diff --git a/cometd-nodejs-client.js b/cometd-nodejs-client.js
index 4bdcc2f..0586677 100644
--- a/cometd-nodejs-client.js
+++ b/cometd-nodejs-client.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ module.exports = {
         var _agents = new https.Agent({
             keepAlive: true
         });
-        var _cookieStore = {};
+        var _globalCookies = {};
 
         function _secure(uri) {
             return /^https/i.test(uri.protocol);
@@ -27,9 +27,42 @@ module.exports = {
 
         // Bare minimum XMLHttpRequest implementation that works with CometD.
         window.XMLHttpRequest = function() {
+            var _localCookies = {};
             var _config;
             var _request;
 
+            function _storeCookie(cookieStore, value) {
+                var host = _config.hostname;
+                var jar = cookieStore[host];
+                if (jar === undefined) {
+                    cookieStore[host] = jar = {};
+                }
+                var cookies = value.split(';');
+                for (var i = 0; i < cookies.length; ++i) {
+                    var cookie = cookies[i].trim();
+                    var equal = cookie.indexOf('=');
+                    if (equal > 0) {
+                        jar[cookie.substring(0, equal)] = cookie;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            function _concatCookies(cookieStore) {
+                var cookies = '';
+                var jar = cookieStore[_config.hostname];
+                if (jar) {
+                    for (var name in jar) {
+                        if (jar.hasOwnProperty(name)) {
+                            if (cookies) {
+                                cookies += '; ';
+                            }
+                            cookies += jar[name];
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                return cookies;
+            }
+
             this.status = 0;
             this.statusText = '';
             this.readyState = window.XMLHttpRequest.UNSENT;
@@ -44,28 +77,24 @@ module.exports = {
             };
 
             this.setRequestHeader = function(name, value) {
-                _config.headers[name] = value;
+                if (/^cookie$/i.test(name)) {
+                    _storeCookie(_localCookies, value)
+                } else {
+                    _config.headers[name] = value;
+                }
             };
 
             this.send = function(data) {
-                var cookieStore = this.context && this.context.cookieStore;
-                if (!cookieStore) {
-                    cookieStore = _cookieStore;
+                var globalCookies = this.context && this.context.cookieStore;
+                if (!globalCookies) {
+                    globalCookies = _globalCookies;
                 }
-                var jar = cookieStore[_config.hostname];
-                if (jar) {
-                    var cookies = '';
-                    for (var name in jar) {
-                        if (jar.hasOwnProperty(name)) {
-                            if (cookies) {
-                                cookies += '; ';
-                            }
-                            cookies += jar[name];
-                        }
-                    }
-                    if (cookies) {
-                        _config.headers['Cookie'] = cookies;
-                    }
+                var cookies1 = _concatCookies(globalCookies);
+                var cookies2 = _concatCookies(_localCookies);
+                var delim = (cookies1 && cookies2) ? '; ' : '';
+                var cookies = cookies1 + delim + cookies2;
+                if (cookies) {
+                    _config.headers['Cookie'] = cookies;
                 }
 
                 var self = this;
@@ -84,17 +113,7 @@ module.exports = {
                                     var whole = header[i];
                                     var parts = whole.split(';');
                                     var cookie = parts[0];
-
-                                    var host = _config.hostname;
-                                    var jar = cookieStore[host];
-                                    if (jar === undefined) {
-                                        cookieStore[host] = jar = {};
-                                    }
-
-                                    var equal = cookie.indexOf('=');
-                                    if (equal > 0) {
-                                        jar[cookie.substring(0, equal)] = cookie;
-                                    }
+                                    _storeCookie(globalCookies, cookie);
                                 }
                             }
                         }
diff --git a/test/cookies.js b/test/cookies.js
index 097e4df..91a1a31 100644
--- a/test/cookies.js
+++ b/test/cookies.js
@@ -183,4 +183,49 @@ describe('cookies', function() {
             xhr1.send();
         });
     });
+
+    it('handles cookies as request headers', function(done) {
+        _server = http.createServer(function(request, response) {
+            var cookies = request.headers['cookie'];
+            if (/\/1$/.test(request.url)) {
+                response.setHeader('Set-Cookie', 'a=b');
+                response.end();
+            } else if (/\/2$/.test(request.url)) {
+                assert.ok(cookies.indexOf('a=b') >= 0);
+                assert.ok(cookies.indexOf('c=d') >= 0);
+                assert.ok(cookies.indexOf('e=f') >= 0);
+                response.end();
+            } else if (/\/3$/.test(request.url)) {
+                assert.ok(cookies.indexOf('a=b') >= 0);
+                assert.ok(cookies.indexOf('c=d') < 0);
+                assert.ok(cookies.indexOf('e=f') < 0);
+                response.end();
+            }
+        });
+        _server.listen(0, 'localhost', function() {
+            var port = _server.address().port;
+            console.log('listening on localhost:' + port);
+
+            var xhr1 = new window.XMLHttpRequest();
+            xhr1.open('GET', 'http://localhost:' + port + '/1');
+            xhr1.onload = function() {
+                assert.strictEqual(xhr1.status, 200);
+                var xhr2 = new window.XMLHttpRequest();
+                xhr2.open('GET', 'http://localhost:' + port + '/2');
+                xhr2.setRequestHeader('cookie', 'c=d; e=f');
+                xhr2.onload = function() {
+                    assert.strictEqual(xhr2.status, 200);
+                    var xhr3 = new window.XMLHttpRequest();
+                    xhr3.open('GET', 'http://localhost:' + port + '/3');
+                    xhr3.onload = function() {
+                        assert.strictEqual(xhr3.status, 200);
+                        done();
+                    };
+                    xhr3.send();
+                };
+                xhr2.send();
+            };
+            xhr1.send();
+        });
+    });
 });