diff --git a/i3pystatus/net_speed.py b/i3pystatus/net_speed.py
index 20d3a83..fce158d 100644
--- a/i3pystatus/net_speed.py
+++ b/i3pystatus/net_speed.py
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ import requests
 import time
 import os
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
+import contextlib
+import sys
+from io import StringIO
 
 
 class NetSpeed(IntervalModule):
@@ -15,59 +18,92 @@ class NetSpeed(IntervalModule):
     settings = (
         ("url", "Target URL to download a file from. Uses speedtest_cli to "
             "find the 'best' server if none is supplied."),
+        ("units", "Valid values are B, b, bytes, or bits"),
         "format"
     )
     color = "#FFFFFF"
     interval = 300
     url = None
+    units = 'bits'
     format = "{speed} ({hosting_provider})"
 
     def run(self):
+
+        # since speedtest_cli likes to print crap, we need to squelch it
+        @contextlib.contextmanager
+        def nostdout():
+            save_stdout = sys.stdout
+            sys.stdout = StringIO()
+            yield
+            sys.stdout = save_stdout
+
         if not self.url:
-            config = speedtest_cli.getConfig()
-            servers = speedtest_cli.closestServers(config['client'])
-            best = speedtest_cli.getBestServer(servers)
-            # 1500x1500 is about 4.3MB, which seems like a reasonable place to
-            # start, i guess...
-            url = '%s/random1500x1500.jpg' % os.path.dirname(best['url'])
+            with nostdout():
+                try:
+                    config = speedtest_cli.getConfig()
+                    servers = speedtest_cli.closestServers(config['client'])
+                    best = speedtest_cli.getBestServer(servers)
+                    # 1500x1500 is about 4.3MB, which seems like a reasonable place to
+                    # start, i guess...
+                    url = '%s/random1500x1500.jpg' % os.path.dirname(best['url'])
+                except KeyError:
+                    url = None
 
-        with open('/dev/null', 'wb') as devnull:
-            start = time.time()
-            req = requests.get(url, stream=True)
-            devnull.write(req.content)
-            end = time.time()
-            total_length = int(req.headers.get('content-length'))
-        devnull.close()
+        if not url:
+            cdict = {
+                "speed": 0,
+                "hosting_provider": 'null',
+            }
+        else:
+            with open('/dev/null', 'wb') as devnull:
+                start = time.time()
+                req = requests.get(url, stream=True)
+                devnull.write(req.content)
+                end = time.time()
+                total_length = int(req.headers.get('content-length'))
+            devnull.close()
 
-        # chop off the float after the 4th decimal point
-        # note: not rounding, simply cutting
-        # note: dl_time is in seconds
-        dl_time = float(end - start)
+            # chop off the float after the 4th decimal point
+            # note: not rounding, simply cutting
+            # note: dl_time is in seconds
+            dl_time = float(end - start)
 
-        if total_length < 999:
-            unit = "Bps"
-            bps = total_length / dl_time
+            if self.units == 'bits' or self.units == 'b':
+                unit = 'bps'
+                kilo = 1000
+                mega = 1000000
+                giga = 1000000000
+                factor = 8
+            elif self.units == 'bytes' or self.units == 'B':
+                unit = 'Bps'
+                kilo = 8000
+                mega = 8000000
+                giga = 8000000000
+                factor = 1
 
-        if total_length >= 1000 < 999999:
-            unit = "KBps"
-            bps = (total_length / 1024.0) / dl_time
+            if total_length < kilo:
+                bps = float(total_length / dl_time)
 
-        if total_length >= 1000000 < 999999999:
-            unit = "MBps"
-            bps = (total_length / (1024.0 * 1024.0)) / dl_time
+            if total_length >= kilo and total_length < mega:
+                unit = "K" + unit
+                bps = float((total_length / 1024.0) / dl_time)
 
-        if total_length >= 10000000:
-            unit = "GBps"
-            bps = (total_length / (1024.0 * 1024.0 * 1024.0)) / dl_time
+            if total_length >= mega and total_length < giga:
+                unit = "M" + unit
+                bps = float((total_length / (1024.0 * 1024.0)) / dl_time)
 
-        bps = "%.2f" % bps
-        speed = "%s %s" % (bps, unit)
-        hosting_provider = '.'.join(urlparse(url).hostname.split('.')[-2:])
+            if total_length >= giga:
+                unit = "G" + unit
+                bps = float((total_length / (1024.0 * 1024.0 * 1024.0)) / dl_time)
 
-        cdict = {
-            "speed": speed,
-            "hosting_provider": hosting_provider,
-        }
+            bps = "%.2f" % (bps * factor)
+            speed = "%s %s" % (bps, unit)
+            hosting_provider = '.'.join(urlparse(url).hostname.split('.')[-2:])
+
+            cdict = {
+                "speed": speed,
+                "hosting_provider": hosting_provider,
+            }
 
         self.output = {
             "full_text": self.format.format(**cdict),