diff --git a/letsencrypt/client/client.py b/letsencrypt/client/client.py
index 98ca07c29..a9f2c6ea4 100755
--- a/letsencrypt/client/client.py
+++ b/letsencrypt/client/client.py
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
 import M2Crypto
-import urllib2, json
-# XXX TODO: per https://docs.google.com/document/pub?
-#id=1roBIeSJsYq3Ntpf6N0PIeeAAvu4ddn7mGo6Qb7aL7ew
-# urllib2 is unsafe (!) and must be replaced
+import json
 import os, grp, pwd, sys, time, random, sys, shutil
 
 # This line suppresses the no logging found for module 'jose' warning
@@ -22,6 +19,8 @@ from Crypto.PublicKey import RSA
 from Crypto.Signature import PKCS1_v1_5
 from Crypto.Hash import SHA256
 
+import requests
+
 from letsencrypt.client.acme import acme_object_validate
 from letsencrypt.client.sni_challenge import SNI_Challenge
 from letsencrypt.client.payment_challenge import Payment_Challenge
@@ -477,11 +476,16 @@ class Client(object):
 
     def send(self, json_obj):
         try:
-            acme_object_validate(json.dumps(json_obj))
-            response = urllib2.urlopen(
-                self.server_url, json.dumps(json_obj)).read()
-            acme_object_validate(response)
-            return json.loads(response)
+            json_encoded = json.dumps(json_obj)
+            acme_object_validate(json_encoded)
+            response = requests.post(
+                self.server_url,
+                data=json_encoded,
+                headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"},
+            )
+            body = response.content
+            acme_object_validate(body)
+            return response.json()
         except:
             logger.fatal("Send() failed... may have lost connection to server")
             sys.exit(8)
diff --git a/letsencrypt/client/recovery_contact_challenge.py b/letsencrypt/client/recovery_contact_challenge.py
index 18a0d2816..d3160fd2e 100644
--- a/letsencrypt/client/recovery_contact_challenge.py
+++ b/letsencrypt/client/recovery_contact_challenge.py
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
+import requests
+
 from letsencrypt.client.challenge import Challenge
 from letsencrypt.client import logger
 from letsencrypt.client.CONFIG import RECOVERY_TOKEN_EXT
-# TODO: Replace urllib2 because of lack of certificate validation checks
-import dialog, urllib2
+import dialog
 
 class RecoveryContact(Challenge):
     
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ class RecoveryContact(Challenge):
         
     def poll(self, rounds = 10, quiet = True):
         for i in range(rounds):
-            if urllib2.urlopen(self.successURL).getcode() != 200:
+            if requests.get(self.successURL).status_code != 200:
                 time.sleep(self.poll_delay)
             else:
                 return True
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 2bc387f63..cb71e09d0 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ setup(
     ],
     install_requires=[
         #'dialog',
+        'requests',
         'protobuf',
         'python-augeas',
         'pycrypto',