diff --git a/Doc/library/http.client.rst b/Doc/library/http.client.rst
index 7a6717b..9f906df 100644
--- a/Doc/library/http.client.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/http.client.rst
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 The module provides the following classes:
 
 
-.. class:: HTTPConnection(host, port=None, strict=None[, timeout])
+.. class:: HTTPConnection(host, port=None, strict=None[, timeout[, source_address]])
 
    An :class:`HTTPConnection` instance represents one transaction with an HTTP
    server.  It should be instantiated passing it a host and optional port
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
    status line.  If the optional *timeout* parameter is given, blocking
    operations (like connection attempts) will timeout after that many seconds
    (if it is not given, the global default timeout setting is used).
+   The optional *source_address* parameter may be a typle of a (host, port)
+   to use as the source address the HTTP connection is made from.
 
    For example, the following calls all create instances that connect to the server
    at the same host and port::
@@ -44,8 +46,11 @@
       >>> h3 = http.client.HTTPConnection('www.cwi.nl', 80)
       >>> h3 = http.client.HTTPConnection('www.cwi.nl', 80, timeout=10)
 
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.2
+      *source_address* was added.
 
-.. class:: HTTPSConnection(host, port=None, key_file=None, cert_file=None, strict=None[, timeout])
+
+.. class:: HTTPSConnection(host, port=None, key_file=None, cert_file=None, strict=None[, timeout[, source_address]])
 
    A subclass of :class:`HTTPConnection` that uses SSL for communication with
    secure servers.  Default port is ``443``. *key_file* is the name of a PEM
@@ -56,6 +61,9 @@
 
       This does not do any certificate verification.
 
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.2
+      *source_address* was added.
+
 
 .. class:: HTTPResponse(sock, debuglevel=0, strict=0, method=None, url=None)
 
diff --git a/Doc/library/socket.rst b/Doc/library/socket.rst
index 79a4964..ec8ff3d 100644
--- a/Doc/library/socket.rst
+++ b/Doc/library/socket.rst
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
    this platform.
 
 
-.. function:: create_connection(address[, timeout])
+.. function:: create_connection(address[, timeout[, source_address]])
 
    Convenience function.  Connect to *address* (a 2-tuple ``(host, port)``),
    and return the socket object.  Passing the optional *timeout* parameter will
@@ -202,6 +202,13 @@
    *timeout* is supplied, the global default timeout setting returned by
    :func:`getdefaulttimeout` is used.
 
+   If supplied, *source_address* must be a 2-tuple ``(host, port)`` for the
+   socket to bind to as its source address before connecting.  If host or port
+   are '' or 0 respectively the OS default behavior will be used.
+
+   .. versionchanged:: 3.2
+      *source_address* was added.
+
 
 .. function:: getaddrinfo(host, port[, family[, socktype[, proto[, flags]]]])
 
diff --git a/Lib/http/client.py b/Lib/http/client.py
index 5581903..d35f245 100644
--- a/Lib/http/client.py
+++ b/Lib/http/client.py
@@ -634,8 +634,9 @@
     strict = 0
 
     def __init__(self, host, port=None, strict=None,
-                 timeout=socket._GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT):
+                 timeout=socket._GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT, source_address=None):
         self.timeout = timeout
+        self.source_address = source_address
         self.sock = None
         self._buffer = []
         self.__response = None
@@ -707,7 +708,7 @@
     def connect(self):
         """Connect to the host and port specified in __init__."""
         self.sock = socket.create_connection((self.host,self.port),
-                                             self.timeout)
+                                             self.timeout, self.source_address)
         if self._tunnel_host:
             self._tunnel()
 
@@ -1042,8 +1043,10 @@
         default_port = HTTPS_PORT
 
         def __init__(self, host, port=None, key_file=None, cert_file=None,
-                     strict=None, timeout=socket._GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT):
-            HTTPConnection.__init__(self, host, port, strict, timeout)
+                     strict=None, timeout=socket._GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
+                     source_address=None):
+            super(HTTPSConnection, self).__init__(host, port, strict, timeout,
+                                                  source_address)
             self.key_file = key_file
             self.cert_file = cert_file
 
@@ -1051,7 +1054,7 @@
             "Connect to a host on a given (SSL) port."
 
             sock = socket.create_connection((self.host, self.port),
-                                            self.timeout)
+                                            self.timeout, self.source_address)
 
             if self._tunnel_host:
                 self.sock = sock
diff --git a/Lib/socket.py b/Lib/socket.py
index be019db..9133411 100644
--- a/Lib/socket.py
+++ b/Lib/socket.py
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@
 inet_ntoa() -- convert 32-bit packed format IP to string (123.45.67.89)
 socket.getdefaulttimeout() -- get the default timeout value
 socket.setdefaulttimeout() -- set the default timeout value
-create_connection() -- connects to an address, with an optional timeout
+create_connection() -- connects to an address, with an optional timeout and
+                       optional source address.
 
  [*] not available on all platforms!
 
@@ -276,7 +277,8 @@
 
 _GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = object()
 
-def create_connection(address, timeout=_GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT):
+def create_connection(address, timeout=_GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT,
+                      source_address=None):
     """Connect to *address* and return the socket object.
 
     Convenience function.  Connect to *address* (a 2-tuple ``(host,
@@ -284,7 +286,9 @@
     *timeout* parameter will set the timeout on the socket instance
     before attempting to connect.  If no *timeout* is supplied, the
     global default timeout setting returned by :func:`getdefaulttimeout`
-    is used.
+    is used.  If *source_address* is set it must be a tuple of (host, port)
+    for the socket to bind as a source address before making the connection.
+    An host of '' or port 0 tells the OS to use the default.
     """
 
     msg = "getaddrinfo returns an empty list"
@@ -296,6 +300,8 @@
             sock = socket(af, socktype, proto)
             if timeout is not _GLOBAL_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT:
                 sock.settimeout(timeout)
+            if source_address:
+                sock.bind(source_address)
             sock.connect(sa)
             return sock
 
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_httplib.py b/Lib/test/test_httplib.py
index 37cda5d..705ceec 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_httplib.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_httplib.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@
 import array
 import socket
 
-from unittest import TestCase
+import unittest
+TestCase = unittest.TestCase
 
 from test import support
 
@@ -263,6 +264,38 @@
     def test_responses(self):
         self.assertEquals(client.responses[client.NOT_FOUND], "Not Found")
 
+
+class SourceAddressTest(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.serv = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
+        self.port = support.bind_port(self.serv)
+        self.source_port = support.find_unused_port()
+        self.serv.listen(5)
+        self.conn = None
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        if self.conn:
+            self.conn.close()
+            self.conn = None
+        self.serv.close()
+        self.serv = None
+
+    def testHTTPConnectionSourceAddress(self):
+        self.conn = client.HTTPConnection(HOST, self.port,
+                source_address=('', self.source_port))
+        self.conn.connect()
+        self.assertEqual(self.conn.sock.getsockname()[1], self.source_port)
+
+    @unittest.skipIf(not hasattr(client, 'HTTPSConnection'),
+                     'http.client.HTTPSConnection not defined')
+    def testHTTPSConnectionSourceAddress(self):
+        self.conn = client.HTTPSConnection(HOST, self.port,
+                source_address=('', self.source_port))
+        # We don't test anything here other the constructor not barfing as
+        # this code doesn't deal with setting up an active running SSL server
+        # for an ssl_wrapped connect() to actually return from.
+
+
 class TimeoutTest(TestCase):
     PORT = None
 
@@ -390,7 +423,7 @@
 
 def test_main(verbose=None):
     support.run_unittest(HeaderTests, OfflineTest, BasicTest, TimeoutTest,
-                         HTTPSTimeoutTest, RequestBodyTest)
+                         HTTPSTimeoutTest, RequestBodyTest, SourceAddressTest)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     test_main()
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_socket.py b/Lib/test/test_socket.py
index db32335..62c2e25 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_socket.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_socket.py
@@ -993,7 +993,7 @@
         ThreadableTest.__init__(self)
 
     def clientSetUp(self):
-        pass
+        self.source_port = support.find_unused_port()
 
     def clientTearDown(self):
         self.cli.close()
@@ -1008,6 +1008,19 @@
         self.cli = socket.create_connection((HOST, self.port), timeout=30)
         self.assertEqual(self.cli.family, 2)
 
+    testSourcePort = _justAccept
+    def _testSourcePort(self):
+        self.cli = socket.create_connection((HOST, self.port), timeout=30,
+                source_address=('', self.source_port))
+        self.assertEqual(self.cli.getsockname()[1], self.source_port)
+
+    testSourceAddress = _justAccept
+    def _testSourceAddress(self):
+        self.cli = socket.create_connection(
+                (HOST, self.port), 30, ('127.0.0.1', self.source_port))
+        self.assertEqual(self.cli.getsockname(),
+                         ('127.0.0.1', self.source_port))
+
     testTimeoutDefault = _justAccept
     def _testTimeoutDefault(self):
         # passing no explicit timeout uses socket's global default
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index 81d01e4..451a2a0 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -191,6 +191,11 @@
 Library
 -------
 
+_ Issue #3972: http.client.HTTPConnection now accepts an optional source_address
+  parameter to allow specifying where your connections come from.
+
+- socket.create_connection now accepts an optional source_address parameter.
+
 - Issue #5511: now zipfile.ZipFile can be used as a context manager.
   Initial patch by Brian Curtin.