diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java
index 0207ab027..68e4dcc57 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClient.java
@@ -1391,6 +1391,14 @@ public interface HttpClient extends Measured {
   ReadStream<WebSocket> websocketStream(String requestURI, MultiMap headers, WebsocketVersion version,
                                   String subProtocols);
 
+  /**
+   * Set a connection handler for the client. This handler is called when a new connection is established.
+   *
+   * @return a reference to this, so the API can be used fluently
+   */
+  @Fluent
+  HttpClient connectionHandler(Handler<HttpConnection> handler);
+
   /**
    * Set a redirect handler for the http client.
    * <p>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java
index 3c68c6b3d..eaa98ffbf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientImpl.java
@@ -18,16 +18,7 @@ import io.vertx.core.Handler;
 import io.vertx.core.MultiMap;
 import io.vertx.core.VertxException;
 import io.vertx.core.*;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClient;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientOptions;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientRequest;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpClientResponse;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpHeaders;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpMethod;
-import io.vertx.core.http.HttpVersion;
-import io.vertx.core.http.RequestOptions;
-import io.vertx.core.http.WebSocket;
-import io.vertx.core.http.WebsocketVersion;
+import io.vertx.core.http.*;
 import io.vertx.core.impl.ContextInternal;
 import io.vertx.core.impl.VertxInternal;
 import io.vertx.core.logging.Logger;
@@ -44,7 +35,6 @@ import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.net.URL;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Base64;
 import java.util.Collections;
@@ -116,6 +106,7 @@ public class HttpClientImpl implements HttpClient, MetricsProvider {
   private final boolean keepAlive;
   private final boolean pipelining;
   private volatile boolean closed;
+  private volatile Handler<HttpConnection> connectionHandler;
   private volatile Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<HttpClientRequest>> redirectHandler = DEFAULT_HANDLER;
 
   public HttpClientImpl(VertxInternal vertx, HttpClientOptions options) {
@@ -926,6 +917,16 @@ public class HttpClientImpl implements HttpClient, MetricsProvider {
     return metrics;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public HttpClient connectionHandler(Handler<HttpConnection> handler) {
+    connectionHandler = handler;
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  Handler<HttpConnection> connectionHandler() {
+    return connectionHandler;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public HttpClient redirectHandler(Function<HttpClientResponse, Future<HttpClientRequest>> handler) {
     if (handler == null) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestImpl.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestImpl.java
index 862174180..1b0d3526e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestImpl.java
@@ -459,7 +459,21 @@ public class HttpClientRequestImpl extends HttpClientRequestBase implements Http
       }
 
       // Capture some stuff
-      Handler<HttpConnection> initializer = connectionHandler;
+      Handler<HttpConnection> h1 = connectionHandler;
+      Handler<HttpConnection> h2 = client.connectionHandler();
+      Handler<HttpConnection> initializer;
+      if (h1 != null) {
+        if (h2 != null) {
+          initializer = conn -> {
+            h1.handle(conn);
+            h2.handle(conn);
+          };
+        } else {
+          initializer = h1;
+        }
+      } else {
+        initializer = h2;
+      }
       ContextInternal connectCtx = vertx.getOrCreateContext();
 
       // We defer actual connection until the first part of body is written or end is called
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java
index 68b4e02a4..86d477fc1 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java
@@ -3394,8 +3394,22 @@ public abstract class HttpTest extends HttpTestBase {
     await();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testClientLocalConnectionHandler() throws Exception {
+    testClientConnectionHandler(true, false);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testClientGlobalConnectionHandler() throws Exception {
+    testClientConnectionHandler(false, true);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testClientConnectionHandler() throws Exception {
+    testClientConnectionHandler(true, true);
+  }
+
+  private void testClientConnectionHandler(boolean local, boolean global) throws Exception {
     server.requestHandler(req -> {
       req.response().end();
     });
@@ -3403,13 +3417,17 @@ public abstract class HttpTest extends HttpTestBase {
     server.listen(onSuccess(s -> listenLatch.countDown()));
     awaitLatch(listenLatch);
     AtomicInteger status = new AtomicInteger();
+    Handler<HttpConnection> handler = conn -> status.getAndIncrement();
+    if (global) {
+      client.connectionHandler(handler);
+    }
     HttpClientRequest req = client.post(DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT, DEFAULT_HTTP_HOST, "/somepath", resp -> {
-      assertEquals(1, status.getAndIncrement());
+      assertEquals((local ? 1 : 0) + (global ? 1 : 0), status.getAndIncrement());
       testComplete();
     });
-    req.connectionHandler(conn -> {
-      assertEquals(0, status.getAndIncrement());
-    });
+    if (local) {
+      req.connectionHandler(handler);
+    }
     req.end();
     await();
   }