diff --git a/lib/ebay/api.rb b/lib/ebay/api.rb
index cd77aeff..8a3f588d 100644
--- a/lib/ebay/api.rb
+++ b/lib/ebay/api.rb
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class << self
       alias_method :ru_name=, :runame=
     end
 
-    attr_reader :auth_token, :site_id, :using_oauth2, :keyset
+    attr_reader :auth_token, :site_id, :using_oauth2, :keyset, :http_options
 
     self.sandbox_url = 'https://api.sandbox.ebay.com/ws/api.dll'
     self.production_url = 'https://api.ebay.com/ws/api.dll'
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ def initialize(options = {})
       @site_id      = options[:site_id] || self.class.site_id
       @using_oauth2 = options[:using_oauth2] || false
       @keyset       = options[:keyset] || {}
+      @http_options = options[:http_options] || {}
     end
 
     # Returns the URL used to sign-in to eBay to fetch a user token
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ def build_body(request)
     end
 
     def connection(refresh = false)
-      @connection = Connection.new(service_uri) if refresh || @connection.nil?
+      @connection = Connection.new(service_uri, http_options) if refresh || @connection.nil?
       @connection
     end
 
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ def parse(content, format)
       case format
       when :object
         xml = REXML::Document.new(content)
+
         # Fixes the wrong case of API returned by eBay
         fix_root_element_name(xml)
         result = XML::Mapping.load_object_from_xml(xml.root)
@@ -217,6 +219,8 @@ def parse(content, format)
         raise ArgumentError, "Unknown response format '#{format}' requested"
       end
       result
+    rescue REXML::ParseException => e
+      raise RequestError.new(e.message)
     end
 
     def fix_root_element_name(xml)
diff --git a/lib/ebay/request/connection.rb b/lib/ebay/request/connection.rb
index 28af49d7..d3117874 100644
--- a/lib/ebay/request/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/ebay/request/connection.rb
@@ -27,8 +27,11 @@ class ResourceNotFound < ClientError #:nodoc:
   end
 
   class Connection #:nodoc:
-    def initialize(site)
+    attr_reader :http_options
+
+    def initialize(site, http_options = {})
       @site = site
+      @http_options = http_options
     end
 
     def post(path, body, headers)
@@ -54,9 +57,14 @@ def request(method, *arguments)
     end
 
     def http
-      http             = Net::HTTP.new(@site.host, @site.port)
-      http.use_ssl     = @site.is_a?(URI::HTTPS)
-      http.verify_mode = OpenSSL::SSL::VERIFY_NONE #if http.use_ssl?
+      http              = Net::HTTP.new(@site.host, @site.port)
+      http.use_ssl      = @site.is_a?(URI::HTTPS)
+      http.verify_mode  = OpenSSL::SSL::VERIFY_NONE #if http.use_ssl?
+      if http_options.present?
+        http_options.each do |key, value|
+          http.send("#{key}=", value) if http.respond_to?(key)
+        end
+      end
       http
     end
   end