diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 31ac9ff..3af763c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Compatible with STOMP 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 servers.
 Send message:
 
     require('stompit')
-     .broker()
+     .broker('failover:(tcp://localhost:61613,tcp://localhsot:61614)?randomize=false')
      .send('/queue/a', 'hello queue a', function(error){
        if(!error){
          console.log('message sent');
diff --git a/lib/failover.js b/lib/failover.js
index 5caa0c9..bcaeb99 100644
--- a/lib/failover.js
+++ b/lib/failover.js
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@
 var events  = require('events');
 var util    = require('./util');
 var connect = require('./connect');
+var url     = require('url');
 
 function Failover(servers, options){
     
-    servers = servers || [{}];
-    
     var defaults = {
         initialReconnectDelay: 10,
         maxReconnectDelay: 30000,
@@ -22,6 +21,19 @@ function Failover(servers, options){
         randomize: true
     };
     
+    switch(typeof servers){
+        case 'undefined':
+            servers = [{}]; // default server
+            break;
+        case 'string':
+            var uriConfig = this._parseFailoverUri(servers);
+            servers = uriConfig.servers;
+            options = util.extend(uriConfig.options, options);
+            break;
+        default:
+            break;
+    }
+    
     options = util.extend(defaults, options);
     
     for(var key in defaults){
@@ -37,20 +49,29 @@ function Failover(servers, options){
 
 util.inherits(Failover, events.EventEmitter);
 
-Failover.prototype._createConnector = function(options){
+Failover.prototype._createConnector = function(arg){
     
-    var connector;
+    var config;
     
-    if(typeof options === 'function'){
-        connector = options;
-    }
-    else{
-        connector = function(callback){
-            return connect(options, callback);
-        };
+    switch(typeof arg){
+        case 'function':
+            return arg;
+        
+        case 'string':
+            config = this._parseServerUri(arg);
+            break;
+        
+        case 'object':
+            config = arg;
+            break;
+        
+        default:
+            throw new Error('invalid type for server config argument');
     }
     
-    return connector;
+    return function(callback){
+        return connect(config, callback);  
+    };
 };
 
 Failover.prototype.addServer = function(){
@@ -147,4 +168,104 @@ Failover.prototype.connect = function(callback){
     connect();
 };
 
+Failover.prototype._parseFailoverUri = function(uri){
+    
+    var serverList = uri;
+    var optionsQueryString = null;
+    
+    var comps = uri.match(/^failover:\(([^\)]*)\)(\?.*)?$/);
+    
+    if(comps){
+        serverList = comps[1];
+        optionsQueryString = comps[2];
+    }
+    
+    var servers = serverList.length > 0 ? serverList.split(',') : [];
+    var options = optionsQueryString ? options = url.parse(optionsQueryString, true).query : {};
+        
+    var validateBool = function(name){
+        
+        if(!options.hasOwnProperty(name)){
+            return;
+        }
+        
+        var value = ('' + options[name]).toLowerCase();
+        
+        if(value === 'true' || value === '1'){
+            value = true;
+        }
+        else if(value === 'false' || value === '0'){
+            value = false;
+        }
+        
+        if(typeof value !== 'boolean'){
+            throw new Error('invalid ' + name + ' value \'' + options[name] + '\' (expected boolean)');
+        }
+        
+        options[name] = value;
+    };
+    
+    var validateFloat = function(name, lowest, greatest){
+        
+        if(!options.hasOwnProperty(name)){
+            return;
+        }
+        
+        var value = parseFloat(options[name], 10);
+        
+        if(isNaN(value) || value < lowest || value > greatest){
+            throw new Error('invalid ' + name + ' value \'' + options[name] + '\' (expected number between ' + lowest + ' and ' + greatest + ')');
+        }
+        
+        options[name] = value;
+    };
+    
+    validateFloat('initialReconnectDelay', 0, Infinity);
+    validateFloat('maxReconnectDelay', 0, Infinity);
+    validateBool('useExponentialBackOff');
+    validateFloat('reconnectDelayExponent', 0, Infinity);
+    validateFloat('maxReconnectAttempts', -1, Infinity);
+    validateFloat('maxReconnects', -1, Infinity);
+    validateBool('randomize');
+    
+    return {
+        servers: servers,
+        options: options
+    };
+};
+
+Failover.prototype._parseServerUri = function(uri){
+    
+    var comps = uri.match(/^\s*((\w+):\/\/)?(([^:]+):([^@]+)@)?([\w-.]+)(:(\d+))?\s*$/);
+    
+    if(!comps){
+        throw new Error('could not parse server uri \'' + uri + '\'');
+    }
+    
+    //var scheme   = comps[2];
+    var login    = comps[4];
+    var passcode = comps[5];
+    var hostname = comps[6];
+    var port     = comps[8];
+    
+    var server = {
+        host: hostname,
+        connectHeaders: {}
+    };
+    
+    if(port !== void 0){
+        server.port = parseInt(port, 10);
+    }
+    
+    if(login !== void 0){
+        server.connectHeaders.login = login;
+    }
+    
+    if(passcode !== void 0){
+        server.connectHeaders.passcode = passcode;
+    }
+    
+    return server;
+};
+
 module.exports = Failover;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ae5f5b5..afa6241 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "stompit",
   "description": "STOMP client",
-  "version": "0.12.1",
+  "version": "0.13.0",
   "keywords": [
     "stomp", "messages", "queue"
   ],
diff --git a/test/failover.js b/test/failover.js
index b24164f..e78f002 100644
--- a/test/failover.js
+++ b/test/failover.js
@@ -170,4 +170,135 @@ describe('Failover', function(){
             });
         });
     });
+    
+    describe("#_parseFailoverUri", function(){
+        
+        var failover = new Failover([], {});
+        var parse = failover._parseFailoverUri.bind(failover);
+        
+        it('should parse a simple uri', function(){
+            var ret = parse('failover:(primary,secondary)');
+            assert(typeof ret === 'object');
+            assert(ret.servers.length === 2);
+            assert(ret.servers[0] === 'primary');
+            assert(ret.servers[1] === 'secondary');
+        });
+        
+        it('should parse a server list', function(){
+            var ret = parse('primary,secondary');
+            assert(typeof ret === 'object');
+            assert(ret.servers.length === 2);
+            assert(ret.servers[0] === 'primary');
+            assert(ret.servers[1] === 'secondary');
+        });
+        
+        it('should parse query string', function(){
+            var ret = parse('failover:(primary)?var1=val1&var2=val2');
+            assert(typeof ret === 'object');
+            assert(typeof ret.options === 'object');
+            assert(ret.options.var1 === 'val1');
+            assert(ret.options.var2 === 'val2');
+        });
+        
+        it('should accept an empty query string', function(){
+            var ret = parse('failover:(primary)?');
+            assert(ret.servers.length === 1 && ret.servers[0] === 'primary');
+        });
+        
+        it('should cast values of known options', function(){
+            
+            var ret = parse('failover:(primary)?initialReconnectDelay=10&maxReconnectDelay=30000&useExponentialBackOff=true&maxReconnectAttempts=-1&maxReconnects=-1&randomize=true');
+            
+            assert(ret.options.initialReconnectDelay === 10);
+            assert(ret.options.maxReconnectDelay === 30000);
+            assert(ret.options.useExponentialBackOff === true);
+            assert(ret.options.maxReconnectAttempts === -1);
+            assert(ret.options.maxReconnects === -1);
+            assert(ret.options.randomize === true);
+            
+            assert(parse('failover:(primary)?randomize=TRUE').options.randomize === true);
+            assert(parse('failover:(primary)?randomize=1').options.randomize === true);
+            
+            assert(parse('failover:(primary)?randomize=FALSE').options.randomize === false);
+            assert(parse('failover:(primary)?randomize=0').options.randomize === false);
+        });
+        
+        it('should throw an error for invalid values of known options', function(){
+            
+            var expectParseError = function(source){
+                
+                var thrown = false;
+                
+                try{
+                    parse(source);
+                }catch(e){
+                    thrown = true;
+                }
+                
+                assert(thrown);
+            };
+            
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?initialReconnectDelay=zvxvsdf');
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?initialReconnectDelay=-2');
+            
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?maxReconnectDelay=asdf');
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?maxReconnectDelay=-34');
+            
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?useExponentialBackOff=asdf');
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?useExponentialBackOff=-34');
+            
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?maxReconnectAttempts=asdf');
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?maxReconnectAttempts=-34');
+            
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?maxReconnects=asdf');
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?maxReconnects=-34');
+            
+            expectParseError('failover:(sasf)?randomize=asdf');
+        });
+    });
+
+    describe('#_parseServerUri', function(){
+        
+        var failover = new Failover([], {});
+        var parse = failover._parseServerUri.bind(failover);
+        
+        it('should parse a typical uri', function(){
+            var ret = parse('tcp://localhost:61613');
+            assert(typeof ret === 'object');
+            assert(ret.host === 'localhost');
+            assert(ret.port === 61613);
+        });
+        
+        it('should parse without a scheme', function(){
+            var ret = parse('localhost:1234');
+            assert(typeof ret === 'object');
+            assert(ret.host === 'localhost');
+            assert(ret.port === 1234);
+        });
+        
+        it('should parse without a port', function(){
+            var ret = parse('localhost');
+            assert(ret.host === 'localhost');
+            assert(ret.port === void 0);
+        });
+        
+        it('should parse login and passcode', function(){
+            
+            var ret = parse('user:pass@localhost:123');
+            assert(ret.connectHeaders.login === 'user');
+            assert(ret.connectHeaders.passcode === 'pass');
+            assert(ret.host === 'localhost');
+            assert(ret.port === 123);
+            
+            ret = parse('tcp://user:pass@localhost');
+            assert(ret.connectHeaders.login === 'user');
+            assert(ret.connectHeaders.passcode === 'pass');
+            assert(ret.host === 'localhost');
+            assert(ret.port === void 0);
+        });
+        
+        it('should ignore leading and trailing whitespace', function(){
+            assert(parse('  localhost  \t').host === 'localhost');
+        });
+    });
 });