diff --git a/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/realm/CustomRealmIT.java b/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/realm/CustomRealmIT.java
index 65ec595a0d409..f7bdb0d0baa9a 100644
--- a/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/realm/CustomRealmIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/realm/CustomRealmIT.java
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.example.realm;
 
-import org.apache.http.message.BasicHeader;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.node.info.NodeInfo;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.node.info.NodesInfoResponse;
+import org.elasticsearch.client.Request;
+import org.elasticsearch.client.RequestOptions;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Response;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.ResponseException;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.transport.NoNodeAvailableException;
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ protected Collection<Class<? extends Plugin>> transportClientPlugins() {
 
     public void testHttpConnectionWithNoAuthentication() throws Exception {
         try {
-            getRestClient().performRequest("GET", "/");
+            getRestClient().performRequest(new Request("GET", "/"));
             fail("request should have failed");
         } catch(ResponseException e) {
             Response response = e.getResponse();
@@ -61,9 +62,12 @@ public void testHttpConnectionWithNoAuthentication() throws Exception {
     }
 
     public void testHttpAuthentication() throws Exception {
-        Response response = getRestClient().performRequest("GET", "/",
-                new BasicHeader(CustomRealm.USER_HEADER, CustomRealm.KNOWN_USER),
-                new BasicHeader(CustomRealm.PW_HEADER, CustomRealm.KNOWN_PW.toString()));
+        Request request = new Request("GET", "/");
+        RequestOptions.Builder options = request.getOptions().toBuilder();
+        options.addHeader(CustomRealm.USER_HEADER, CustomRealm.KNOWN_USER);
+        options.addHeader(CustomRealm.PW_HEADER, CustomRealm.KNOWN_PW.toString());
+        request.setOptions(options);
+        Response response = getRestClient().performRequest(request);
         assertThat(response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode(), is(200));
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/role/CustomRolesProviderIT.java b/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/role/CustomRolesProviderIT.java
index bd3c53a3b41be..57a895848e3a8 100644
--- a/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/role/CustomRolesProviderIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/qa/security-example-spi-extension/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/example/role/CustomRolesProviderIT.java
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.example.role;
 
-import org.apache.http.message.BasicHeader;
+import org.elasticsearch.client.Request;
+import org.elasticsearch.client.RequestOptions;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Response;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.ResponseException;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.network.NetworkModule;
@@ -33,10 +34,17 @@
  * Integration test for custom roles providers.
  */
 public class CustomRolesProviderIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
-
     private static final String TEST_USER = "test_user";
     private static final String TEST_PWD = "change_me";
 
+    private static final RequestOptions AUTH_OPTIONS;
+    static {
+        RequestOptions.Builder options = RequestOptions.DEFAULT.toBuilder();
+        options.addHeader(UsernamePasswordToken.BASIC_AUTH_HEADER,
+                basicAuthHeaderValue(TEST_USER, new SecureString(TEST_PWD.toCharArray())));
+        AUTH_OPTIONS = options.build();
+    }
+
     @Override
     protected Settings externalClusterClientSettings() {
         return Settings.builder()
@@ -59,7 +67,9 @@ public void setupTestUser(String role) {
     public void testAuthorizedCustomRoleSucceeds() throws Exception {
         setupTestUser(ROLE_B);
         // roleB has all permissions on index "foo", so creating "foo" should succeed
-        Response response = getRestClient().performRequest("PUT", "/" + INDEX, authHeader());
+        Request request = new Request("PUT", "/" + INDEX);
+        request.setOptions(AUTH_OPTIONS);
+        Response response = getRestClient().performRequest(request);
         assertThat(response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode(), is(200));
     }
 
@@ -71,7 +81,9 @@ public void testFirstResolvedRoleTakesPrecedence() throws Exception {
         setupTestUser(ROLE_A);
         // roleB has all permissions on index "foo", so creating "foo" should succeed
         try {
-            getRestClient().performRequest("PUT", "/" + INDEX, authHeader());
+            Request request = new Request("PUT", "/" + INDEX);
+            request.setOptions(AUTH_OPTIONS);
+            getRestClient().performRequest(request);
             fail(ROLE_A + " should not be authorized to create index " + INDEX);
         } catch (ResponseException e) {
             assertThat(e.getResponse().getStatusLine().getStatusCode(), is(403));
@@ -82,15 +94,12 @@ public void testUnresolvedRoleDoesntSucceed() throws Exception {
         setupTestUser("unknown");
         // roleB has all permissions on index "foo", so creating "foo" should succeed
         try {
-            getRestClient().performRequest("PUT", "/" + INDEX, authHeader());
+            Request request = new Request("PUT", "/" + INDEX);
+            request.setOptions(AUTH_OPTIONS);
+            getRestClient().performRequest(request);
             fail(ROLE_A + " should not be authorized to create index " + INDEX);
         } catch (ResponseException e) {
             assertThat(e.getResponse().getStatusLine().getStatusCode(), is(403));
         }
     }
-
-    private BasicHeader authHeader() {
-        return new BasicHeader(UsernamePasswordToken.BASIC_AUTH_HEADER,
-                               basicAuthHeaderValue(TEST_USER, new SecureString(TEST_PWD.toCharArray())));
-    }
 }