diff --git a/client/httpapi/api.go b/client/httpapi/api.go
index dad205fd0..eb99230eb 100644
--- a/client/httpapi/api.go
+++ b/client/httpapi/api.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
 	gohttp "net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path"
@@ -32,9 +33,9 @@ var ErrApiNotFound = errors.New("ipfs api address could not be found")
 // For interface docs see
 // https://godoc.org/github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core#CoreAPI
 type HttpApi struct {
-	url     string
-	httpcli gohttp.Client
-
+	url         string
+	httpcli     gohttp.Client
+	Headers     http.Header
 	applyGlobal func(*RequestBuilder)
 }
 
@@ -108,9 +109,14 @@ func NewApiWithClient(a ma.Multiaddr, c *gohttp.Client) (*HttpApi, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	return NewURLApiWithClient(url, c)
+}
+
+func NewURLApiWithClient(url string, c *gohttp.Client) (*HttpApi, error) {
 	api := &HttpApi{
 		url:         url,
 		httpcli:     *c,
+		Headers:     make(map[string][]string),
 		applyGlobal: func(*RequestBuilder) {},
 	}
 
@@ -118,7 +124,6 @@ func NewApiWithClient(a ma.Multiaddr, c *gohttp.Client) (*HttpApi, error) {
 	api.httpcli.CheckRedirect = func(_ *gohttp.Request, _ []*gohttp.Request) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unexpected redirect")
 	}
-
 	return api, nil
 }
 
@@ -139,10 +144,17 @@ func (api *HttpApi) WithOptions(opts ...caopts.ApiOption) (iface.CoreAPI, error)
 }
 
 func (api *HttpApi) Request(command string, args ...string) *RequestBuilder {
+	headers := make(map[string]string)
+	if api.Headers != nil {
+		for k := range api.Headers {
+			headers[k] = api.Headers.Get(k)
+		}
+	}
 	return &RequestBuilder{
 		command: command,
 		args:    args,
 		shell:   api,
+		headers: headers,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/client/httpapi/api_test.go b/client/httpapi/api_test.go
index b1bae5565..5f012b476 100644
--- a/client/httpapi/api_test.go
+++ b/client/httpapi/api_test.go
@@ -3,18 +3,23 @@ package httpapi
 import (
 	"context"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
 	gohttp "net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"strconv"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
-	"github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core"
+	iface "github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core"
 	"github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core/path"
+
 	"github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core/tests"
 	local "github.com/ipfs/iptb-plugins/local"
 	"github.com/ipfs/iptb/testbed"
-	"github.com/ipfs/iptb/testbed/interfaces"
+	testbedi "github.com/ipfs/iptb/testbed/interfaces"
 	ma "github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr"
 )
 
@@ -208,3 +213,34 @@ func TestHttpApi(t *testing.T) {
 
 	tests.TestApi(newNodeProvider(ctx))(t)
 }
+
+func Test_NewURLApiWithClient_With_Headers(t *testing.T) {
+	var (
+		headerToTest        = "Test-Header"
+		expectedHeaderValue = "thisisaheadertest"
+	)
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(
+		http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			val := r.Header.Get(headerToTest)
+			if val != expectedHeaderValue {
+				w.WriteHeader(400)
+				return
+			}
+			http.ServeContent(w, r, "", time.Now(), strings.NewReader("test"))
+		}),
+	)
+	defer ts.Close()
+	api, err := NewURLApiWithClient(ts.URL, &http.Client{
+		Transport: &http.Transport{
+			Proxy:             http.ProxyFromEnvironment,
+			DisableKeepAlives: true,
+		},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	api.Headers.Set(headerToTest, expectedHeaderValue)
+	if err := api.Pin().Rm(context.Background(), path.New("/ipfs/QmS4ustL54uo8FzR9455qaxZwuMiUhyvMcX9Ba8nUH4uVv")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}