diff --git a/src/Factory/HTTPClientFactory.php b/src/Factory/HTTPClientFactory.php
index 604b6fd62c..b17e065326 100644
--- a/src/Factory/HTTPClientFactory.php
+++ b/src/Factory/HTTPClientFactory.php
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ class HTTPClientFactory extends BaseFactory
 			$logger->notice('Curl redirect.', ['url' => $request->getUri(), 'to' => $uri]);
 		};
 
+		$userAgent = FRIENDICA_PLATFORM . " '" .
+					 FRIENDICA_CODENAME . "' " .
+					 FRIENDICA_VERSION . '-' .
+					 DB_UPDATE_VERSION . '; ' .
+					 $this->baseUrl->get();
+
 		$guzzle = new Client([
 			RequestOptions::ALLOW_REDIRECTS => [
 				'max'            => 8,
@@ -72,16 +78,13 @@ class HTTPClientFactory extends BaseFactory
 			RequestOptions::TIMEOUT          => $this->config->get('system', 'curl_timeout', 60),
 			// by default we will allow self-signed certs
 			// but you can override this
-			RequestOptions::VERIFY => (bool)$this->config->get('system', 'verifyssl'),
-			RequestOptions::PROXY  => $proxy,
+			RequestOptions::VERIFY  => (bool)$this->config->get('system', 'verifyssl'),
+			RequestOptions::PROXY   => $proxy,
+			RequestOptions::HEADERS => [
+				'User-Agent' => $userAgent,
+			],
 		]);
 
-		$userAgent = FRIENDICA_PLATFORM . " '" .
-			FRIENDICA_CODENAME . "' " .
-			FRIENDICA_VERSION . '-' .
-			DB_UPDATE_VERSION . '; ' .
-			$this->baseUrl->get();
-
 		return new HTTPClient($logger, $this->profiler, $this->config, $userAgent, $guzzle);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/Network/HTTPClient.php b/src/Network/HTTPClient.php
index e20ddd3c9e..3011696b8b 100644
--- a/src/Network/HTTPClient.php
+++ b/src/Network/HTTPClient.php
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@ class HTTPClient implements IHTTPClient
 		$this->client    = $client;
 	}
 
-	protected function request(string $method, string $url, array $opts = [])
+	/**
+	 * @throws HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
+	 */
+	protected function request(string $method, string $url, array $opts = []): IHTTPResult
 	{
 		$this->profiler->startRecording('network');
 
@@ -96,30 +99,32 @@ class HTTPClient implements IHTTPClient
 		$conf = [];
 
 		if (!empty($opts['cookiejar'])) {
-			$jar = new FileCookieJar($opts['cookiejar']);
+			$jar                           = new FileCookieJar($opts['cookiejar']);
 			$conf[RequestOptions::COOKIES] = $jar;
 		}
 
+		$header = [];
+
 		if (!empty($opts['accept_content'])) {
-			array_push($curlOptions[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER], 'Accept: ' . $opts['accept_content']);
+			array_push($header, 'Accept: ' . $opts['accept_content']);
 		}
 
 		if (!empty($opts['header'])) {
-			$curlOptions[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER] = array_merge($opts['header'], $curlOptions[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER]);
+			$header = array_merge($opts['header'], $header);
 		}
 
-		$curlOptions[CURLOPT_USERAGENT] = $this->userAgent;
-
 		if (!empty($opts['headers'])) {
 			$this->logger->notice('Wrong option \'headers\' used.');
-			$curlOptions[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER] = array_merge($opts['headers'], $curlOptions[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER]);
+			$header = array_merge($opts['headers'], $header);
 		}
 
+		$conf[RequestOptions::HEADERS] = array_merge($this->client->getConfig(RequestOptions::HEADERS), $header);
+
 		if (!empty($opts['timeout'])) {
-			$curlOptions[CURLOPT_TIMEOUT] = $opts['timeout'];
+			$conf[RequestOptions::TIMEOUT] = $opts['timeout'];
 		}
 
-		$onHeaders = function (ResponseInterface $response) use ($opts) {
+		$conf[RequestOptions::ON_HEADERS] = function (ResponseInterface $response) use ($opts) {
 			if (!empty($opts['content_length']) &&
 				$response->getHeaderLine('Content-Length') > $opts['content_length']) {
 				throw new TransferException('The file is too big!');
@@ -127,10 +132,7 @@ class HTTPClient implements IHTTPClient
 		};
 
 		try {
-			$response = $this->client->$method($url, [
-				'on_headers' => $onHeaders,
-				'curl'       => $curlOptions,
-			]);
+			$response = $this->client->$method($url, $conf);
 			return new GuzzleResponse($response, $url);
 		} catch (TransferException $exception) {
 			if ($exception instanceof RequestException &&
@@ -148,7 +150,7 @@ class HTTPClient implements IHTTPClient
 	 *
 	 * @throws HTTPException\InternalServerErrorException
 	 */
-	public function head(string $url, array $opts = [])
+	public function head(string $url, array $opts = []): IHTTPResult
 	{
 		return $this->request('head', $url, $opts);
 	}
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ class HTTPClient implements IHTTPClient
 	/**
 	 * {@inheritDoc}
 	 */
-	public function get(string $url, array $opts = [])
+	public function get(string $url, array $opts = []): IHTTPResult
 	{
 		return $this->request('get', $url, $opts);
 	}