diff --git a/lib/core/option.py b/lib/core/option.py
index 0e4a8878a..dc32272ae 100644
--- a/lib/core/option.py
+++ b/lib/core/option.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import lib.core.threads
 
 from extra.keepalive import keepalive
 from extra.oset.pyoset import oset
+from extra.socks import socks
 from lib.controller.checks import checkConnection
 from lib.core.common import Backend
 from lib.core.common import dataToStdout
@@ -1674,11 +1675,21 @@ def __setTrafficOutputFP():
 
         conf.trafficFP = openFile(conf.trafficFile, "w+")
 
-def __setTorProxySettings():
+def __setTorSocksProxySettings():
     if not conf.tor:
         return
 
-    infoMsg = "setting Tor proxy settings"
+    infoMsg = "setting Tor SOCKS proxy settings"
+    logger.info(infoMsg)
+
+    socks.setdefaultproxy(socks.PROXY_TYPE_SOCKS5, 'localhost', 9050)
+    socks.wrapmodule(urllib2)
+
+def __setTorHTTPProxySettings():
+    if not conf.tor:
+        return
+
+    infoMsg = "setting Tor HTTP proxy settings"
     logger.info(infoMsg)
 
     found = None
@@ -1852,7 +1863,7 @@ def init(inputOptions=AttribDict(), overrideOptions=False):
     __cleanupOptions()
     __checkDependencies()
     __basicOptionValidation()
-    __setTorProxySettings()
+    __setTorSocksProxySettings()
     __setMultipleTargets()
     __setTamperingFunctions()
     __setTrafficOutputFP()
diff --git a/lib/request/connect.py b/lib/request/connect.py
index d1d8baa96..5e2fc2c5c 100644
--- a/lib/request/connect.py
+++ b/lib/request/connect.py
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ import urllib2
 import urlparse
 import traceback
 
+from extra.socks.socks import GeneralProxyError
 from extra.multipart import multipartpost
+
 from lib.core.agent import agent
 from lib.core.common import asciifyUrl
 from lib.core.common import average
@@ -92,10 +94,20 @@ class Connect:
             warnMsg += "lower the --time-sec value (e.g. --time-sec=2)"
             singleTimeWarnMessage(warnMsg)
         elif kb.originalPage is None:
-            warnMsg = "if the problem persists please check that the provided "
-            warnMsg += "target url is valid. If it is, you can try to rerun "
-            warnMsg += "with the --random-agent switch turned on "
-            warnMsg += "and/or proxy switches (--ignore-proxy, --proxy,...)"
+            if conf.tor:
+                warnMsg = "please make sure that you have "
+                warnMsg += "Tor installed and running so "
+                warnMsg += "you could successfully use "
+                warnMsg += "--tor switch "
+                if IS_WIN:
+                    warnMsg += "(e.g. https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html.en)"
+                else:
+                    warnMsg += "(e.g. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Tor)"
+            else:
+                warnMsg = "if the problem persists please check that the provided "
+                warnMsg += "target url is valid. If it is, you can try to rerun "
+                warnMsg += "with the --random-agent switch turned on "
+                warnMsg += "and/or proxy switches (--ignore-proxy, --proxy,...)"
             singleTimeWarnMessage(warnMsg)
         elif conf.threads > 1:
             warnMsg = "if the problem persists please try to lower "
@@ -440,7 +452,7 @@ class Connect:
                 processResponse(page, responseHeaders)
                 return page, responseHeaders, code
 
-        except (urllib2.URLError, socket.error, socket.timeout, httplib.BadStatusLine, httplib.IncompleteRead), e:
+        except (urllib2.URLError, socket.error, socket.timeout, httplib.BadStatusLine, httplib.IncompleteRead, GeneralProxyError), e:
             tbMsg = traceback.format_exc()
 
             if "no host given" in tbMsg: