diff --git a/pkg/http/client.go b/pkg/http/client.go
index 47d9d3f..443501f 100644
--- a/pkg/http/client.go
+++ b/pkg/http/client.go
@@ -208,31 +208,23 @@ func (r *HTTPClient) replaceHostIfNeeded(req *http.Request) {
 		host := req.URL.Host
 		if strings.HasSuffix(host, ".com") {
 			newHost := strings.Replace(host, ".com", ".cloud", 1)
-			newURL := *req.URL
-			newURL.Host = newHost
-			req.URL = &newURL
+			req.Host = newHost
+			req.URL.Host = newHost
 		}
-		return
 	}
 	// if hosts are found, ensure the host is an IPv6 host
-	host, _, err := net.SplitHostPort(req.URL.Host)
-	if err != nil {
-		host = req.URL.Host // Use the host without port
-	}
 	found := false
 	for _, h := range r.ipv6Hosts {
-		if h == host {
+		if h == req.URL.Host {
 			found = true
 			break
 		}
 	}
 	// if host is not an IPv6 host, replace it with a random IPv6 host
 	if !found {
-		r.log.Warnf("Host %s is not an IPv6 host (ensure you have preferred_hosts properly set in your config.yml, if unset, run `zurg network-test -t ipv6`)", host)
+		r.log.Warnf("Host %s is not an IPv6 host (ensure you have preferred_hosts properly set in your config.yml, if unset, run `zurg network-test -t ipv6`)", req.URL.Host)
 		newHost := r.ipv6Hosts[rand.Intn(len(r.ipv6Hosts))]
-		newURL := *req.URL
-		newURL.Host = newHost
-		req.URL = &newURL
-		r.log.Warnf("Replaced host %s with %s", host, newHost)
+		req.Host = newHost
+		req.URL.Host = newHost
 	}
 }