diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index c7ff9f050..0f698ab17 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Nmap Changelog ($Id$); -*-text-*-
 
+o [NSE] The nmap.connect function can now accept host and port tables
+  (like those provided to the action function) in place of a string
+  and a number. The motivation behind this is to easily support Server
+  Name Indication for SSL sockets by reading host.targetname. [David
+  Fifield]
+
 o [NSE] Added wdb-version, which discovers information from a VxWorks
   debug service that is often left open. [Daniel Miller]
 
diff --git a/nse_nsock.cc b/nse_nsock.cc
index aeed77648..7c569128a 100644
--- a/nse_nsock.cc
+++ b/nse_nsock.cc
@@ -654,9 +654,54 @@ static int l_nsock_connect(lua_State * L)
   static const char * const op[] = {"tcp", "udp", "ssl", NULL};
 
   l_nsock_udata *udata = (l_nsock_udata *) luaL_checkudata(L, 1, "nsock");
-  const char *addr = luaL_checkstring(L, 2);
-  unsigned short port = (unsigned short) luaL_checkint(L, 3);
-  int what = luaL_checkoption(L, 4, "tcp", op);
+  const char *addr, *targetname;
+  unsigned short port;
+  int what;
+
+  addr = NULL;
+  targetname = NULL;
+
+  /* host argument. */
+  if (lua_istable(L, 2)) {
+    const char *ip;
+
+    ip = NULL;
+    targetname = NULL;
+
+    lua_getfield(L, 2, "ip");
+    ip = lua_tostring(L, -1);
+    lua_pop(L, 1);
+
+    lua_getfield(L, 2, "targetname");
+    targetname = lua_tostring(L, -1);
+    lua_pop(L, 1);
+
+    if (ip != NULL)
+      addr = ip;
+    else if (targetname != NULL)
+      addr = targetname;
+    else
+      luaL_error(L, "host table does not have a 'ip' or 'targetname' field");
+  } else {
+    addr = luaL_checkstring(L, 2);
+    targetname = addr;
+  }
+
+  /* port argument. */
+  if (lua_istable(L, 3)) {
+    lua_getfield(L, 3, "number");
+    if (lua_isnil(L, -1))
+      luaL_error(L, "port table does not have a 'number' field");
+    else if (!lua_isnumber(L, -1))
+      luaL_error(L, "port.number is not numeric");
+    port = lua_tointeger(L, -1);
+    lua_pop(L, 1);
+  } else {
+    port = (unsigned short) luaL_checkint(L, 3);
+  }
+
+  /* proto argument. */
+  what = luaL_checkoption(L, 4, "tcp", op);
 
   const char *error;
   struct addrinfo *dest;
@@ -698,6 +743,10 @@ static int l_nsock_connect(lua_State * L)
     o.SourceSockAddr(&ss, &sslen);
     nsi_set_localaddr(udata->nsiod, &ss, sslen);
   }
+  if (targetname != NULL) {
+    if (nsi_set_hostname(udata->nsiod, targetname) == -1)
+      fatal("nsi_set_hostname(\"%s\" failed in %s()", targetname, __func__);
+  }
   if (o.ipoptionslen)
     nsi_set_ipoptions(udata->nsiod, o.ipoptions, o.ipoptionslen);
 
diff --git a/nselib/nmap.luadoc b/nselib/nmap.luadoc
index 108b3f583..0cd94c01a 100644
--- a/nselib/nmap.luadoc
+++ b/nselib/nmap.luadoc
@@ -327,10 +327,18 @@ function bind(addr, port)
 --- Establishes a connection.
 --
 -- This method puts a socket in a state ready for communication. It takes as
--- arguments a host descriptor (either an IP address or a hostname), a port
--- number and optionally a protocol. The protocol must be one of
--- <code>"tcp"</code>, <code>"udp"</code> or <code>"ssl"</code>; it is
--- <code>"tcp"</code> if not specified.
+-- arguments a host descriptor (a host table, IP address, or hostname), a port
+-- descriptor (a port table or number), and optionally a protocol. If given, the
+-- protocol must be one of
+-- <code>"tcp"</code>, <code>"udp"</code> or <code>"ssl"</code>;
+-- <code>"tcp"</code> is the default.
+--
+-- If <code>host</code> is a host table, it must contain at least one of the
+-- keys <code>addr</code> or <code>targetname</code>. If <code>targetname</code>
+-- is given, it is used to request the correct certificate in SSL connections.
+-- Passing a string instead of a host table acts like <code>host.addr</code> and
+-- <code>host.targetname</code> were set to the same value. If <code>port</code>
+-- is a table, it must contain the <code>number</code> key.
 --
 -- On success the function returns a true value. On failure it returns a false
 -- value (<code>false</code> or <code>nil</code>) and an error string. Those
@@ -351,8 +359,8 @@ function bind(addr, port)
 -- NSE-specific errors:
 -- * <code>"Sorry, you don't have OpenSSL"</code>: The protocol is <code>"ssl"</code> but Nmap was compiled without OpenSSL support.
 -- * <code>"invalid connection method"</code>: The second parameter is not one of <code>"tcp"</code>, <code>"udp"</code>, and <code>"ssl"</code>.
--- @param hostid Hostname or IP address.
--- @param port Port number.
+-- @param host Host table, hostname or IP address.
+-- @param port Port table or number.
 -- @param protocol <code>"tcp"</code>, <code>"udp"</code>, or
 -- <code>"ssl"</code> (default <code>"tcp"</code>).
 -- @return Status (true or false).
@@ -363,7 +371,7 @@ function bind(addr, port)
 -- if not status then
 --     return string.format("Can't connect: %s", err)
 -- end
-function connect(hostid, port, protocol)
+function connect(host, port, protocol)
 
 --- Reconnect the open (connected) socket with SSL.
 --