diff --git a/build.properties b/build.properties
index 3ce8424df..83ee9d65a 100644
--- a/build.properties
+++ b/build.properties
@@ -131,5 +131,7 @@ javac.version=1.6
 #with-libjstl1.1-java=true
 # Don't compile GettextResource.java, we will use libintl.jar from the gettext-base package
 #with-gettext-base=true
-# Don't compile gnu/getopt classes, we will use libgetopt-java package
+# Don't compile gnu.getopt classes, we will use libgetopt-java package
 #with-libgetopt-java=true
+# Don't compile org.apache.http classes, we will use libhttpclient-java and libhttpcore-java packages
+#with-libhttpclient-java=true
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index d34c55698..dc54ecfb6 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -2031,6 +2031,8 @@
             <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/core/java/src/gnu/gettext" />
             <!-- libgetopt-java -->
             <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/core/java/src/gnu/getopt" />
+            <!-- libhttpclient-java and libhttpcore-java -->
+            <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/core/java/src/org/apache/http" />
             <!-- systray4j -->
             <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/apps/systray/java/lib" />
             <file name="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/apps/systray/java/src/net/i2p/apps/systray/SysTrayImpl.java" />
@@ -2101,6 +2103,7 @@
             <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/_MTN" />
             <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/core/java/src/gnu/gettext" />
             <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/core/java/src/gnu/getopt" />
+            <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/core/java/src/org/apache/http" />
             <fileset dir="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/apps/systray/java/lib" />
             <file name="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/apps/systray/java/src/net/i2p/apps/systray/SysTrayImpl.java" />
             <file name="../i2p-${Extended.Version}/installer/resources/geoip.txt" />
diff --git a/core/java/build.xml b/core/java/build.xml
index 03277f91d..874828b22 100644
--- a/core/java/build.xml
+++ b/core/java/build.xml
@@ -38,7 +38,14 @@
     <condition property="translation.includes" value="NOTHING" else="gnu/getopt/*.properties" >
         <istrue value="${with-libgetopt-java}" />
     </condition>
-    <property name="javac.classpath.mod" value="${javac.classpath.mod1}${javac.classpath.mod2}${javac.classpath}" />
+    <!-- fixups if we're using httpclient.jar and httpcore.jar for org.apache.http classes -->
+    <condition property="source.exclude3" value="org/apache/http/**" else="NOTHING" >
+        <istrue value="${with-libhttpclient-java}" />
+    </condition>
+    <condition property="javac.classpath.mod3" value="build/httpclient.jar:build/httpcore.jar:" else="" >
+        <istrue value="${with-libhttpclient-java}" />
+    </condition>
+    <property name="javac.classpath.mod" value="${javac.classpath.mod1}${javac.classpath.mod2}${javac.classpath.mod3}${javac.classpath}" />
 
     <target name="compile" depends="depend">
         <mkdir dir="./build" />
@@ -52,6 +59,7 @@
             <include name="**/*.java" />
             <exclude name="${source.exclude1}" />
             <exclude name="${source.exclude2}" />
+            <exclude name="${source.exclude3}" />
         </javac>
     </target>
 
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 503e44cf2..869a3ca26 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 7.0.50~)
  ,dh-apparmor
  ,gettext
  ,libgetopt-java
+ ,libhttpclient-java, libhttpcore-java
  ,libgmp-dev (>= 2:5.0.5)
  ,libservice-wrapper-java
  ,hardening-wrapper
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ Depends: ${misc:Depends}, ${java:Depends}, ${shlibs:Depends},
  geoip-database,
  gettext-base,
  libgetopt-java,
+ libhttpclient-java, libhttpcore-java,
  libjetty8-java, libservlet3.0-java,
  glassfish-javaee
 Replaces: i2p ( << 0.8.6-5)
diff --git a/debian/i2p-router.links b/debian/i2p-router.links
index 059959bf1..8a58f13d5 100644
--- a/debian/i2p-router.links
+++ b/debian/i2p-router.links
@@ -89,3 +89,9 @@ usr/share/java/libintl.jar usr/share/i2p/lib/libintl.jar
 # comment out if not building with libgetopt-java
 # ubuntu and debian: everywhere
 usr/share/java/gnu-getopt.jar usr/share/i2p/lib/gnu-getopt.jar
+
+
+# comment out if not building with libhttpclient-java and libhttpcore-java
+# ubuntu and debian: everywhere
+usr/share/java/httpclient.jar usr/share/i2p/lib/httpclient.jar
+usr/share/java/httpcore.jar usr/share/i2p/lib/httpcore.jar
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 45f3ffd06..35d39d9dd 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ endif
 	@mkdir -p $(CURDIR)/core/java/build
 	ln -sf /usr/share/java/gnu-getopt.jar $(CURDIR)/core/java/build/gnu-getopt.jar
 
+	@# debian and ubuntu: everywhere
+	@/bin/echo -e "with-libhttpclient-java=true" >> $(CURDIR)/override.properties
+	@mkdir -p $(CURDIR)/core/java/build
+	ln -sf /usr/share/java/httpclient.jar $(CURDIR)/core/java/build/httpclient.jar
+	ln -sf /usr/share/java/httpcore.jar $(CURDIR)/core/java/build/httpcore.jar
+
 	TZ=UTC JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=-Dfile.encoding=UTF8 ant preppkg-unix javadoc
 	echo router.updateDisabled=true > $(I2P)/router.config
 	mv $(I2P)/runplain.sh $(I2P)/i2prouter-nowrapper
diff --git a/router/java/build.xml b/router/java/build.xml
index f8708e22e..2b75b803c 100644
--- a/router/java/build.xml
+++ b/router/java/build.xml
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
             <!-- Depend on classes instead of jars where available -->
             <classpath>
                 <pathelement location="../../core/java/build/obj" />
+                <pathelement location="../../core/java/build/gnu-getopt.jar" />
+                <pathelement location="../../core/java/build/httpclient.jar" />
+                <pathelement location="../../core/java/build/httpcore.jar" />
             </classpath>
         </depend>
     </target>
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@
         <javac srcdir="./src" debug="true" source="${javac.version}" target="${javac.version}" deprecation="on"
                debuglevel="lines,vars,source"
                includeAntRuntime="false"
-               destdir="./build/obj" classpath="../../core/java/build/obj:../../core/java/build/i2p.jar:../../core/java/build/gnu-getopt.jar" >
+               destdir="./build/obj" classpath="../../core/java/build/obj:../../core/java/build/i2p.jar:../../core/java/build/gnu-getopt.jar:../../core/java/build/httpclient.jar:../../core/java/build/httpcore.jar" >
             <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs}" />
         </javac>
     </target>