diff --git a/phpBB/includes/captcha/plugins/phpbb_recaptcha_plugin.php b/phpBB/includes/captcha/plugins/phpbb_recaptcha_plugin.php
index f3bc1a859f..0b0270f568 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/captcha/plugins/phpbb_recaptcha_plugin.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/captcha/plugins/phpbb_recaptcha_plugin.php
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ class phpbb_recaptcha extends phpbb_default_captcha
 {
 	var $recaptcha_server = 'http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api';
 	var $recaptcha_server_secure = 'https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api'; // class constants :(
-	var $recaptcha_verify_server = 'http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/verify';
+
+	// We are opening a socket to port 80 of this host and send
+	// the POST request asking for verification to the path specified here.
+	var $recaptcha_verify_server = 'www.google.com';
+	var $recaptcha_verify_path = '/recaptcha/api/verify';
+
 	var $challenge;
 	var $response;
 
@@ -296,7 +301,7 @@ class phpbb_recaptcha extends phpbb_default_captcha
 			return $user->lang['RECAPTCHA_INCORRECT'];
 		}
 
-		$response = $this->_recaptcha_http_post($this->recaptcha_verify_server, '/verify',
+		$response = $this->_recaptcha_http_post($this->recaptcha_verify_server, $this->recaptcha_verify_path,
 			array(
 				'privatekey'	=> $config['recaptcha_privkey'],
 				'remoteip'		=> $user->ip,