this.server)) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    else {
+        return RED.nodes.node(this.server) != null;
+    }
+}
+
+function ws_validateclient() {
+    if($("#node-input-mode").val() === 'client' || (this.client && !this.server)) {
+        return RED.nodes.node(this.client) != null;
+    }
+    else {
+        return true;
+    }
+}
+</script>
 <!-- WebSocket Input Node -->
 <script type="text/x-red" data-template-name="websocket in">
     <div class="form-row">
+        <label for="node-input-mode"><i class="fa fa-dot-circle-o"></i> Type</label>
+        <select id="node-input-mode">
+            <option value="server">Listen on</option>
+            <option value="client">Connect to</option>
+        </select>
+    </div>
+    <div class="form-row" id="websocket-server-row">
         <label for="node-input-server"><i class="fa fa-bookmark"></i> Path</label>
         <input type="text" id="node-input-server">
     </div>
+    <div class="form-row" id="websocket-client-row">
+        <label for="node-input-client"><i class="fa fa-bookmark"></i> URL</label>
+        <input type="text" id="node-input-client">
+    </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-input-name"><i class="fa fa-tag"></i> Name</label>
         <input type="text" id="node-input-name" placeholder="Name">
@@ -29,7 +96,7 @@
 <script type="text/x-red" data-help-name="websocket in">
     <p>WebSocket input node.</p>
     <p>By default, the data received from the WebSocket will be in <b>msg.payload</b>.
-    The listener can be configured to expect a properly formed JSON string, in which
+    The socket can be configured to expect a properly formed JSON string, in which
     case it will parse the JSON and send on the resulting object as the entire message.</p>
 </script>
 
@@ -38,28 +105,39 @@
         category: 'input',
         defaults: {
             name: {value:""},
-            server: {type:"websocket-listener"}
+            server: {type:"websocket-listener", validate: ws_validateserver},
+            client: {type:"websocket-client", validate: ws_validateclient}
         },
         color:"rgb(215, 215, 160)",
         inputs:0,
         outputs:1,
         icon: "white-globe.png",
-        label: function() {
-            var wsNode = RED.nodes.node(this.server);
-            return this.name||(wsNode?"[ws] "+wsNode.label():"websocket");
-        },
         labelStyle: function() {
             return this.name?"node_label_italic":"";
-        }
+        },
+        label: ws_label,
+        oneditsave: ws_oneditsave,
+        oneditprepare: ws_oneditprepare
     });
 </script>
 
 <!-- WebSocket out Node -->
 <script type="text/x-red" data-template-name="websocket out">
     <div class="form-row">
+        <label for="node-input-mode"><i class="fa fa-dot-circle-o"></i> Type</label>
+        <select id="node-input-mode">
+            <option value="server">Listen on</option>
+            <option value="client">Connect to</option>
+        </select>
+    </div>
+    <div class="form-row" id="websocket-server-row">
         <label for="node-input-server"><i class="fa fa-bookmark"></i> Path</label>
         <input type="text" id="node-input-server">
     </div>
+    <div class="form-row" id="websocket-client-row">
+        <label for="node-input-client"><i class="fa fa-bookmark"></i> URL</label>
+        <input type="text" id="node-input-client">
+    </div>
     <div class="form-row">
         <label for="node-input-name"><i class="fa fa-tag"></i> Name</label>
         <input type="text" id="node-input-name" placeholder="Name">
@@ -68,7 +146,7 @@
 
 <script type="text/x-red" data-help-name="websocket out">
     <p>WebSocket out node.</p>
-    <p>By default, <b>msg.payload</b> will be sent over the WebSocket. The listener
+    <p>By default, <b>msg.payload</b> will be sent over the WebSocket. The socket
     can be configured to encode the entire message object as a JSON string and send that
     over the WebSocket.</p>
 
@@ -84,20 +162,20 @@
         category: 'output',
         defaults: {
             name: {value:""},
-            server: {type:"websocket-listener", required:true}
+            server: {type:"websocket-listener", validate: ws_validateserver},
+            client: {type:"websocket-client", validate: ws_validateclient}
         },
         color:"rgb(215, 215, 160)",
         inputs:1,
         outputs:0,
         icon: "white-globe.png",
         align: "right",
-        label: function() {
-            var wsNode = RED.nodes.node(this.server);
-            return this.name||(wsNode?"[ws] "+wsNode.label():"websocket");
-        },
         labelStyle: function() {
             return this.name?"node_label_italic":"";
-        }
+        },
+        label: ws_label,
+        oneditsave: ws_oneditsave,
+        oneditprepare: ws_oneditprepare
     });
 </script>
 
@@ -115,7 +193,7 @@
         </select>
     </div>
     <div class="form-tips">
-    Be default, <code>payload</code> will contain the data to be sent over, or received from a websocket.
+    By default, <code>payload</code> will contain the data to be sent over, or received from a websocket.
     The listener can be configured to send or receive the entire message object as a JSON formatted string.
     <p id="node-config-ws-tip">This path will be relative to <code><span id="node-config-ws-path"></span></code>.</p>
     </div>
@@ -157,7 +235,45 @@
                 $("#node-config-ws-path").html(root);
                 $("#node-config-ws-tip").show();
             }
-            //document.getElementById("node-config-wsdocpath").innerHTML=
+        }
+    });
+</script>
+
+<!-- WebSocket Client configuration node -->
+<script type="text/x-red" data-template-name="websocket-client">
+    <div class="form-row">
+        <label for="node-config-input-path"><i class="fa fa-bookmark"></i> URL</label>
+        <input type="text" id="node-config-input-path" placeholder="ws://example.com/ws">
+    </div>
+    <div class="form-row">
+        <label for="node-config-input-wholemsg">&nbsp;</label>
+        <select type="text" id="node-config-input-wholemsg" style="width: 70%;">
+            <option value="false">Send/Receive payload</option>
+            <option value="true">Send/Receive entire message</option>
+        </select>
+    </div>
+    <div class="form-tips">
+    <p>URL should use ws:&#47;&#47; or wss:&#47;&#47; scheme and point to an existing websocket listener.</p>
+    By default, <code>payload</code> will contain the data to be sent over, or received from a websocket.
+    The client can be configured to send or receive the entire message object as a JSON formatted string.
+    </div>
+</script>
+
+<script type="text/x-red" data-help-name="websocket-client">
+   <p>This configuration node connects a WebSocket client to the specified URL.</p>
+</script>
+
+<script type="text/javascript">
+    RED.nodes.registerType('websocket-client',{
+        category: 'config',
+        defaults: {
+            path: {value:"",required:true,validate:RED.validators.regex(/^((?!\/debug\/ws).)*$/) },
+            wholemsg: {value:"false"}
+        },
+        inputs:0,
+        outputs:0,
+        label: function() {
+            return this.path;
         }
     });
 </script>
diff --git a/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.js b/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.js
index 72eda5027..805682c7a 100644
--- a/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.js
+++ b/nodes/core/io/22-websocket.js
@@ -31,32 +31,9 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         node.wholemsg = (n.wholemsg === "true");
 
         node._inputNodes = [];    // collection of nodes that want to receive events
-
-        var path = RED.settings.httpNodeRoot || "/";
-        path = path + (path.slice(-1) == "/" ? "":"/") + (node.path.charAt(0) == "/" ? node.path.substring(1) : node.path);
-
-        // Workaround https://github.com/einaros/ws/pull/253
-        // Listen for 'newListener' events from RED.server
-        node._serverListeners = {};
-
-        var storeListener = function(/*String*/event,/*function*/listener){
-            if(event == "error" || event == "upgrade" || event == "listening"){
-                node._serverListeners[event] = listener;
-            }
-        }
-
         node._clients = {};
 
-        RED.server.addListener('newListener',storeListener);
-
-        // Create a WebSocket Server
-        node.server = new ws.Server({server:RED.server,path:path});
-
-        // Workaround https://github.com/einaros/ws/pull/253
-        // Stop listening for new listener events
-        RED.server.removeListener('newListener',storeListener);
-
-        node.server.on('connection', function(socket){
+        function handleConnection(/*socket*/socket) {
             var id = (1+Math.random()*4294967295).toString(16);
             node._clients[id] = socket;
             socket.on('close',function() {
@@ -68,7 +45,43 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
             socket.on('error', function(err) {
                 node.warn("An error occured on the ws connection: "+inspect(err));
             });
-        });
+        }
+
+        // match absolute url
+        node.isServer = !/^ws{1,2}:\/\//i.test(node.path);
+        if(node.isServer)
+        {
+            var path = RED.settings.httpNodeRoot || "/";
+            path = path + (path.slice(-1) == "/" ? "":"/") + (node.path.charAt(0) == "/" ? node.path.substring(1) : node.path);
+
+            // Workaround https://github.com/einaros/ws/pull/253
+            // Listen for 'newListener' events from RED.server
+            node._serverListeners = {};
+
+            var storeListener = function(/*String*/event,/*function*/listener){
+                if(event == "error" || event == "upgrade" || event == "listening"){
+                    node._serverListeners[event] = listener;
+                }
+            }
+
+            RED.server.addListener('newListener',storeListener);
+
+            // Create a WebSocket Server
+            node.server = new ws.Server({server:RED.server,path:path});
+
+            // Workaround https://github.com/einaros/ws/pull/253
+            // Stop listening for new listener events
+            RED.server.removeListener('newListener',storeListener);
+
+            node.server.on('connection', handleConnection);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // Connect to remote endpoint
+            var socket = new ws(node.path);
+            node.server = socket; // keep for closing
+            handleConnection(socket);
+        }
 
         node.on("close", function() {
             // Workaround https://github.com/einaros/ws/pull/253
@@ -88,6 +101,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         });
     }
     RED.nodes.registerType("websocket-listener",WebSocketListenerNode);
+    RED.nodes.registerType("websocket-client",WebSocketListenerNode);
 
     WebSocketListenerNode.prototype.registerInputNode = function(/*Node*/handler){
         this._inputNodes.push(handler);
@@ -116,8 +130,13 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
 
     WebSocketListenerNode.prototype.broadcast = function(data){
         try {
-            for (var i = 0; i < this.server.clients.length; i++) {
-                this.server.clients[i].send(data);
+            if(this.isServer) {
+                for (var i = 0; i < this.server.clients.length; i++) {
+                    this.server.clients[i].send(data);
+                }                
+            }
+            else {
+                this.server.send(data);
             }
         }
         catch(e) { // swallow any errors
@@ -125,7 +144,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
         }
     }
 
-    WebSocketListenerNode.prototype.send = function(id,data) {
+    WebSocketListenerNode.prototype.reply = function(id,data) {
         var session = this._clients[id];
         if (session) {
             try {
@@ -138,7 +157,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
 
     function WebSocketInNode(n) {
         RED.nodes.createNode(this,n);
-        this.server = n.server;
+        this.server = (n.client)?n.client:n.server;
         var node = this;
         this.serverConfig = RED.nodes.getNode(this.server);
         if (this.serverConfig) {
@@ -152,7 +171,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
     function WebSocketOutNode(n) {
         RED.nodes.createNode(this,n);
         var node = this;
-        this.server = n.server;
+        this.server = (n.client)?n.client:n.server;
         this.serverConfig = RED.nodes.getNode(this.server);
         if (!this.serverConfig) {
             this.error("Missing server configuration");
@@ -171,7 +190,7 @@ module.exports = function(RED) {
                 }
             }
             if (msg._session && msg._session.type == "websocket") {
-                node.serverConfig.send(msg._session.id,payload);
+                node.serverConfig.reply(msg._session.id,payload);
             } else {
                 node.serverConfig.broadcast(payload,function(error){
                     if (!!error) {