diff --git a/elasticsearch/connection/http.py b/elasticsearch/connection/http.py
index 4b20d4b2..d8ab2571 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/connection/http.py
+++ b/elasticsearch/connection/http.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class RequestsHttpConnection(Connection):
     :arg use_ssl: use ssl for the connection if `True`
     """
     def __init__(self, host='localhost', port=9200, http_auth=None, use_ssl=False, **kwargs):
-        super(RequestsHttpConnection, self).__init__(host=host, port=port, **kwargs)
+        super(RequestsHttpConnection, self).__init__(host= host, port=port, **kwargs)
         self.session = requests.session()
         if http_auth is not None:
             if not isinstance(http_auth, tuple):
@@ -32,16 +32,18 @@ class RequestsHttpConnection(Connection):
 
     def perform_request(self, method, url, params=None, body=None, timeout=None, ignore=()):
         url = self.base_url + url
+        if params:
+            url = '%s?%s' % (url, urlencode(params or {}))
 
-        # use prepared requests so that requests formats url and params for us to log
-        request = requests.Request(method, url, params=params or {}, data=body).prepare()
         start = time.time()
         try:
-            response = self.session.send(request, timeout=timeout or self.timeout)
+            response = self.session.request(method, url, data=body, timeout=timeout or self.timeout)
+            # retrieve request so that we can use .path_url in logging
+            request = response.request
             duration = time.time() - start
             raw_data = response.text
         except (requests.ConnectionError, requests.Timeout) as e:
-            self.log_request_fail(method, request.url, time.time() - start, exception=e)
+            self.log_request_fail(method, url, time.time() - start, exception=e)
             raise ConnectionError('N/A', str(e), e)
 
         # raise errors based on http status codes, let the client handle those if needed
diff --git a/test_elasticsearch/test_connection.py b/test_elasticsearch/test_connection.py
index 31ec10d2..1320e070 100644
--- a/test_elasticsearch/test_connection.py
+++ b/test_elasticsearch/test_connection.py
@@ -45,13 +45,15 @@ class TestUrllib3Connection(TestCase):
 class TestRequestsConnection(TestCase):
     def _get_mock_connection(self, connection_params={}, status_code=200, response_body=u'{}'):
         con = RequestsHttpConnection(**connection_params)
-
-        con.session.send = Mock()
-
-        dummy_response = Mock()
-        con.session.send.return_value = dummy_response
-        dummy_response.status_code = status_code
-        dummy_response.text = response_body
+        def _dummy_send(*args, **kwargs):
+            dummy_response = Mock()
+            dummy_response.headers = {}
+            dummy_response.status_code = status_code
+            dummy_response.text = response_body
+            dummy_response.request = args[0]
+            _dummy_send.call_args = (args, kwargs)
+            return dummy_response
+        con.session.send = _dummy_send
         return con
 
     def _get_request(self, connection, *args, **kwargs):
@@ -59,11 +61,9 @@ class TestRequestsConnection(TestCase):
         self.assertEquals(200, status)
         self.assertEquals(u'{}', data)
 
-        self.assertEquals(1, connection.session.send.call_count)
-
         timeout = kwargs.pop('timeout', connection.timeout)
         args, kwargs = connection.session.send.call_args
-        self.assertEquals({'timeout': timeout}, kwargs)
+        self.assertEquals(timeout, kwargs['timeout'])
         self.assertEquals(1, len(args))
         return args[0]