diff --git a/src/WebSockets.h b/src/WebSockets.h
index b81161a..c3901f5 100644
--- a/src/WebSockets.h
+++ b/src/WebSockets.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define bit(b) (1UL << (b)) // Taken directly from Arduino.h
 #else
 #include <Arduino.h>
+#include <IPAddress.h>
 #endif
 
 #include <functional>
diff --git a/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp b/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
index 7ee2eb5..57cce6c 100644
--- a/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
+++ b/src/WebSocketsClient.cpp
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ void WebSocketsClient::begin(String host, uint16_t port, String url, String prot
     begin(host.c_str(), port, url.c_str(), protocol.c_str());
 }
 
+void WebSocketsClient::begin(IPAddress host, uint16_t port, const char * url, const char * protocol) {
+	return begin(host.toString().c_str(), port, url, protocol);
+}
+
 #if (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE == NETWORK_ESP8266) || (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE == NETWORK_ESP32)
 void WebSocketsClient::beginSSL(const char *host, uint16_t port, const char * url, const char * fingerprint, const char * protocol) {
     begin(host, port, url, protocol);
diff --git a/src/WebSocketsClient.h b/src/WebSocketsClient.h
index b56cff8..8e6305e 100644
--- a/src/WebSocketsClient.h
+++ b/src/WebSocketsClient.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class WebSocketsClient: private WebSockets {
 
         void begin(const char *host, uint16_t port, const char * url = "/", const char * protocol = "arduino");
         void begin(String host, uint16_t port, String url = "/", String protocol = "arduino");
+        void begin(IPAddress host, uint16_t port, const char * url = "/", const char * protocol = "arduino");
 
 #if (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE == NETWORK_ESP8266) || (WEBSOCKETS_NETWORK_TYPE == NETWORK_ESP32)
         void beginSSL(const char *host, uint16_t port, const char * url = "/", const char * = "", const char * protocol = "arduino");