diff --git a/Slim/Player/Protocols/HTTP.pm b/Slim/Player/Protocols/HTTP.pm
index 0218635ccde..0648ca8c0ee 100644
--- a/Slim/Player/Protocols/HTTP.pm
+++ b/Slim/Player/Protocols/HTTP.pm
@@ -1105,7 +1105,8 @@ sub getMetadataFor {
 		}
 	}
 	else {
-		my $handler = $song ? $song->currentHandler : Slim::Player::ProtocolHandlers->handlerForURL($url);
+		# make sure that protocol handler is what the $song wanted, not just the $url-based one
+		my $handler = $song ? $song->currentTrackHandler : Slim::Player::ProtocolHandlers->handlerForURL($url);
 		if ( $handler && $handler !~ /^(?:$class|Slim::Player::Protocols::MMS|Slim::Player::Protocols::HTTPS?)$/ && $handler->can('getMetadataFor') ) {
 			return $handler->getMetadataFor( $client, $url );
 		}
diff --git a/Slim/Player/SongStreamController.pm b/Slim/Player/SongStreamController.pm
index 2835a963109..d71503ea730 100644
--- a/Slim/Player/SongStreamController.pm
+++ b/Slim/Player/SongStreamController.pm
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package Slim::Player::SongStreamController;
 
-
 # Logitech Media Server Copyright 2001-2020 Logitech.
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
 # modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License,
@@ -9,22 +8,30 @@ package Slim::Player::SongStreamController;
 use bytes;
 use strict;
 
+use base qw(Slim::Utils::Accessor);
+
 use Slim::Utils::Log;
 
 my $log = logger('player.source');
 
 my $_liveCount = 0;
 
+{
+	__PACKAGE__->mk_accessor('ro', qw(song streamHandler urlHandler));
+	__PACKAGE__->mk_accessor('rw', qw(playerProxyStreaming));
+}	
+
 sub new {
 	my ($class, $song, $streamHandler) = @_;
+	
+	my $self = $class->SUPER::new;
 
-	my $self = {
+	$self->init_accessor(
 		song => $song,
 		streamHandler => $streamHandler,
-	};
+		urlHandler => Slim::Player::ProtocolHandlers->handlerForURL($song->streamUrl()),
+	);	
 
-	bless $self, $class;
-	
 	$_liveCount++;
 	if (main::DEBUGLOG && $log->is_debug) {
 		$log->debug("live=$_liveCount");	
@@ -44,39 +51,32 @@ sub DESTROY {
 	}
 }
 
-sub song {return shift->{'song'};}
-sub streamHandler {return shift->{'streamHandler'};}
-sub protocolHandler {return shift->song()->currentTrackHandler();}
-
 sub close {
 	my $self = shift;
 	
-	my $fd = $self->{'streamHandler'};
+	my $fd = $self->streamHandler;
 	
 	if (defined $fd) {
 		Slim::Networking::Select::removeError($fd);
 		Slim::Networking::Select::removeRead($fd);
 		$fd->close;
-		delete $self->{'streamHandler'};
 	}
 }
 
+sub songHandler {
+	return shift->song->currentTrackHandler();
+}
+
 sub isDirect {
-	return shift->{'song'}->directstream() || 0;
+	return shift->song->directstream() || 0;
 }
 
 sub streamUrl {
-	return shift->{'song'}->streamUrl();
+	return shift->song->streamUrl();
 }
 
 sub track {
-	return shift->{'song'}->currentTrack();
-}
-
-sub playerProxyStreaming {
-	my $self = shift;
-	$self->{'playerProxyStreaming'} = shift if @_;
-	return $self->{'playerProxyStreaming'};
+	return shift->song->currentTrack();
 }
 
 1;
diff --git a/Slim/Player/Squeezebox.pm b/Slim/Player/Squeezebox.pm
index 60b0b7449fd..2c3acf5abba 100644
--- a/Slim/Player/Squeezebox.pm
+++ b/Slim/Player/Squeezebox.pm
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ sub play {
 	my $params = shift;
 
 	my $controller = $params->{'controller'};
-	my $handler = $controller->protocolHandler();
+	my $handler = $controller->songHandler();
 
 	# Calculate the correct buffer threshold for remote URLs
 	if ( $handler->isRemote() ) {
@@ -534,7 +534,8 @@ sub stream_s {
 	my $controller  = $params->{'controller'};
 	my $url         = $controller->streamUrl();
 	my $track       = $controller->track();
-	my $handler     = $controller->protocolHandler();
+	my $handler     = $controller->urlHandler();
+	my $songHandler = $controller->songHandler();
 	my $isDirect    = $controller->isDirect();
 	my $master      = $client->master();
 
@@ -562,9 +563,8 @@ sub stream_s {
 		# use getFormatForURL only if the format is not already given
 		# This method is bad because it only looks at the URL suffix and can cause
 		# (for example) Ogg HTTP streams to be played using the mp3 decoder!
-		if ( !$format && $handler->can("getFormatForURL") ) {
-			$format = $handler->getFormatForURL($url);
-		}
+		my $methodHandler = $songHandler->can('getFormatForURL') ? $songHandler : $handler;
+		$format = $methodHandler->getFormatForURL($url) if !$format && $methodHandler;
 	}
 
 	if ( !$format ) {
@@ -750,8 +750,8 @@ sub stream_s {
 		$outputThreshold = 1;
 
 		# Handler may override pcmsamplesize (Rhapsody)
-		if ( $handler && $handler->can('pcmsamplesize') ) {
-			$pcmsamplesize = $handler->pcmsamplesize( $client, $params );
+		if ( $songHandler && $songHandler->can('pcmsamplesize') ) {
+			$pcmsamplesize = $songHandler->pcmsamplesize( $client, $params );
 		}
 
 		# XXX: The use of mp3 as default has been known to cause the mp3 decoder to be used for
@@ -772,7 +772,8 @@ sub stream_s {
 
 		main::INFOLOG && logger('player.streaming.direct')->info("SqueezePlay direct stream: $url");
 
-		$request_string = $handler->requestString($client, $url, undef, $params->{'seekdata'});
+		my $methodHandler = $songHandler->can('requestString') ? $songHandler : $handler;
+		$request_string = $methodHandler->getRequestString($client, $url, undef, $params->{'seekdata'});
 		$autostart += 2; # will be 2 for direct streaming with no autostart, or 3 for direct with autostart
 
 	} elsif (my $proxy = $params->{'proxyStream'}) {
@@ -815,7 +816,9 @@ sub stream_s {
 		}
 		$server_port = $port;
 
-		$request_string = $handler->requestString($client, $url, undef, $params->{'seekdata'});
+		# prioritize song's protocol handler at even in direct mode it might change requestString
+		my $methodHandler = $songHandler->can('requestString') ? $songHandler : $handler;
+		$request_string = $methodHandler->requestString($client, $url, undef, $params->{'seekdata'});
 		$autostart += 2; # will be 2 for direct streaming with no autostart, or 3 for direct with autostart
 
 		if (!$server_port || !$server_ip) {
@@ -934,10 +937,10 @@ sub stream_s {
 		}
 
 		# Bug 10567, allow plugins to override transition setting
-		if ( $handler && $handler->can('transitionType') ) {
-			my $override = $handler->transitionType( $master, $controller->song(), $transitionType );
+		if ( $songHandler && $songHandler->can('transitionType') ) {
+			my $override = $songHandler->transitionType( $master, $controller->song(), $transitionType );
 			if ( defined $override ) {
-				main::INFOLOG && $log->is_info && $log->info("$handler changed transition type to $override");
+				main::INFOLOG && $log->is_info && $log->info("$songHandler changed transition type to $override");
 				$transitionType = $override;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/Slim/Player/Squeezebox2.pm b/Slim/Player/Squeezebox2.pm
index df3a1b6c6f5..66ca8589f57 100644
--- a/Slim/Player/Squeezebox2.pm
+++ b/Slim/Player/Squeezebox2.pm
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ sub songElapsedSeconds {
 sub canDirectStream {
 	my ($client, $url, $song) = @_;
 	
-	# this is client's canDirectStream, not protocol handler's 
+	# this is client's canDirectStream, not protocol handler's so there is a $song
 	my $handler = $song->currentTrackHandler;
 	return unless $handler;
 
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ sub directHeaders {
 	main::INFOLOG && $directlog->is_info && $directlog->info("Processing headers for direct streaming:\n$headers");
 
 	my $controller = $client->controller()->songStreamController();
-	my $handler    = $controller->protocolHandler() if $controller;
+	my $handler    = $controller->urlHandler() if $controller;
 
 	if ($handler && $handler->can('handlesStreamHeaders')) {
 
@@ -491,6 +491,7 @@ sub directHeaders {
 	return unless $controller && $controller->isDirect();
 
 	my $url = $controller->streamUrl();
+	my $songHandler = $controller->songHandler();
 
 	# We involve the protocol handler in the header parsing process.
 	# The current iteration of the firmware only knows about HTTP
@@ -527,12 +528,12 @@ sub directHeaders {
 
 			$directlog->warn("Invalid response code ($response) from remote stream $url");
 
-			if ($handler && $handler->can("handleDirectError")) {
+			if ($songHandler && $songHandler->can("handleDirectError")) {
 
 				# bug 10407 - make sure ready to stream again
 				$client->readyToStream(1);
 
-				$handler->handleDirectError($client, $url, $response, $status_line);
+				$songHandler->handleDirectError($client, $url, $response, $status_line);
 			}
 			else {
 				$client->failedDirectStream($status_line);
@@ -552,12 +553,15 @@ sub directHeaders {
 				$directlog->info("Processing " . scalar(@headers) . " headers");
 			}
 
-			if ($handler && $handler->can("parseDirectHeaders")) {
-				# Could use a hash ref for header parameters
-				main::INFOLOG && $directlog->info("Calling $handler ::parseDirectHeaders");
-				($title, $bitrate, $metaint, $redir, $contentType, $length, $body) = $handler->parseDirectHeaders($client, $url, @headers);
-			}
-
+			# prioritize song's protocol handler over url handler
+			my $methodHandler = $songHandler && $songHandler->can('parseDirectHeaders') ? $songHandler : $handler;
+			
+			main::INFOLOG && $directlog->info("Calling $methodHandler :: parseDirectHeader");
+			$directlog->error("Calling $methodHandler::parseDirectHeader");
+			# Could use a hash ref for header parameters			
+			($title, $bitrate, $metaint, $redir, $contentType, $length, $body) = 
+				$methodHandler->parseDirectHeaders($client, $methodHandler == $songHandler ? $controller->song()->currentTrack() : $url, @headers);
+			
 			$controller->song()->isLive($length ? 0 : 1) if !$redir;
 			# XXX maybe should (also) check $song->scanData()->{$url}->{metadata}->{info}->{broadcast}
 			# for WMA streams here.
@@ -709,7 +713,7 @@ sub directBodyFrame {
 
 	my $controller = $client->controller()->songStreamController();
 
-	unless ($controller && $controller->isDirect()) {return;}
+	return unless $controller && $controller->isDirect();
 
 	my $url = $controller->streamUrl();
 	my $handler = $controller->protocolHandler();
diff --git a/Slim/Plugin/xPL/Plugin.pm b/Slim/Plugin/xPL/Plugin.pm
index 82fb45700f7..40d3538ff4c 100644
--- a/Slim/Plugin/xPL/Plugin.pm
+++ b/Slim/Plugin/xPL/Plugin.pm
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ sub sendXplHBeatMsg {
 				$title = $track->title if $track->can('title');
 				my $remoteMeta = {};
 				my $url = $track->url;
-				my $handler = $client->playingSong->currentTrackHandler;
+				my $handler = $client->playingSong->currentTrackHandler || Slim::Player::ProtocolHandlers->handlerForURL($url);
 				if ( $handler && $handler->can('getMetadataFor') ) {
 					$remoteMeta = $handler->getMetadataFor($client, $url);
 					# Override data from track object (this is same or better)