diff --git a/src/core/qhttpsocket.cpp b/src/core/qhttpsocket.cpp
index 0bf5e7d..e8a9e65 100644
--- a/src/core/qhttpsocket.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qhttpsocket.cpp
@@ -30,16 +30,16 @@
 #include "qhttpsocket.h"
 #include "qhttpsocket_p.h"
 
-QHttpSocketPrivate::QHttpSocketPrivate(QHttpSocket *socket, QIODevice *baseDevice)
+QHttpSocketPrivate::QHttpSocketPrivate(QHttpSocket *socket, QTcpSocket *baseSocket)
     : QObject(socket),
       q(socket),
-      device(baseDevice),
+      socket(baseSocket),
       statusCode("200 OK"),
       headersParsed(false),
       headersWritten(false)
 {
-    connect(device, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(onReadyRead()));
-    connect(device, SIGNAL(bytesWritten(qint64)), this, SLOT(onBytesWritten(qint64)));
+    connect(socket, SIGNAL(readyRead()), this, SLOT(onReadyRead()));
+    connect(socket, SIGNAL(bytesWritten(qint64)), this, SLOT(onBytesWritten(qint64)));
 
     // Attempt to read data from the device the next time the event loop is entered
     QTimer::singleShot(0, this, SLOT(onReadyRead()));
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ QHttpSocketPrivate::QHttpSocketPrivate(QHttpSocket *socket, QIODevice *baseDevic
 void QHttpSocketPrivate::onReadyRead()
 {
     // Add the new data to the internal buffer
-    buffer.append(device->readAll());
+    buffer.append(socket->readAll());
 
     // If the request headers have not yet been parsed, check for two CRLFs
     if(!headersParsed) {
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ void QHttpSocketPrivate::onBytesWritten(qint64 bytes)
     }
 }
 
-QHttpSocket::QHttpSocket(QIODevice *device, QObject *parent)
+QHttpSocket::QHttpSocket(QTcpSocket *socket, QObject *parent)
     : QIODevice(parent),
-      d(new QHttpSocketPrivate(this, device))
+      d(new QHttpSocketPrivate(this, socket))
 {
     setOpenMode(QIODevice::ReadWrite);
 }
@@ -172,11 +172,11 @@ void QHttpSocket::writeHeaders()
     // Append an extra CRLF
     header.append("\r\n");
 
-    // Write the header
-    d->device->write(header);
-
     d->headerLength = header.length();
     d->headersWritten = true;
+
+    // Write the header
+    d->socket->write(header);
 }
 
 qint64 QHttpSocket::readData(char *data, qint64 maxlen)
@@ -198,11 +198,11 @@ qint64 QHttpSocket::readData(char *data, qint64 maxlen)
 
 qint64 QHttpSocket::writeData(const char *data, qint64 len)
 {
-    // If the response headers have not yet been written, they
-    // must immediately be written before the data can be
+    // If the response headers have not yet been written, they must
+    // immediately be written before the data can be
     if(!d->headersWritten) {
         writeHeaders();
     }
 
-    return d->device->write(data, len);
+    return d->socket->write(data, len);
 }
diff --git a/src/core/qhttpsocket.h b/src/core/qhttpsocket.h
index 51ec382..3b4f383 100644
--- a/src/core/qhttpsocket.h
+++ b/src/core/qhttpsocket.h
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 #ifndef QHTTPENGINE_QHTTPSOCKET_H
 #define QHTTPENGINE_QHTTPSOCKET_H
 
-#include <QIODevice>
 #include <QList>
+#include <QTcpSocket>
 
 #include "../util/qibytearray.h"
 #include "config.h"
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ class QHTTPENGINE_EXPORT QHttpSocketPrivate;
  * @brief Implementation of the HTTP protocol
  *
  * QHttpSocket provides a class derived from QIODevice that can be used to
- * read data from and write data to an HTTP client through a QIODevice
+ * read data from and write data to an HTTP client through a QTcpSocket
  * provided in the constructor.
  *
  * Once the headersParsedChanged() signal is emitted, information about the
@@ -60,12 +60,13 @@ class QHTTPENGINE_EXPORT QHttpSocket : public QIODevice
 public:
 
     /**
-     * @brief Create a new QHttpSocket from a QIODevice
+     * @brief Create a new QHttpSocket from a QTcpSocket
      *
-     * It is assumed that the device is already opened for reading and
-     * writing.
+     * This instance will assume ownership of the socket. That is, it will
+     * make itself the parent of the socket. It is assumed that the socket
+     * is already opened for reading and writing.
      */
-    QHttpSocket(QIODevice *device, QObject *parent = 0);
+    QHttpSocket(QTcpSocket *socket, QObject *parent = 0);
 
     /**
      * @brief Retrieve the number of bytes available for reading
diff --git a/src/core/qhttpsocket_p.h b/src/core/qhttpsocket_p.h
index c42ef20..bfd1134 100644
--- a/src/core/qhttpsocket_p.h
+++ b/src/core/qhttpsocket_p.h
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
 #ifndef QHTTPENGINE_QHTTPSOCKETPRIVATE_H
 #define QHTTPENGINE_QHTTPSOCKETPRIVATE_H
 
-#include <QIODevice>
 #include <QList>
+#include <QTcpSocket>
 
 #include "../util/qhttpparser.h"
 #include "qhttpsocket.h"
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ class QHttpSocketPrivate : public QObject
 
 public:
 
-    QHttpSocketPrivate(QHttpSocket *socket, QIODevice *baseDevice);
+    QHttpSocketPrivate(QHttpSocket *socket, QTcpSocket *baseSocket);
 
-    QIODevice *const device;
+    QTcpSocket *const socket;
     QByteArray buffer;
 
     QByteArray method;
diff --git a/tests/TestQFilesystemHandler.cpp b/tests/TestQFilesystemHandler.cpp
index 1d83220..0c52509 100644
--- a/tests/TestQFilesystemHandler.cpp
+++ b/tests/TestQFilesystemHandler.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <QTemporaryDir>
 #include <QTest>
 
+#include "common/qsocketpair.h"
 #include "core/qhttpsocket.h"
 #include "handler/qfilesystemhandler.h"
 
@@ -85,8 +86,10 @@ void TestQFilesystemHandler::testRequests()
 
     QFilesystemHandler handler(QDir(dir.path()).absoluteFilePath("root"));
 
-    QBuffer buffer;
-    QHttpSocket socket(&buffer);
+    QSocketPair pair;
+    QTRY_VERIFY(pair.isConnected());
+
+    QHttpSocket socket(pair.server());
 
     QCOMPARE(handler.process(&socket, path), process);
 }