diff --git includes/common.inc includes/common.inc
index 37a0504..7dcd559 100644
--- includes/common.inc
+++ includes/common.inc
@@ -6751,12 +6751,16 @@ function entity_form_submit_build_entity($entity_type, $entity, $form, &$form_st
  *   An absolute URL of the XML-RPC endpoint.
  *     Example:
  *     http://www.example.com/xmlrpc.php
- * @param ...
+ * @param $args
+ *   An array of arguments.
  *   For one request:
  *     The method name followed by a variable number of arguments to the method.
  *   For multiple requests (system.multicall):
  *     An array of call arrays. Each call array follows the pattern of the single
  *     request: method name followed by the arguments to the method.
+ * @param $options
+ *   Optional array of options for drupal_http_request().
+ *
  * @return
  *   For one request:
  *     Either the return value of the method on success, or FALSE.
@@ -6766,10 +6770,9 @@ function entity_form_submit_build_entity($entity_type, $entity, $form, &$form_st
  *     returned by the method called, or an xmlrpc_error object if the call
  *     failed. See xmlrpc_error().
  */
-function xmlrpc($url) {
+function xmlrpc($url, $args, $options = array()) {
   require_once DRUPAL_ROOT . '/includes/xmlrpc.inc';
-  $args = func_get_args();
-  return call_user_func_array('_xmlrpc', $args);
+  return _xmlrpc($url, $args, $options);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git includes/xmlrpc.inc includes/xmlrpc.inc
index 20c2aab..12e1aab 100644
--- includes/xmlrpc.inc
+++ includes/xmlrpc.inc
@@ -530,12 +530,15 @@ function xmlrpc_base64_get_xml($xmlrpc_base64) {
  * @param $url
  *   The absolute URL of the XML-RPC endpoint. Example:
  *   http://www.example.com/xmlrpc.php
- * @param ...
+ * @param $args
+ *   Array of arguments.
  *   - For one request: The method name followed by a variable number of
  *     arguments to the method.
  *   - For multiple requests (system.multicall): An array of call arrays. Each
  *     call array follows the pattern of the single request: method name
  *     followed by the arguments to the method.
+ * @param $options
+ *   Array of options for drupal_http_request().
  *
  * @return
  *   A single response (single request) or an array of responses (multicall
@@ -544,9 +547,7 @@ function xmlrpc_base64_get_xml($xmlrpc_base64) {
  *   is returned, see xmlrpc_errno() and xmlrpc_error_msg() to get more
  *   information.
  */
-function _xmlrpc() {
-  $args = func_get_args();
-  $url = array_shift($args);
+function _xmlrpc($url, $args, $options) {
   xmlrpc_clear_error();
   if (is_array($args[0])) {
     $method = 'system.multicall';
@@ -560,11 +561,10 @@ function _xmlrpc() {
     $method = array_shift($args);
   }
   $xmlrpc_request = xmlrpc_request($method, $args);
-  $options = array(
-    'headers' => array('Content-Type' => 'text/xml'),
-    'method' => 'POST',
-    'data' => $xmlrpc_request->xml,
-  );
+  // Required options which will replace any that are passed in.
+  $options['method'] = 'POST';
+  $options['headers']['Content-Type'] = 'text/xml';
+  $options['data'] = $xmlrpc_request->xml;
   $result = drupal_http_request($url, $options);
   if ($result->code != 200) {
     xmlrpc_error($result->code, $result->error);
diff --git modules/simpletest/tests/xmlrpc.test modules/simpletest/tests/xmlrpc.test
index 4f41ba2..b6a64a2 100644
--- modules/simpletest/tests/xmlrpc.test
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/xmlrpc.test
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class XMLRPCBasicTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
     // Invoke XML-RPC call to get list of methods.
     $url = url(NULL, array('absolute' => TRUE)) . 'xmlrpc.php';
-    $methods = xmlrpc($url, 'system.listMethods');
+    $methods = xmlrpc($url, array('system.listMethods'));
 
     // Ensure that the minimum methods were found.
     $count = 0;
@@ -102,19 +102,19 @@ class XMLRPCValidator1IncTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
                   array('larry' => mt_rand(-100, 100)));
     shuffle($array_1);
     $l_res_1 = xmlrpc_test_arrayOfStructsTest($array_1);
-    $r_res_1 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.arrayOfStructsTest', $array_1);
+    $r_res_1 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.arrayOfStructsTest', $array_1));
     $this->assertIdentical($l_res_1, $r_res_1, 'array of structs test: %s');
 
 
     $string_2 = 't\'&>>zf"md>yr>xlcev<h<"k&j<og"w&&>">>uai"np&s>>q\'&b<>"&&&';
     $l_res_2 = xmlrpc_test_countTheEntities($string_2);
-    $r_res_2 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.countTheEntities', $string_2);
+    $r_res_2 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.countTheEntities', $string_2));
     $this->assertIdentical($l_res_2, $r_res_2, 'count the entities test: %s');
 
 
     $struct_3 = array('moe' => mt_rand(-100, 100), 'larry' => mt_rand(-100, 100), 'curly' => mt_rand(-100, 100), 'homer' => mt_rand(-100, 100));
     $l_res_3 = xmlrpc_test_easyStructTest($struct_3);
-    $r_res_3 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.easyStructTest', $struct_3);
+    $r_res_3 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.easyStructTest', $struct_3));
     $this->assertIdentical($l_res_3, $r_res_3, 'easy struct test: %s');
 
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class XMLRPCValidator1IncTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
                     'sub3' => array('foo' => 1, 'baz' => 2),
                     'sub4' => array('ss' => array('sss' => array('ssss' => 'sssss'))));
     $l_res_4 = xmlrpc_test_echoStructTest($struct_4);
-    $r_res_4 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.echoStructTest', $struct_4);
+    $r_res_4 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.echoStructTest', $struct_4));
     $this->assertIdentical($l_res_4, $r_res_4, 'echo struct test: %s');
 
     $int_5     = mt_rand(-100, 100);
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class XMLRPCValidator1IncTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $base64_5  = $this->randomName(100);
     $l_res_5 = xmlrpc_test_manyTypesTest($int_5, $bool_5, $string_5, $double_5, xmlrpc_date($time_5), $base64_5);
     $l_res_5[5] = $l_res_5[5]->data; /* override warpping */
-    $r_res_5 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.manyTypesTest', $int_5, $bool_5, $string_5, $double_5, xmlrpc_date($time_5), xmlrpc_base64($base64_5));
+    $r_res_5 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.manyTypesTest', $int_5, $bool_5, $string_5, $double_5, xmlrpc_date($time_5), xmlrpc_base64($base64_5)));
     /* Contains objects, objects are not equal */
     // See http://drupal.org/node/37766 why this currently fails
     $this->assertEqual($l_res_5, $r_res_5, 'many types test: %s');
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class XMLRPCValidator1IncTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     }
 
     $l_res_6 = xmlrpc_test_moderateSizeArrayCheck($array_6);
-    $r_res_6 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.moderateSizeArrayCheck', $array_6);
+    $r_res_6 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.moderateSizeArrayCheck', $array_6));
     $this->assertIdentical($l_res_6, $r_res_6, 'moderate size array check: %s');
 
 
@@ -165,13 +165,13 @@ class XMLRPCValidator1IncTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
       }
     }
     $l_res_7 = xmlrpc_test_nestedStructTest($struct_7);
-    $r_res_7 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.nestedStructTest', $struct_7);
+    $r_res_7 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.nestedStructTest', $struct_7));
     $this->assertIdentical($l_res_7, $r_res_7, 'nested struct test: %s');
 
 
     $int_8 = mt_rand(-100, 100);
     $l_res_8 = xmlrpc_test_simpleStructReturnTest($int_8);
-    $r_res_8 = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'validator1.simpleStructReturnTest', $int_8);
+    $r_res_8 = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('validator1.simpleStructReturnTest', $int_8));
     $this->assertIdentical($l_res_8, $r_res_8, 'simple struct test: %s');
 
     /* Now test multicall */
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ class XMLRPCValidator1IncTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $x[] = array('validator1.simpleStructReturnTest', $int_8);
 
     $a_l_res = array($l_res_1, $l_res_2, $l_res_3, $l_res_4, $l_res_5, $l_res_6, $l_res_7, $l_res_8);
-    $a_r_res = xmlrpc($xml_url, $x);
+    $a_r_res = xmlrpc($xml_url, array($x));
     $this->assertEqual($a_l_res, $a_r_res, 'multicall equals result');
   }
 }
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ class XMLRPCMessagesTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $sizes = array(8, 80, 160);
     foreach ($sizes as $size) {
       $xml_message_l = xmlrpc_test_message_sized_in_kb($size);
-      $xml_message_r = xmlrpc($xml_url, 'messages.messageSizedInKB', $size);
+      $xml_message_r = xmlrpc($xml_url, array('messages.messageSizedInKB', $size));
 
       $this->assertEqual($xml_message_l, $xml_message_r, t('XML-RPC messages.messageSizedInKB of %s Kb size received', array('%s' => $size)));
     }