diff --git a/netlib/tcp.py b/netlib/tcp.py
index 007cf3a56..25e83e075 100644
--- a/netlib/tcp.py
+++ b/netlib/tcp.py
@@ -48,11 +48,10 @@ class FileLike:
 
 
 class TCPClient:
-    def __init__(self, ssl, host, port, clientcert, sni):
-        self.ssl, self.host, self.port, self.clientcert, self.sni = ssl, host, port, clientcert, sni
+    def __init__(self, ssl, host, port, clientcert):
+        self.ssl, self.host, self.port, self.clientcert = ssl, host, port, clientcert
         self.connection, self.rfile, self.wfile = None, None, None
         self.cert = None
-        self.connect()
 
     def connect(self):
         try:
@@ -75,6 +74,9 @@ class TCPClient:
 
 
 class BaseHandler:
+    """
+        The instantiator is expected to call the handle() and finish() methods.
+    """
     rbufsize = -1
     wbufsize = 0
     def __init__(self, connection, client_address, server):
@@ -84,8 +86,6 @@ class BaseHandler:
 
         self.client_address = client_address
         self.server = server
-        self.handle()
-        self.finish()
 
     def convert_to_ssl(self, cert, key):
         ctx = SSL.Context(SSL.SSLv23_METHOD)
diff --git a/test/test_tcp.py b/test/test_tcp.py
index 9aebb2f00..1bad9a040 100644
--- a/test/test_tcp.py
+++ b/test/test_tcp.py
@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ class TServer(tcp.TCPServer):
         self.ssl, self.q = ssl, q
 
     def handle_connection(self, request, client_address):
-        THandler(request, client_address, self)
+        h = THandler(request, client_address, self)
+        h.handle()
+        h.finish()
 
     def handle_error(self, request, client_address):
         s = cStringIO.StringIO()
@@ -64,7 +66,8 @@ class TestServer(ServerTestBase):
 
     def test_echo(self):
         testval = "echo!\n"
-        c = tcp.TCPClient(False, "127.0.0.1", self.port, None, None)
+        c = tcp.TCPClient(False, "127.0.0.1", self.port, None)
+        c.connect()
         c.wfile.write(testval)
         c.wfile.flush()
         assert c.rfile.readline() == testval
@@ -79,7 +82,8 @@ class TestServerSSL(ServerTestBase):
         return s
 
     def test_echo(self):
-        c = tcp.TCPClient(True, "127.0.0.1", self.port, None, None)
+        c = tcp.TCPClient(True, "127.0.0.1", self.port, None)
+        c.connect()
         testval = "echo!\n"
         c.wfile.write(testval)
         c.wfile.flush()
@@ -88,7 +92,8 @@ class TestServerSSL(ServerTestBase):
 
 class TestTCPClient:
     def test_conerr(self):
-        tutils.raises(tcp.NetLibError, tcp.TCPClient, False, "127.0.0.1", 0, None, None)
+        c = tcp.TCPClient(True, "127.0.0.1", 0, None)
+        tutils.raises(tcp.NetLibError, c.connect)
 
 
 class TestFileLike: