diff --git a/cake/libs/http_socket.php b/cake/libs/http_socket.php
index 3aa2355ee..284a8ab3c 100644
--- a/cake/libs/http_socket.php
+++ b/cake/libs/http_socket.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
  * @lastmodified	$Date$
  * @license			http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php The MIT License
  */
-uses('socket', 'set');
+App::import('Core', array('Socket', 'Set'));
 
 /**
  * Cake network socket connection class.
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 			$request['uri'] = null;
 		}
 		$uri = $this->parseUri($request['uri']);
+
 		if (!isset($uri['host'])) {
 			$host = $this->config['host'];
 		}
@@ -188,13 +189,14 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 		$request['uri'] = $this->url($request['uri']);
 		$request['uri'] = $this->parseUri($request['uri'], true);
 		$this->request = Set::merge($this->request, $this->config['request'], $request);
+
 		$this->configUri($this->request['uri']);
 
 		if (isset($host)) {
 			$this->config['host'] = $host;
 		}
-
 		$cookies = null;
+
 		if (is_array($this->request['header'])) {
 			$this->request['header'] = $this->parseHeader($this->request['header']);
 			if (!empty($this->request['cookies'])) {
@@ -203,6 +205,13 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 			$this->request['header'] = array_merge(array('Host' => $this->request['uri']['host']), $this->request['header']);
 		}
 
+		if (isset($this->request['auth']['user']) && isset($this->request['auth']['pass'])) {
+			$this->request['header']['Authorization'] = $this->request['auth']['method'] ." ". base64_encode($this->request['auth']['user'] .":".$this->request['auth']['pass']);
+		}
+		if (isset($this->request['uri']['user']) && isset($this->request['uri']['pass'])) {
+			$this->request['header']['Authorization'] = $this->request['auth']['method'] ." ". base64_encode($this->request['uri']['user'] .":".$this->request['uri']['pass']);
+		}
+
 		if (is_array($this->request['body'])) {
 			$this->request['body'] = $this->httpSerialize($this->request['body']);
 		}
@@ -251,6 +260,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 		if (!empty($this->response['cookies'])) {
 			$this->config['request']['cookies'] = array_merge($this->config['request']['cookies'], $this->response['cookies']);
 		}
+
 		return $this->response['body'];
 	}
 
@@ -333,7 +343,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 		}
 		if (is_string($url)) {
 			if ($url{0} == '/') {
-				$url = $this->config['request']['uri']['host'].':'.$this->config['request']['uri']['port'].$url;
+				$url = $this->config['request']['uri']['host'].':'.$this->config['request']['uri']['port'] . $url;
 			}
 			if (!preg_match('/^.+:\/\/|\*|^\//', $url)) {
 				$url = $this->config['request']['uri']['scheme'].'://'.$url;
@@ -344,6 +354,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 
 		$base = array_merge($this->config['request']['uri'], array('scheme' => array('http', 'https'), 'port' => array(80, 443)));
 		$url = $this->parseUri($url, $base);
+
 		if (empty($url)) {
 			$url = $this->config['request']['uri'];
 		}
@@ -369,17 +380,19 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 		}
 
 		static $responseTemplate;
+
 		if (empty($responseTemplate)) {
 			$classVars = get_class_vars(__CLASS__);
 			$responseTemplate = $classVars['response'];
 		}
 
 		$response = $responseTemplate;
+
 		if (!preg_match("/^(.+\r\n)(.*)(?<=\r\n)\r\n/Us", $message, $match)) {
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		list(, $response['raw']['status-line'], $response['raw']['header']) = $match;
+		list($null, $response['raw']['status-line'], $response['raw']['header']) = $match;
 		$response['raw']['response'] = $message;
 		$response['raw']['body'] = substr($message, strlen($match[0]));
 
@@ -392,6 +405,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 		$response['header'] = $this->parseHeader($response['raw']['header']);
 		$decoded = $this->decodeBody($response['raw']['body'], @$response['header']['Transfer-Encoding']);
 		$response['body'] = $decoded['body'];
+
 		if (!empty($decoded['header'])) {
 			$response['header'] = $this->parseHeader($this->buildHeader($response['header']).$this->buildHeader($decoded['header']));
 		}
@@ -640,6 +654,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 		if (is_string($query) && !empty($query)) {
 			$query = preg_replace('/^\?/', '', $query);
 			$items = explode('&', $query);
+
 			foreach ($items as $item) {
 				if (strpos($item, '=') !== false) {
 					list($key, $value) = explode('=', $item);
@@ -651,12 +666,6 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 				$key = urldecode($key);
 				$value = urldecode($value);
 
-				if ($value === '') {
-					$value = null;
-				} elseif (ctype_digit($value) == true) {
-					$value = (int)$value;
-				}
-
 				if (preg_match_all('/\[([^\[\]]*)\]/iUs', $key, $matches)) {
 					$subKeys = $matches[1];
 					$rootKey = substr($key, 0, strpos($key, '['));
diff --git a/cake/libs/socket.php b/cake/libs/socket.php
index 80864e4c6..fab69fc60 100644
--- a/cake/libs/socket.php
+++ b/cake/libs/socket.php
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
  * @lastmodified	$Date$
  * @license			http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php The MIT License
  */
-uses('validation');
+App::import('Core', 'Validation');
 
 /**
  * Cake network socket connection class.
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ class CakeSocket extends Object {
  * @access public
  */
 	var $connection = null;
-
 /**
  * This boolean contains the current state of the CakeSocket class
  *
@@ -77,7 +76,6 @@ class CakeSocket extends Object {
  * @access public
  */
 	var $connected = false;
-
 /**
  * This variable contains an array with the last error number (num) and string (str)
  *
@@ -85,7 +83,6 @@ class CakeSocket extends Object {
  * @access public
  */
 	var $error = array();
-
 /**
  * Constructor.
  *
@@ -94,11 +91,7 @@ class CakeSocket extends Object {
 	function __construct($config = array()) {
 		parent::__construct();
 
-		$classVars = get_class_vars(__CLASS__);
-		$baseConfig = $classVars['_baseConfig'];
-
-		$this->config = array_merge($baseConfig, $config);
-
+		$this->config = array_merge($this->_baseConfig, $config);
 		if (!is_numeric($this->config['protocol'])) {
 			$this->config['protocol'] = getprotobyname($this->config['protocol']);
 		}
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
index 9dba486c3..ae546ad87 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
  * @lastmodified	$Date$
  * @license			http://www.opensource.org/licenses/opengroup.php The Open Group Test Suite License
  */
-uses('http_socket');
+App::import('Core', 'HttpSocket');
 /**
  * Short description for class.
  *
@@ -796,7 +796,7 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends UnitTestCase {
 			'user' => null,
 			'pass' => null,
 			'path' => '/query',
-			'query' => array('foo' => null),
+			'query' => array('foo' => ""),
 			'fragment' => null
 		));
 
@@ -912,10 +912,10 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertIdentical($query, array('framework' => 'cakephp'));
 
 		$query = $this->Socket->parseQuery('a&b&c');
-		$this->assertIdentical($query, array('a' => null, 'b' => null, 'c' => null));
+		$this->assertIdentical($query, array('a' => '', 'b' => '', 'c' => ''));
 
 		$query = $this->Socket->parseQuery('value=12345');
-		$this->assertIdentical($query, array('value' => 12345));
+		$this->assertIdentical($query, array('value' => '12345'));
 
 		$query = $this->Socket->parseQuery('a[0]=foo&a[1]=bar&a[2]=cake');
 		$this->assertIdentical($query, array('a' => array(0 => 'foo', 1 => 'bar', 2 => 'cake')));
@@ -989,9 +989,9 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends UnitTestCase {
 						'ball'
 					)
 				),
-				'count' => 2
+				'count' => '2'
 			),
-			'empty' => null
+			'empty' => ''
 		);
 		$this->assertIdentical($query, $expectedQuery);
 	}
diff --git a/cake/tests/groups/socket.group.php b/cake/tests/groups/socket.group.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cbf7cff01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cake/tests/groups/socket.group.php
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+/* SVN FILE: $Id$ */
+/**
+ * Short description for file.
+ *
+ * Long description for file
+ *
+ * PHP versions 4 and 5
+ *
+ * CakePHP(tm) Tests <https://trac.cakephp.org/wiki/Developement/TestSuite>
+ * Copyright 2005-2007, Cake Software Foundation, Inc.
+ *								1785 E. Sahara Avenue, Suite 490-204
+ *								Las Vegas, Nevada 89104
+ *
+ *  Licensed under The Open Group Test Suite License
+ *  Redistributions of files must retain the above copyright notice.
+ *
+ * @filesource
+ * @copyright		Copyright 2005-2007, Cake Software Foundation, Inc.
+ * @link				https://trac.cakephp.org/wiki/Developement/TestSuite CakePHP(tm) Tests
+ * @package			cake.tests
+ * @subpackage		cake.tests.groups
+ * @since			CakePHP(tm) v 1.2.0.4206
+ * @version			$Revision$
+ * @modifiedby		$LastChangedBy$
+ * @lastmodified	$Date$
+ * @license			http://www.opensource.org/licenses/opengroup.php The Open Group Test Suite License
+ */
+/** Socket and HttpSocket tests
+ *
+ * This test group will run socket class tests (socket, http_socket).
+ *
+ * @package    cake.tests
+ * @subpackage cake.tests.groups
+ */
+class SocketGroupTest extends GroupTest {
+
+	var $label = 'Socket and HttpSocket tests';
+
+	function SocketGroupTest() {
+		TestManager::addTestFile($this, CORE_TEST_CASES . DS . 'libs' . DS . 'socket');
+		TestManager::addTestFile($this, CORE_TEST_CASES . DS . 'libs' . DS . 'http_socket');
+	}
+}
+?>
\ No newline at end of file