diff --git a/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/DefaultRedirectHandler.java b/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/DefaultRedirectHandler.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..24b2d892a36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/DefaultRedirectHandler.java
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package io.vertx.core.http;
+
+import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.CONTENT_LENGTH;
+import io.vertx.core.Future;
+import io.vertx.core.http.impl.HttpUtils;
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+
+
+class DefaultRedirectHandler implements Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<RequestOptions>> {
+
+  public static final DefaultRedirectHandler INSTANCE = new DefaultRedirectHandler();
+
+  private DefaultRedirectHandler() {
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public Future<RequestOptions> apply(HttpClientResponse resp) {
+    try {
+      int statusCode = resp.statusCode();
+      String location = resp.getHeader(HttpHeaders.LOCATION);
+      if (location != null && (statusCode == 301 || statusCode == 302 || statusCode == 303 || statusCode == 307
+                               || statusCode == 308)) {
+        HttpMethod m = resp.request().getMethod();
+        if (statusCode == 303) {
+          m = HttpMethod.GET;
+        } else if (m != HttpMethod.GET && m != HttpMethod.HEAD) {
+          return null;
+        }
+        URI uri = HttpUtils.resolveURIReference(resp.request().absoluteURI(), location);
+        boolean ssl;
+        int port = uri.getPort();
+        String protocol = uri.getScheme();
+        char chend = protocol.charAt(protocol.length() - 1);
+        if (chend == 'p') {
+          ssl = false;
+          if (port == -1) {
+            port = 80;
+          }
+        } else if (chend == 's') {
+          ssl = true;
+          if (port == -1) {
+            port = 443;
+          }
+        } else {
+          return null;
+        }
+        String requestURI = uri.getPath();
+        if (requestURI == null || requestURI.isEmpty()) {
+          requestURI = "/";
+        }
+        String query = uri.getQuery();
+        if (query != null) {
+          requestURI += "?" + query;
+        }
+        RequestOptions options = new RequestOptions();
+        options.setMethod(m);
+        options.setHost(uri.getHost());
+        options.setPort(port);
+        options.setSsl(ssl);
+        options.setURI(requestURI);
+        options.setHeaders(resp.request().headers());
+        options.removeHeader(CONTENT_LENGTH);
+        return Future.succeededFuture(options);
+      }
+      return null;
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      return Future.failedFuture(e);
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java b/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java
index a16c1cc0e23..cc2eb3ab127 100644
--- a/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java
+++ b/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java
@@ -11,10 +11,15 @@
 
 package io.vertx.core.http;
 
+import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.CONTENT_LENGTH;
+import io.vertx.codegen.annotations.GenIgnore;
 import io.vertx.codegen.annotations.VertxGen;
 import io.vertx.core.Future;
 
+import io.vertx.core.http.impl.HttpUtils;
+import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 
 /**
  * The API to interacts with an HTTP server.
@@ -113,4 +118,12 @@ default Future<Void> close() {
    */
   Future<Void> shutdown(long timeout, TimeUnit unit);
 
+  /**
+   * Provides a way for users of the client to get access to the default redirect handler.
+   * This is useful for building redirect handlers that need to delegate to the default behavior.
+   */
+  @GenIgnore
+  default Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<RequestOptions>> defaultRedirectHandler() {
+    return DefaultRedirectHandler.INSTANCE;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java b/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java
index 66291c811f8..7e6fc0ccd13 100644
--- a/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java
+++ b/vertx-core/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java
@@ -34,14 +34,11 @@
 import io.vertx.core.spi.metrics.PoolMetrics;
 
 import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
-import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
-import static io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders.*;
-
 /**
  * This class is thread-safe.
  *
@@ -52,63 +49,10 @@ public class HttpClientImpl extends HttpClientBase implements HttpClientInternal
   // Pattern to check we are not dealing with an absoluate URI
   static final Pattern ABS_URI_START_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("^\\p{Alpha}[\\p{Alpha}\\p{Digit}+.\\-]*:");
 
-  private static final Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<RequestOptions>> DEFAULT_HANDLER = resp -> {
-    try {
-      int statusCode = resp.statusCode();
-      String location = resp.getHeader(HttpHeaders.LOCATION);
-      if (location != null && (statusCode == 301 || statusCode == 302 || statusCode == 303 || statusCode == 307 || statusCode == 308)) {
-        HttpMethod m = resp.request().getMethod();
-        if (statusCode == 303) {
-          m = HttpMethod.GET;
-        } else if (m != HttpMethod.GET && m != HttpMethod.HEAD) {
-          return null;
-        }
-        URI uri = HttpUtils.resolveURIReference(resp.request().absoluteURI(), location);
-        boolean ssl;
-        int port = uri.getPort();
-        String protocol = uri.getScheme();
-        char chend = protocol.charAt(protocol.length() - 1);
-        if (chend == 'p') {
-          ssl = false;
-          if (port == -1) {
-            port = 80;
-          }
-        } else if (chend == 's') {
-          ssl = true;
-          if (port == -1) {
-            port = 443;
-          }
-        } else {
-          return null;
-        }
-        String requestURI = uri.getPath();
-        if (requestURI == null || requestURI.isEmpty()) {
-          requestURI = "/";
-        }
-        String query = uri.getQuery();
-        if (query != null) {
-          requestURI += "?" + query;
-        }
-        RequestOptions options = new RequestOptions();
-        options.setMethod(m);
-        options.setHost(uri.getHost());
-        options.setPort(port);
-        options.setSsl(ssl);
-        options.setURI(requestURI);
-        options.setHeaders(resp.request().headers());
-        options.removeHeader(CONTENT_LENGTH);
-        return Future.succeededFuture(options);
-      }
-      return null;
-    } catch (Exception e) {
-      return Future.failedFuture(e);
-    }
-  };
-
   private final PoolOptions poolOptions;
   private final ResourceManager<EndpointKey, SharedHttpClientConnectionGroup> httpCM;
   private final EndpointResolverInternal endpointResolver;
-  private volatile Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<RequestOptions>> redirectHandler = DEFAULT_HANDLER;
+  private volatile Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<RequestOptions>> redirectHandler = defaultRedirectHandler();
   private long timerID;
   private volatile Handler<HttpConnection> connectionHandler;
   private final Function<ContextInternal, ContextInternal> contextProvider;
@@ -223,7 +167,7 @@ protected void doClose(Promise<Void> p) {
 
   public void redirectHandler(Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<RequestOptions>> handler) {
     if (handler == null) {
-      handler = DEFAULT_HANDLER;
+      handler = defaultRedirectHandler();
     }
     redirectHandler = handler;
   }
@@ -487,4 +431,5 @@ HttpClientRequest createRequest(HttpConnection connection, HttpClientStream stre
     }
     return request;
   }
+
 }