diff --git a/encode.go b/encode.go
index a4efbb8..4bee620 100644
--- a/encode.go
+++ b/encode.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ var encode = &cli.Command{
 					}
 
 					relays := c.StringSlice("relay")
-					if err := validateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
+					if err := normalizeAndValidateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
 						return err
 					}
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ var encode = &cli.Command{
 					}
 
 					relays := c.StringSlice("relay")
-					if err := validateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
+					if err := normalizeAndValidateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
 						return err
 					}
 
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ var encode = &cli.Command{
 					}
 
 					relays := c.StringSlice("relay")
-					if err := validateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
+					if err := normalizeAndValidateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
 						return err
 					}
 
diff --git a/fetch.go b/fetch.go
index 4c279fc..64a8056 100644
--- a/fetch.go
+++ b/fetch.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 var fetch = &cli.Command{
 	Name:  "fetch",
-	Usage: "fetches events related to the given nip19 code from the included relay hints",
+	Usage: "fetches events related to the given nip19 code from the included relay hints or the author's NIP-65 relays.",
 	Description: `example usage:
         nak fetch nevent1qqsxrwm0hd3s3fddh4jc2574z3xzufq6qwuyz2rvv3n087zvym3dpaqprpmhxue69uhhqatzd35kxtnjv4kxz7tfdenju6t0xpnej4
         echo npub1h8spmtw9m2huyv6v2j2qd5zv956z2zdugl6mgx02f2upffwpm3nqv0j4ps | nak fetch --relay wss://relay.nostr.band`,
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ var fetch = &cli.Command{
 			}
 
 			relays := c.StringSlice("relay")
-			if err := validateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
+			if err := normalizeAndValidateRelayURLs(relays); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 			var authorHint string
diff --git a/helpers.go b/helpers.go
index 60a57ae..77abe36 100644
--- a/helpers.go
+++ b/helpers.go
@@ -92,8 +92,11 @@ func writeStdinLinesOrNothing(ch chan string) (hasStdinLines bool) {
 	}
 }
 
-func validateRelayURLs(wsurls []string) error {
-	for _, wsurl := range wsurls {
+func normalizeAndValidateRelayURLs(wsurls []string) error {
+	for i, wsurl := range wsurls {
+		wsurl = nostr.NormalizeURL(wsurl)
+		wsurls[i] = wsurl
+
 		u, err := url.Parse(wsurl)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("invalid relay url '%s': %s", wsurl, err)