diff --git a/output_http.go b/output_http.go
index 2cc4a87..fc7aa75 100644
--- a/output_http.go
+++ b/output_http.go
@@ -131,14 +131,7 @@ func (o *HTTPOutput) sendRequest(client *http.Client, data []byte) {
 	request.URL, _ = url.ParseRequestURI(URL)
 
 	for _, header := range o.headers {
-		// Need to check here for the Host header as it needs to be set on the request and not as a separate header
-		// http.ReadRequest sets it by default to the URL Host of the request being read
-		if header.Name == "Host" {
-			request.Host = header.Value
-		} else {
-			request.Header.Set(header.Name, header.Value)
-		}
-
+		SetHeader(request, header.Name, header.Value)
 	}
 
 	resp, err := client.Do(request)
@@ -158,6 +151,20 @@ func (o *HTTPOutput) sendRequest(client *http.Client, data []byte) {
 
 }
 
+func SetHeader(request *http.Request, name string, value string) {
+
+	// Need to check here for the Host header as it needs to be set on the request and not as a separate header
+	// http.ReadRequest sets it by default to the URL Host of the request being read
+	if name == "Host" {
+		request.Host = value
+	} else {
+		request.Header.Set(name, value)
+	}
+
+	return
+
+}
+
 func (o *HTTPOutput) String() string {
 	return "HTTP output: " + o.address
 }
diff --git a/output_http_test.go b/output_http_test.go
index a951d3f..42c8ed4 100644
--- a/output_http_test.go
+++ b/output_http_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,27 @@ func startHTTP(cb func(*http.Request)) net.Listener {
 	return listener
 }
 
+func TestSetHeader(t *testing.T) {
+
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Header: make(map[string][]string),
+	}
+	req.Host = "test.com"
+
+	SetHeader(req, "Host", "test2.com")
+
+	if req.Host != "test2.com" {
+		t.Error("Expected test2.com - got ", req.Host)
+	}
+
+	SetHeader(req, "test_header", "test_value")
+
+	if req.Header.Get("test_header") != "test_value" {
+		t.Error("Wrong header value found")
+	}
+
+}
+
 func TestHTTPOutput(t *testing.T) {
 	wg := new(sync.WaitGroup)
 	quit := make(chan int)