diff --git a/core/includes/common.inc b/core/includes/common.inc
index 19e0d59..bad4c14 100644
--- a/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -828,13 +828,6 @@ function drupal_http_request($url, array $options = array()) {
     // clash with the HTTP status codes.
     $result->code = -$errno;
     $result->error = trim($errstr) ? trim($errstr) : t('Error opening socket @socket', array('@socket' => $socket));
-
-    // Mark that this request failed. This will trigger a check of the web
-    // server's ability to make outgoing HTTP requests the next time that
-    // requirements checking is performed.
-    // See system_requirements().
-    variable_set('drupal_http_request_fails', TRUE);
-
     return $result;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/aggregator/aggregator.admin.inc b/core/modules/aggregator/aggregator.admin.inc
index 09da1cf..6b7eee9 100644
--- a/core/modules/aggregator/aggregator.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/aggregator/aggregator.admin.inc
@@ -323,6 +323,9 @@ function aggregator_form_opml_submit($form, &$form_state) {
     if (!isset($response->error)) {
       $data = $response->data;
     }
+    else {
+      watchdog('aggregator', 'HTTP request to @url failed with error: @error', array('@url' => $form_state['values']['remote'], '@error' => $response->error));
+    }
   }
 
   $feeds = _aggregator_parse_opml($data);
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.install b/core/modules/system/system.install
index 199f8c0..38cf81d 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.install
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.install
@@ -488,16 +488,6 @@ function system_requirements($phase) {
       );
     }
     $requirements['update status']['title'] = $t('Update notifications');
-
-    // Check that Drupal can issue HTTP requests.
-    if (variable_get('drupal_http_request_fails', TRUE) && !system_check_http_request()) {
-      $requirements['http requests'] = array(
-        'title' => $t('HTTP request status'),
-        'value' => $t('Fails'),
-        'severity' => REQUIREMENT_ERROR,
-        'description' => $t('Your system or network configuration does not allow Drupal to access web pages, resulting in reduced functionality. This could be due to your webserver configuration or PHP settings, and should be resolved in order to download information about available updates, fetch aggregator feeds, sign in via OpenID, or use other network-dependent services. If you are certain that Drupal can access web pages but you are still seeing this message, you may add <code>$conf[\'drupal_http_request_fails\'] = FALSE;</code> to the bottom of your settings.php file.'),
-      );
-    }
   }
 
   return $requirements;
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.module b/core/modules/system/system.module
index ebc5dcf..6e60da8 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.module
@@ -3410,26 +3410,6 @@ function system_time_zones($blank = NULL) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Checks whether the server is capable of issuing HTTP requests.
- *
- * The function sets the drupal_http_request_fail system variable to TRUE if
- * drupal_http_request() does not work and then the system status report page
- * will contain an error.
- *
- * @return
- *  TRUE if this installation can issue HTTP requests.
- */
-function system_check_http_request() {
-  // Try to get the content of the front page via drupal_http_request().
-  $result = drupal_http_request(url('', array('absolute' => TRUE)), array('max_redirects' => 0));
-  // We only care that we get a http response - this means that Drupal
-  // can make a http request.
-  $works = isset($result->code) && ($result->code >= 100) && ($result->code < 600);
-  variable_set('drupal_http_request_fails', !$works);
-  return $works;
-}
-
-/**
  * Menu callback; Retrieve a JSON object containing a suggested time zone name.
  */
 function system_timezone($abbreviation = '', $offset = -1, $is_daylight_saving_time = NULL) {
diff --git a/core/modules/update/update.fetch.inc b/core/modules/update/update.fetch.inc
index 6de781d..505c61a 100644
--- a/core/modules/update/update.fetch.inc
+++ b/core/modules/update/update.fetch.inc
@@ -142,9 +142,12 @@ function _update_process_fetch_task($project) {
   $project_name = $project['name'];
 
   if (empty($fail[$fetch_url_base]) || $fail[$fetch_url_base] < $max_fetch_attempts) {
-    $xml = drupal_http_request($url);
-    if (!isset($xml->error) && isset($xml->data)) {
-      $data = $xml->data;
+    $result = drupal_http_request($url);
+    if (isset($result->error)) {
+      watchdog('update', 'HTTP request to @url failed with error: @error.', array('@url' => $url, '@error' => $result->error));
+    }
+    elseif (!isset($result->error) && isset($result->data)) {
+      $data = $result->data;
     }
   }