diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index f49d695..4b74532 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 group = org.xbib
 name = netty-http-client
-version = 4.1.11.0
+version = 4.1.11.1
 
 netty.version = 4.1.11.Final
 tcnative.version = 2.0.1.Final
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientBuilder.java
index 6b5a486..ee2b047 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientBuilder.java
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ public class HttpClientBuilder implements HttpClientChannelContextDefaults {
 
     private Socks5ProxyHandler socks5ProxyHandler;
 
+    /**
+     * Set byte buf allocator for payload in HTTP requests.
+     * @param byteBufAllocator the byte buf allocator
+     * @return this builder
+     */
     public HttpClientBuilder withByteBufAllocator(ByteBufAllocator byteBufAllocator) {
         this.byteBufAllocator = byteBufAllocator;
         return this;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientRequestBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientRequestBuilder.java
index f1660fd..ba3cd64 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpClientRequestBuilder.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public class HttpClientRequestBuilder implements HttpRequestBuilder, HttpRequest
 
     private int maxRedirects = DEFAULT_MAX_REDIRECT;
 
-    private URI uri;
+    private URI uri = DEFAULT_URI;
 
     private QueryStringEncoder queryStringEncoder;
 
@@ -163,6 +163,16 @@ public class HttpClientRequestBuilder implements HttpRequestBuilder, HttpRequest
         return this;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public HttpRequestBuilder path(String path) {
+        if (this.uri != null) {
+            setURL(this.uri.resolve(path).toString());
+        } else {
+            setURL(path);
+        }
+        return this;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public HttpRequestBuilder addHeader(String name, Object value) {
         headers.add(name, value);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestBuilder.java
index 129893f..63d218c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestBuilder.java
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public interface HttpRequestBuilder {
 
     HttpRequestBuilder setURL(String url);
 
+    HttpRequestBuilder path(String path);
+
     HttpRequestBuilder setHeader(String name, Object value);
 
     HttpRequestBuilder addHeader(String name, Object value);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestDefaults.java b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestDefaults.java
index 2b52a64..db53686 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestDefaults.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/HttpRequestDefaults.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ package org.xbib.netty.http.client;
 
 import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpVersion;
 
+import java.net.URI;
+
 /**
  */
 public interface HttpRequestDefaults {
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@ public interface HttpRequestDefaults {
 
     String DEFAULT_USER_AGENT = HttpClientUserAgent.getUserAgent();
 
+    URI DEFAULT_URI = URI.create("http://localhost");
+
     boolean DEFAULT_GZIP = true;
 
     boolean DEFAULT_FOLLOW_REDIRECT = true;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/test/URITest.java b/src/test/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/test/URITest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76b8aa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/org/xbib/netty/http/client/test/URITest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package org.xbib.netty.http.client.test;
+
+import io.netty.handler.codec.http.HttpMethod;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.xbib.netty.http.client.HttpClientRequestBuilder;
+import org.xbib.netty.http.client.HttpRequestBuilder;
+
+import java.net.URI;
+
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+
+/**
+ */
+public class URITest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testURIResolve() {
+        URI uri = URI.create("http://localhost");
+        URI uri2 = uri.resolve("/path");
+        assertEquals("http://localhost/path", uri2.toString());
+        uri = URI.create("http://localhost/path1?a=b");
+        uri2 = uri.resolve("path2?c=d");
+        assertEquals("http://localhost/path2?c=d", uri2.toString());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testClientRequestURIs() {
+        HttpRequestBuilder httpRequestBuilder = HttpClientRequestBuilder.builder(HttpMethod.GET);
+        httpRequestBuilder.setURL("https://localhost").path("/path");
+        assertEquals("/path", httpRequestBuilder.build().uri());
+        httpRequestBuilder.path("/foobar");
+        assertEquals("/foobar", httpRequestBuilder.build().uri());
+        httpRequestBuilder.path("/path1?a=b");
+        assertEquals("/path1?a=b", httpRequestBuilder.build().uri());
+        httpRequestBuilder.path("/path2?c=d");
+        assertEquals("/path2?c=d", httpRequestBuilder.build().uri());
+    }
+}