diff --git a/core/core.services.yml b/core/core.services.yml
index 29ac197..0aec7ac 100644
--- a/core/core.services.yml
+++ b/core/core.services.yml
@@ -377,10 +377,13 @@ services:
   http_handler_stack:
     class: GuzzleHttp\HandlerStack
     public: false
-    factory: [GuzzleHttp\HandlerStack, create]
+    factory: GuzzleHttp\HandlerStack::create
   http_client:
     class: Drupal\Core\Http\Client
-    arguments: ['@http_handler_stack', '@service_container']
+    factory: http_client_factory:fromOptions
+  http_client_factory:
+    class: Drupal\Core\Http\ClientFactory
+    arguments: ['@handler_stack']
   theme.negotiator:
     class: Drupal\Core\Theme\ThemeNegotiator
     arguments: ['@access_check.theme']
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal.php b/core/lib/Drupal.php
index 1830d5b..9ff3861 100644
--- a/core/lib/Drupal.php
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal.php
@@ -403,6 +403,13 @@ public static function httpClient() {
   }
 
   /**
+   * @return \Drupal\Core\Http\ClientFactory
+   */
+  public static function httpClientFactory() {
+    return static::getContainer()->get('http_client_factory');
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Returns the entity query object for this entity type.
    *
    * @param string $entity_type
diff --git a/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Http/ClientFactory.php b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Http/ClientFactory.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c2eee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Http/ClientFactory.php
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Contains \Drupal\Core\Http\ClientFactory.
+ */
+
+namespace Drupal\Core\Http;
+
+use Drupal\Component\Utility\NestedArray;
+use Drupal\Core\Site\Settings;
+use GuzzleHttp\Client;
+use GuzzleHttp\HandlerStack;
+
+/**
+ * Helper class to construct a HTTP client with Drupal specific config.
+ */
+class ClientFactory {
+
+  /**
+   * The handler stack.
+   *
+   * @var \GuzzleHttp\HandlerStack
+   */
+  protected $stack;
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a new ClientFactory instance.
+   *
+   * @param \GuzzleHttp\HandlerStack $stack
+   *   The handler stack.
+   */
+  public function __construct(HandlerStack $stack) {
+    $this->stack = $stack;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Constructs a new client object from some configuration.
+   *
+   * @param array $config
+   *   The config for the client.
+   *
+   * @return \GuzzleHttp\Client
+   *   The HTTP client.
+   */
+  public function fromOptions(array $config = []) {
+    $default_config = array(
+      // Security consideration: we must not use the certificate authority
+      // file shipped with Guzzle because it can easily get outdated if a
+      // certificate authority is hacked. Instead, we rely on the certificate
+      // authority file provided by the operating system which is more likely
+      // going to be updated in a timely fashion. This overrides the default
+      // path to the pem file bundled with Guzzle.
+      'verify' => TRUE,
+      'timeout' => 30,
+      'headers' => array(
+        'User-Agent' => 'Drupal/' . \Drupal::VERSION . ' (+https://www.drupal.org/) ' . \GuzzleHttp\default_user_agent(),
+      ),
+      'handler' => $this->stack,
+    );
+
+    // The entire config array is merged/configurable to allow Guzzle client
+    // options outside of 'defaults' to be changed, such as 'adapter', or
+    // 'message_factory'.
+    $config = NestedArray::mergeDeep(array($default_config), Settings::get('http_client_config', array()));
+
+    return new Client($config);
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php
index 476b2ff..cdd8a48 100644
--- a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsAdminTest.php
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ protected function setUp() {
     $this->privilegedUser = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('administer statistics', 'view post access counter', 'create page content'));
     $this->drupalLogin($this->privilegedUser);
     $this->testNode = $this->drupalCreateNode(array('type' => 'page', 'uid' => $this->privilegedUser->id()));
-    $this->client = \Drupal::httpClient();
-    $this->client->setDefaultOption('config/curl', array(CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10));
+    $this->client = \Drupal::httpClientFactory()
+      ->fromOptions(['config/curl' => [CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]]);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsLoggingTest.php b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsLoggingTest.php
index 02dcfbc..ce58e0e 100644
--- a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsLoggingTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsLoggingTest.php
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ protected function setUp() {
     // Clear the logs.
     db_truncate('node_counter');
 
-    $this->client = \Drupal::httpClient();
-    $this->client->setDefaultOption('config/curl', array(CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10));
+    $this->client = \Drupal::httpClientFactory()
+      ->fromOptions(['config/curl' => [CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]]);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsReportsTest.php b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsReportsTest.php
index 50e5f5e..c35d091 100644
--- a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsReportsTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsReportsTest.php
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ function testPopularContentBlock() {
     $headers = array('Content-Type' => 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
     global $base_url;
     $stats_path = $base_url . '/' . drupal_get_path('module', 'statistics'). '/statistics.php';
-    $client = \Drupal::httpClient();
-    $client->setDefaultOption('config/curl', array(CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10));
+    $client = \Drupal::httpClientFactory()
+      ->fromOptions(['config/curl' => [CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]]);
     $client->post($stats_path, array('headers' => $headers, 'body' => $post));
 
     // Configure and save the block.
diff --git a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsTokenReplaceTest.php b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsTokenReplaceTest.php
index 9534c8a..a219e28 100644
--- a/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsTokenReplaceTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/statistics/src/Tests/StatisticsTokenReplaceTest.php
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@ function testStatisticsTokenReplacement() {
     $headers = array('Content-Type' => 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
     global $base_url;
     $stats_path = $base_url . '/' . drupal_get_path('module', 'statistics'). '/statistics.php';
-    $client = \Drupal::httpClient();
-    $client->setDefaultOption('config/curl', array(CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10));
+    $client = \Drupal::httpClientFactory()
+      ->fromOptions(['config/curl' => [CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10]]);
     $client->post($stats_path, array('headers' => $headers, 'body' => $post));
     $statistics = statistics_get($node->id());