diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 38d808f..175ead3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,9 +11,7 @@ Basic example:
 
 ```go
 // Connect
-c := New("127.0.0.1:783", &net.Dialer{
-    Timeout: 20 * time.Second,
-})
+c := New(TCPDialer("127.0.0.1:783"))
 ctx := context.Background()
 
 msg := strings.NewReader("Subject: Hello\r\n\r\nHey there!\r\n")
diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 689ac3b..ffb5682 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package spamc
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"context"
+	"crypto/tls"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net"
@@ -33,10 +34,8 @@ type Error struct {
 
 func (e Error) Error() string { return e.msg }
 
-// Dialer to connect to spamd; usually a net.Dialer instance.
-type Dialer interface {
-	DialContext(ctx context.Context, network, address string) (net.Conn, error)
-}
+// Dialer to connect to spamd.
+type Dialer func(context.Context) (net.Conn, error)
 
 // Header for requests and responses.
 type Header map[string]string
@@ -104,22 +103,39 @@ func (h Header) normalizeKey(k string) string {
 	}
 }
 
-// New created a new Client instance.
-//
-// The addr should be as "host:port"; as dialer most people will want to use
-// net.Dialer:
+// New creates a new Client instance.
 //
-//   New("127.0.0.1:783", &net.Dialer{Timeout: 20 * time.Second})
+// Examples:
 //
-// If the passed dialer is nil then this will be used as a default.
-func New(addr string, d Dialer) *Client {
-	if d == nil {
-		d = &net.Dialer{Timeout: 20 * time.Second}
-	}
-	return &Client{
-		addr:   addr,
-		dialer: d,
+//   New(TCPDialer("127.0.0.1:783"))
+//   New(UnixDialer("/path/to/sock.unix"))
+func New(d Dialer) *Client {
+	return &Client{dialer: d}
+}
+
+// TCPDialer creates a TCP Dialer with a 20 second timeout.
+func TCPDialer(addr string) Dialer {
+	return buildDialer(addr, "tcp", 20*time.Second)
+}
+
+// UnixDialer creates a Unix Dialer with a 20 second timeout.
+func UnixDialer(addr string) Dialer {
+	return buildDialer(addr, "unix", 20*time.Second)
+}
+
+// TLSDialer creates a TLS Dialer.
+func TLSDialer(addr string, c *tls.Config) Dialer {
+	timeout := 20 * time.Second
+	dialer := net.Dialer{Timeout: timeout}
+	return func(ctx context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
+		conn, err := tls.DialWithDialer(&dialer, "tcp", addr, c)
+		if err != nil {
+			return conn, err
+		}
+		err = conn.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(timeout))
+		return conn, err
 	}
+
 }
 
 // Ping returns a confirmation that spamd is alive.
diff --git a/api_test.go b/api_test.go
index 909fad1..8d4b22d 100644
--- a/api_test.go
+++ b/api_test.go
@@ -362,18 +362,12 @@ func TestTell(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-type testDialer struct {
-	conn fakeconn.Conn
-}
-
-func (d *testDialer) DialContext(ctx context.Context, network, address string) (net.Conn, error) {
-	return d.conn, nil
-}
-
 func newClient(resp string) *Client {
-	d := &testDialer{conn: fakeconn.New()}
-	d.conn.ReadFrom.WriteString(resp)
-	return New("", d)
+	conn := fakeconn.New()
+	conn.ReadFrom.WriteString(resp)
+	return New(func(ctx context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
+		return conn, nil
+	})
 }
 
 func TestHeader(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/example_test.go b/example_test.go
index 3dfafd3..239e1ea 100644
--- a/example_test.go
+++ b/example_test.go
@@ -4,16 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
-	"net"
 	"strings"
-	"time"
 )
 
 func Example() {
 	// Connect
-	c := New("127.0.0.1:783", &net.Dialer{
-		Timeout: 20 * time.Second,
-	})
+	c := New(TCPDialer("127.0.0.1:783"))
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
 	msg := strings.NewReader("Subject: Hello\r\n\r\nHey there!\r\n")
diff --git a/sa_test.go b/sa_test.go
index 35d0c6d..7c8edc0 100644
--- a/sa_test.go
+++ b/sa_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ package spamc
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"crypto/tls"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 var addr = os.Getenv("SPAMC_SA_ADDRESS")
 
 func TestSAPing(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 	err := client.Ping(context.Background())
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ func TestSAPing(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSACheck(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 	r, err := client.Check(context.Background(), strings.NewReader("\r\nPenis viagra\r\n"), nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ func TestSACheck(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSASymbols(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 	r, err := client.Symbols(context.Background(), strings.NewReader(""+
 		"Date: now\r\n"+
 		"From: invalid\r\n"+
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ func TestSASymbols(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSAReport(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 	r, err := client.Report(context.Background(), strings.NewReader(""+
 		"Date: now\r\n"+
 		"From: a@example.com\r\n"+
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ func TestSAReport(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSAProcess(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 	r, err := client.Process(context.Background(), strings.NewReader(""+
 		"Date: now\r\n"+
 		"From: a@example.com\r\n"+
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ func TestSAProcess(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSAHeaders(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 	r, err := client.Headers(context.Background(), strings.NewReader(""+
 		"Date: now\r\n"+
 		"From: a@example.com\r\n"+
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ func TestSAHeaders(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestSATell(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 	message := strings.NewReader("Subject: Hello, world!\r\n\r\nTest message.\r\n")
 	r, err := client.Tell(context.Background(), message, Header{}.
 		Set("Message-class", "spam").
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ func TestSATell(t *testing.T) {
 
 // Make sure SA works when we send the message without trailing newline.
 func TestSANoTrailingNewline(t *testing.T) {
-	client := New(addr, nil)
+	client := New(TCPDialer(addr))
 
 	r, err := client.Check(context.Background(), strings.NewReader("woot"), nil)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/spamc.go b/spamc.go
index ea6b07f..7cad3fe 100644
--- a/spamc.go
+++ b/spamc.go
@@ -56,6 +56,19 @@ var errorMessages = map[int]string{
 	79: "Read timeout",                           // EX_TIMEOUT
 }
 
+// buildDialer is a helper to build a Dialer.
+func buildDialer(addr string, proto string, timeout time.Duration) Dialer {
+	dialer := net.Dialer{Timeout: timeout}
+	return func(ctx context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
+		conn, err := dialer.DialContext(ctx, proto, addr)
+		if err != nil {
+			return conn, err
+		}
+		err = conn.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(timeout))
+		return conn, err
+	}
+}
+
 // send a command to spamd.
 func (c *Client) send(
 	ctx context.Context,
@@ -64,8 +77,11 @@ func (c *Client) send(
 	headers Header,
 ) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 
-	conn, err := c.dial(ctx)
+	conn, err := c.dialer(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
+		if conn != nil {
+			conn.Close() // nolint: errcheck
+		}
 		return nil, errors.Wrapf(err, "could not dial to %v", c.addr)
 	}
 
@@ -160,27 +176,6 @@ func sizeFromReader(r io.Reader) (int64, error) {
 
 }
 
-func (c *Client) dial(ctx context.Context) (net.Conn, error) {
-	conn, err := c.dialer.DialContext(ctx, "tcp", c.addr)
-	if err != nil {
-		if conn != nil {
-			conn.Close() // nolint: errcheck
-		}
-		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "could not connect to spamd")
-	}
-
-	// Set connection timeout
-	if ndial, ok := c.dialer.(*net.Dialer); ok {
-		err = conn.SetDeadline(time.Now().Add(ndial.Timeout))
-		if err != nil {
-			conn.Close() // nolint: errcheck
-			return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "connection to spamd timed out")
-		}
-	}
-
-	return conn, nil
-}
-
 // The spamd protocol is a HTTP-esque protocol; a response's first line is the
 // response code:
 //