diff --git a/pkg/client/unversioned/fake/fake.go b/pkg/client/unversioned/fake/fake.go
index 0499122226f..7afa5f86317 100644
--- a/pkg/client/unversioned/fake/fake.go
+++ b/pkg/client/unversioned/fake/fake.go
@@ -28,15 +28,21 @@ import (
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/runtime"
 )
 
-type HTTPClientFunc func(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error)
+func HTTPClientFunc(f func(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error)) *http.Client {
+	return &http.Client{
+		Transport: roundTripperFunc(f),
+	}
+}
 
-func (f HTTPClientFunc) Do(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+type roundTripperFunc func(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error)
+
+func (f roundTripperFunc) RoundTrip(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 	return f(req)
 }
 
 // RESTClient provides a fake RESTClient interface.
 type RESTClient struct {
-	Client unversioned.HTTPClient
+	Client *http.Client
 	Codec  runtime.Codec
 	Req    *http.Request
 	Resp   *http.Response
@@ -68,7 +74,7 @@ func (c *RESTClient) Do(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 		return nil, c.Err
 	}
 	c.Req = req
-	if c.Client != unversioned.HTTPClient(nil) {
+	if c.Client != nil {
 		return c.Client.Do(req)
 	}
 	return c.Resp, nil
diff --git a/pkg/client/unversioned/helper_blackbox_test.go b/pkg/client/unversioned/helper_blackbox_test.go
index b7aa927d3d4..74706c43a5c 100644
--- a/pkg/client/unversioned/helper_blackbox_test.go
+++ b/pkg/client/unversioned/helper_blackbox_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ package unversioned_test
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
+	"errors"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ func objBody(object interface{}) io.ReadCloser {
 }
 
 func TestNegotiateVersion(t *testing.T) {
-	refusedErr := fmt.Errorf("connection refused")
 	tests := []struct {
 		name, version, expectedVersion string
 		serverVersions                 []string
@@ -87,8 +86,8 @@ func TestNegotiateVersion(t *testing.T) {
 			config:         &unversioned.Config{Version: testapi.Default.Version()},
 			serverVersions: []string{"version1"},
 			clientVersions: []string{"version1", testapi.Default.Version()},
-			sendErr:        refusedErr,
-			expectErr:      func(err error) bool { return err == refusedErr },
+			sendErr:        errors.New("connection refused"),
+			expectErr:      func(err error) bool { return strings.Contains(err.Error(), "connection refused") },
 		},
 	}
 	codec := testapi.Default.Codec()
diff --git a/pkg/client/unversioned/restclient.go b/pkg/client/unversioned/restclient.go
index d7f064cc76c..6c2881deedb 100644
--- a/pkg/client/unversioned/restclient.go
+++ b/pkg/client/unversioned/restclient.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package unversioned
 
 import (
+	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ type RESTClient struct {
 
 	// Set specific behavior of the client.  If not set http.DefaultClient will be
 	// used.
-	Client HTTPClient
+	Client *http.Client
 
 	// TODO extract this into a wrapper interface via the RESTClient interface in kubectl.
 	Throttle util.RateLimiter
@@ -88,6 +89,9 @@ func (c *RESTClient) Verb(verb string) *Request {
 	if c.Throttle != nil {
 		c.Throttle.Accept()
 	}
+	if c.Client == nil {
+		return NewRequest(nil, verb, c.baseURL, c.apiVersion, c.Codec)
+	}
 	return NewRequest(c.Client, verb, c.baseURL, c.apiVersion, c.Codec)
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
index 517b93bf7e8..1246cc819bf 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/cmd/apply_test.go
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api"
-	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/api/errors"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/unversioned/fake"
 	"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl"
 	cmdutil "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/kubectl/cmd/util"
@@ -220,7 +219,7 @@ func TestApplyNonExistObject(t *testing.T) {
 		Client: fake.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 			switch p, m := req.URL.Path, req.Method; {
 			case p == pathNameRC && m == "GET":
-				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 404}, errors.NewNotFound("ReplicationController", "")
+				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 404, Body: ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(nil))}, nil
 			case p == pathRC && m == "POST":
 				bodyRC := ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(currentRC))
 				return &http.Response{StatusCode: 201, Body: bodyRC}, nil
diff --git a/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper_test.go b/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper_test.go
index 3616ecf1a9a..25ce8de4258 100644
--- a/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kubectl/resource/helper_test.go
@@ -131,11 +131,10 @@ func TestHelperCreate(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	tests := []struct {
-		Resp     *http.Response
-		RespFunc fake.HTTPClientFunc
-		HttpErr  error
-		Modify   bool
-		Object   runtime.Object
+		Resp    *http.Response
+		HttpErr error
+		Modify  bool
+		Object  runtime.Object
 
 		ExpectObject runtime.Object
 		Err          bool
@@ -188,9 +187,6 @@ func TestHelperCreate(t *testing.T) {
 			Resp:  test.Resp,
 			Err:   test.HttpErr,
 		}
-		if test.RespFunc != nil {
-			client.Client = test.RespFunc
-		}
 		modifier := &Helper{
 			RESTClient:      client,
 			Codec:           testapi.Default.Codec(),
@@ -380,11 +376,11 @@ func TestHelperReplace(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	tests := []struct {
-		Resp      *http.Response
-		RespFunc  fake.HTTPClientFunc
-		HttpErr   error
-		Overwrite bool
-		Object    runtime.Object
+		Resp       *http.Response
+		HTTPClient *http.Client
+		HttpErr    error
+		Overwrite  bool
+		Object     runtime.Object
 
 		ExpectObject runtime.Object
 		Err          bool
@@ -421,12 +417,12 @@ func TestHelperReplace(t *testing.T) {
 				Spec:       apitesting.DeepEqualSafePodSpec(),
 			},
 			Overwrite: true,
-			RespFunc: func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+			HTTPClient: fake.HTTPClientFunc(func(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
 				if req.Method == "PUT" {
 					return &http.Response{StatusCode: http.StatusOK, Body: objBody(&unversioned.Status{Status: unversioned.StatusSuccess})}, nil
 				}
 				return &http.Response{StatusCode: http.StatusOK, Body: objBody(&api.Pod{ObjectMeta: api.ObjectMeta{Name: "foo", ResourceVersion: "10"}})}, nil
-			},
+			}),
 			Req: expectPut,
 		},
 		{
@@ -438,12 +434,10 @@ func TestHelperReplace(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	for i, test := range tests {
 		client := &fake.RESTClient{
-			Codec: testapi.Default.Codec(),
-			Resp:  test.Resp,
-			Err:   test.HttpErr,
-		}
-		if test.RespFunc != nil {
-			client.Client = test.RespFunc
+			Client: test.HTTPClient,
+			Codec:  testapi.Default.Codec(),
+			Resp:   test.Resp,
+			Err:    test.HttpErr,
 		}
 		modifier := &Helper{
 			RESTClient:      client,
diff --git a/test/e2e/monitoring.go b/test/e2e/monitoring.go
index 54027e9750f..6fffcf65ba9 100644
--- a/test/e2e/monitoring.go
+++ b/test/e2e/monitoring.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package e2e
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"time"
 
@@ -133,10 +132,6 @@ func getAllNodesInCluster(c *client.Client) ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 func getInfluxdbClient(c *client.Client) (*influxdb.Client, error) {
-	kubeMasterHttpClient, ok := c.Client.(*http.Client)
-	if !ok {
-		Failf("failed to get master http client")
-	}
 	proxyUrl := fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v1/proxy/namespaces/%s/services/%s:api/", getMasterHost(), api.NamespaceSystem, influxdbService)
 	config := &influxdb.ClientConfig{
 		Host: proxyUrl,
@@ -144,7 +139,7 @@ func getInfluxdbClient(c *client.Client) (*influxdb.Client, error) {
 		Username:   influxdbUser,
 		Password:   influxdbPW,
 		Database:   influxdbDatabaseName,
-		HttpClient: kubeMasterHttpClient,
+		HttpClient: c.Client,
 		IsSecure:   true,
 	}
 	return influxdb.NewClient(config)