diff --git a/bitelab/__main__.py b/bitelab/__main__.py
index 59a49bb..b9c6a50 100644
--- a/bitelab/__main__.py
+++ b/bitelab/__main__.py
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ def make_attrs(*args):
 
 _httpxargs = dict(timeout=20)
 
+def convert_to_ws(url):
+	if url.startswith('http://'):
+		url = url.replace('http', 'ws', 1)
+	elif url.startswith('https://'):
+		url = url.replace('https', 'wss', 1)
+
+	return url
+
 def output_board(brd):
 	print('Name:\t%s' % brd.name)
 	print('Class:\t%s' % brd.brdclass)
@@ -118,6 +126,7 @@ async def fwd_data(reader, writer):
 
 async def run_exec(baseurl, authkey, board, args):
 	url = urllib.parse.urljoin(baseurl, 'board/%s/exec' % urllib.parse.quote(board, safe=''))
+	url = convert_to_ws(url)
 	stdin, stdout = await aioconsole.stream.get_standard_streams()
 
 	async with websockets.connect(url) as ws, wsfwd.WSFWDClient(ws.recv, ws.send) as client:
@@ -338,7 +347,7 @@ class TestExecClient(unittest.IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
 
 			ret, stdout = await self.runAsyncMain()
 
-			webcon.assert_called_with(urllib.parse.urljoin('http://someserver/', 'board/cora-z7s/exec'))
+			webcon.assert_called_with(urllib.parse.urljoin('ws://someserver/', 'board/cora-z7s/exec'))
 
 		await server.__aexit__(None, None, None)
 
@@ -417,6 +426,17 @@ class TestClient(unittest.TestCase):
 
 		return ret, stdout.getvalue()
 
+	def test_converttows(self):
+		testpairs = [
+			('http://somelkjdf/sdoijef/http/https/',
+			'ws://somelkjdf/sdoijef/http/https/'),
+			('https://oiweufjk/aoijeskfj/sadfoije/http/https/',
+			'wss://oiweufjk/aoijeskfj/sadfoije/http/https/'),
+		]
+
+		for orig, new in testpairs:
+			self.assertEqual(convert_to_ws(orig), new, 'failed to convert: %s' % repr(orig))
+
 	def test_sshpubkey(self):
 		fname = 'fname'
 		rdata = 'foo'