diff --git a/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js b/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js
index 207401c4d2..60f8d07a29 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/client_convenience.js
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 _.extend(Meteor, {
-  // XXX this isn't going to work -- when connecting to a remote
-  // server, the user isn't going to know to include /sockjs. need to
-  // add it in stream_client..
-
-  // Path matches sockjs 'prefix' in stream_server. We should revisit
-  // this once we specify the 'on the wire' aspects of livedata more
-  // clearly.
-  default_connection: Meteor.connect('/sockjs', true /* restart_on_update */),
+  default_connection: Meteor.connect('/', true /* restart_on_update */),
 
   refresh: function (notification) {
   }
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
index 577acb12f6..5498aaa7ce 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ if (Meteor.is_server) {
 // XXX namespacing
 Meteor._capture_subs = null;
 
+// @param url {String|Object} See #LivedataURL
 Meteor._LivedataConnection = function (url, restart_on_update) {
   var self = this;
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ Meteor._LivedataConnection = function (url, restart_on_update) {
     // the url is used as a key for the migration data.
     self.url = "/debug";
   } else {
-    self.url = url;
+    self.url = Meteor._LivedataConnection._toSockjsUrl(url);
   }
 
   self.last_session_id = null;
@@ -168,6 +169,35 @@ Meteor._LivedataConnection = function (url, restart_on_update) {
   });
 };
 
+_.extend(Meteor._LivedataConnection, {
+  // @param url {String} See #LivedataURL
+  // @returns {String} A URL to the sockjs endpoint, e.g.
+  //   "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs" or "/sockjs"
+  _toSockjsUrl: function(url) {
+    // XXX from Underscore.String (http://epeli.github.com/underscore.string/)
+    var startsWith = function(str, starts) {
+      return str.length >= starts.length &&
+        str.substring(0, starts.length) === starts;
+    };
+    var endsWith = function(str, ends) {
+      return str.length >= ends.length &&
+        str.substring(str.length - ends.length) === ends;
+    };
+
+    // Prefix FQDNs but not relative URLs
+    if (!startsWith(url, "http://") && !startsWith(url, "/")) {
+      url = "http://" + url;
+    }
+
+    if (endsWith(url, "/sockjs"))
+      return url;
+    else if (endsWith(url, "/"))
+      return url + "sockjs";
+    else
+      return url + "/sockjs";
+  }
+});
+
 _.extend(Meteor._LivedataConnection.prototype, {
   // 'name' is the name of the data on the wire that should go in the
   // store. 'store' should be an object with methods beginUpdate,
@@ -562,12 +592,18 @@ _.extend(Meteor._LivedataConnection.prototype, {
       return !m.callback;
     });
   }
-
 });
 
 _.extend(Meteor, {
-  connect: function (url, _restart_on_update) {
-    return new Meteor._LivedataConnection(url, _restart_on_update);
+  // @param url {String} ##LivedataURL e.g.
+  //     "subdomain.meteor.com" (preferred),
+  //     "http://subdomain.meteor.com",
+  //     "subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs" (deprecated?),
+  //     "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs" (deprecated?),
+  //     "/",
+  //     "/sockjs" (deprecated?)
+  connect: function (url, _restartOnUpdate) {
+    return new Meteor._LivedataConnection(url, _restartOnUpdate);
   },
 
   autosubscribe: function (sub_func) {
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
index b152ebe79c..3fc4d9cdc2 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_connection_tests.js
@@ -397,6 +397,31 @@ Tinytest.add("livedata stub - reconnect", function (test) {
   handle.stop();
 });
 
+Tinytest.add("livedata connection - sockjs urls are computed correctly", function(test) {
+  var testHasSockjsUrl = function(raw, expectedSockjsUrl) {
+    test.equal(Meteor._LivedataConnection._toSockjsUrl(raw), expectedSockjsUrl);
+  };
+
+  testHasSockjsUrl("http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs",
+                   "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("http://subdomain.meteor.com/",
+                   "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("http://subdomain.meteor.com",
+                   "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("subdomain.meteor.com/",
+                   "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("subdomain.meteor.com",
+                   "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("/sockjs", "/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("/", "/sockjs");
+
+  testHasSockjsUrl("http://localhost:3000/sockjs",
+                   "http://localhost:3000/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("http://localhost:3000/", "http://localhost:3000/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("http://localhost:3000", "http://localhost:3000/sockjs");
+  testHasSockjsUrl("localhost:3000", "http://localhost:3000/sockjs");
+});
+
 // XXX also test:
 // - reconnect, with session resume.
 // - restart on update flag
diff --git a/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js b/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js
index 2a819900dc..23317cc574 100644
--- a/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js
+++ b/packages/livedata/livedata_tests.js
@@ -238,7 +238,6 @@ testAsyncMulti("livedata - compound methods", [
   }
 ]);
 
-
 // XXX some things to test in greater detail:
 // staying in simulation mode
 // time warp
diff --git a/packages/madewith/madewith.js b/packages/madewith/madewith.js
index f3f6bddd67..127915bf8f 100644
--- a/packages/madewith/madewith.js
+++ b/packages/madewith/madewith.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   var shortname = match ? match[1] : hostname;
 
   // connect to madewith and subscribe to my app's record
-  var server = Meteor.connect("http://madewith.meteor.com/sockjs");
+  var server = Meteor.connect("madewith.meteor.com");
   var sub = server.subscribe("myApp", hostname);
 
   // minimongo collection to hold my singleton app record.
diff --git a/packages/stream/stream_client.js b/packages/stream/stream_client.js
index 3d7b16064d..5eb58ec397 100644
--- a/packages/stream/stream_client.js
+++ b/packages/stream/stream_client.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+// @param url {String} A URL to a sockjs endpoint, e.g.
+//   "http://subdomain.meteor.com/sockjs" or "/sockjs"
 Meteor._Stream = function (url) {
   var self = this;