diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 2bd58515e..24417ec17 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -27,7 +27,21 @@ function noop(){};
  * Expose `request`.
  */
 
-var request = module.exports = require('./request').bind(null, Request);
+var request = exports = module.exports = function(method, url) {
+  // callback
+  if ('function' == typeof url) {
+    return new exports.Request('GET', method).end(url);
+  }
+
+  // url first
+  if (1 == arguments.length) {
+    return new exports.Request('GET', method);
+  }
+
+  return new exports.Request(method, url);
+}
+
+exports.Request = Request;
 
 /**
  * Determine XHR.
@@ -890,13 +904,6 @@ Request.prototype.end = function(fn){
   return this;
 };
 
-
-/**
- * Expose `Request`.
- */
-
-request.Request = Request;
-
 /**
  * GET `url` with optional callback `fn(res)`.
  *
diff --git a/lib/node/agent.js b/lib/node/agent.js
index 002796356..ad2a8f61b 100644
--- a/lib/node/agent.js
+++ b/lib/node/agent.js
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ methods.forEach(function(method){
 
   method = method.toUpperCase();
   Agent.prototype[name] = function(url, fn){
-    var req = request(method, url);
+    var req = new request.Request(method, url);
     req.ca(this._ca);
     req.key(this._key);
     req.pfx(this._pfx);
diff --git a/lib/node/index.js b/lib/node/index.js
index 923290e96..10dcbd9a7 100644
--- a/lib/node/index.js
+++ b/lib/node/index.js
@@ -25,11 +25,25 @@ var pkg = require('../../package.json');
 var RequestBase = require('../request-base');
 var isFunction = require('../is-function');
 
+var request = exports = module.exports = function(method, url) {
+  // callback
+  if ('function' == typeof url) {
+    return new exports.Request('GET', method).end(url);
+  }
+
+  // url first
+  if (1 == arguments.length) {
+    return new exports.Request('GET', method);
+  }
+
+  return new exports.Request(method, url);
+}
+
 /**
- * Expose the request function.
+ * Expose `Request`.
  */
 
-var request = exports = module.exports = require('../request').bind(null, Request);
+exports.Request = Request;
 
 /**
  * Expose the agent function
@@ -919,12 +933,6 @@ Request.prototype._shouldUnzip = function(res){
   return /^\s*(?:deflate|gzip)\s*$/.test(res.headers['content-encoding']);
 };
 
-/**
- * Expose `Request`.
- */
-
-exports.Request = Request;
-
 // generate HTTP verb methods
 if (methods.indexOf('del') == -1) {
   // create a copy so we don't cause conflicts with
diff --git a/lib/request.js b/lib/request.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 53a3e6ab8..000000000
--- a/lib/request.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-// The node and browser modules expose versions of this with the
-// appropriate constructor function bound as first argument
-/**
- * Issue a request:
- *
- * Examples:
- *
- *    request('GET', '/users').end(callback)
- *    request('/users').end(callback)
- *    request('/users', callback)
- *
- * @param {String} method
- * @param {String|Function} url or callback
- * @return {Request}
- * @api public
- */
-
-function request(RequestConstructor, method, url) {
-  // callback
-  if ('function' == typeof url) {
-    return new RequestConstructor('GET', method).end(url);
-  }
-
-  // url first
-  if (2 == arguments.length) {
-    return new RequestConstructor('GET', method);
-  }
-
-  return new RequestConstructor(method, url);
-}
-
-module.exports = request;
diff --git a/test/use.js b/test/use.js
index bd5bce021..c24232ce1 100644
--- a/test/use.js
+++ b/test/use.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 var setup = require('./support/setup');
-var NODE = setup.NODE;
 var uri = setup.uri;
 
 var assert = require('assert');
@@ -27,6 +26,58 @@ describe('request', function(){
           assert.equal(res.get('X-UUID'), now);
           done();
         })
-    })
-  })
+    });
+  });
+})
+
+describe('subclass', function() {
+  var OriginalRequest;
+  beforeEach(function(){
+    OriginalRequest = request.Request;
+  });
+  afterEach(function(){
+    request.Request = OriginalRequest;
+  });
+
+  it('should be an instance of Request', function(){
+    var req = request.get('/');
+    assert(req instanceof request.Request);
+  });
+
+  it('should use patched subclass', function(){
+    assert(OriginalRequest);
+
+    var constructorCalled, sendCalled;
+    function NewRequest() {
+      constructorCalled = true;
+      OriginalRequest.apply(this, arguments);
+    }
+    NewRequest.prototype = Object.create(OriginalRequest.prototype);
+    NewRequest.prototype.send = function() {
+      sendCalled = true;
+      return this;
+    };
+
+    request.Request = NewRequest;
+
+    var req = request.get('/').send();
+    assert(constructorCalled);
+    assert(sendCalled);
+    assert(req instanceof NewRequest);
+    assert(req instanceof OriginalRequest);
+  });
+
+  it('should use patched subclass in agent too', function(){
+    if (!request.agent) return; // Node-only
+
+    function NewRequest() {
+      OriginalRequest.apply(this, arguments);
+    }
+    NewRequest.prototype = Object.create(OriginalRequest.prototype);
+    request.Request = NewRequest;
+
+    var req = request.agent().del('/');
+    assert(req instanceof NewRequest);
+    assert(req instanceof OriginalRequest);
+  });
 })