diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClientRequest.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClientRequest.java
index bcfe6d0ce..c040990df 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClientRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpClientRequest.java
@@ -239,15 +239,14 @@ public interface HttpClientRequest extends WriteStream<Buffer>, Future<HttpClien
    * @return a reference to this, so the API can be used fluently
    * @throws java.lang.IllegalStateException when no response handler is set
    */
-  @Fluent
-  HttpClientRequest sendHead();
+  Future<HttpVersion> sendHead();
 
   /**
    * Like {@link #sendHead()} but with an handler after headers have been sent. The handler will be called with
    * the {@link HttpVersion} if it can be determined or null otherwise.<p>
    */
   @Fluent
-  HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<HttpVersion> completionHandler);
+  HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<AsyncResult<HttpVersion>> completionHandler);
 
   /**
    * Same as {@link #end(Buffer)} but writes a String in UTF-8 encoding
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 7b726d0b0..95572cd0d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestImpl.java
@@ -264,12 +264,14 @@ public class HttpClientRequestImpl extends HttpClientRequestBase implements Http
   }
 
   @Override
-  public HttpClientRequest sendHead() {
-    return sendHead(null);
+  public Future<HttpVersion> sendHead() {
+    Promise<HttpVersion> promise = context.promise();
+    sendHead(promise);
+    return promise.future();
   }
 
   @Override
-  public synchronized HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<HttpVersion> headersHandler) {
+  public synchronized HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<AsyncResult<HttpVersion>> headersHandler) {
     checkEnded();
     checkResponseHandler();
     if (stream != null) {
@@ -413,7 +415,7 @@ public class HttpClientRequestImpl extends HttpClientRequestBase implements Http
     return hostHeader != null ? hostHeader : super.hostHeader();
   }
 
-  private synchronized void connect(Handler<HttpVersion> headersHandler) {
+  private synchronized void connect(Handler<AsyncResult<HttpVersion>> headersHandler) {
     if (!connecting) {
 
       if (method == HttpMethod.OTHER && rawMethod == null) {
@@ -457,7 +459,7 @@ public class HttpClientRequestImpl extends HttpClientRequestBase implements Http
     }
   }
 
-  private void connected(Handler<HttpVersion> headersHandler, HttpClientStream stream) {
+  private void connected(Handler<AsyncResult<HttpVersion>> headersHandler, HttpClientStream stream) {
     synchronized (this) {
       this.stream = stream;
 
@@ -481,17 +483,22 @@ public class HttpClientRequestImpl extends HttpClientRequestBase implements Http
           };
         }
       }
+      if (headersHandler != null) {
+        Handler<AsyncResult<Void>> others = handler;
+        handler = ar -> {
+          if (others != null) {
+            others.handle(ar);
+          }
+          headersHandler.handle(ar.map(stream.version()));
+        };
+      }
       stream.writeHead(method, rawMethod, uri, headers, hostHeader(), chunked, pending, ended, priority, handler);
       if (ended) {
-        // we also need to write the head so optimize this and write all out in once
         tryComplete();
       }
       this.connecting = false;
       this.stream = stream;
     }
-    if (headersHandler != null) {
-      headersHandler.handle(stream.version());
-    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestPushPromise.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestPushPromise.java
index bc94650a1..aba38525d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestPushPromise.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/http/impl/HttpClientRequestPushPromise.java
@@ -196,12 +196,12 @@ class HttpClientRequestPushPromise extends HttpClientRequestBase {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public HttpClientRequest sendHead() {
+  public Future<HttpVersion> sendHead() {
     throw new IllegalStateException();
   }
 
   @Override
-  public HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<HttpVersion> completionHandler) {
+  public HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<AsyncResult<HttpVersion>> completionHandler) {
     throw new IllegalStateException();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http1xTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http1xTest.java
index a11597043..968e501a9 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http1xTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http1xTest.java
@@ -4429,9 +4429,10 @@ public class Http1xTest extends HttpTest {
     startServer(testAddress);
     client.close();
     client = vertx.createHttpClient(createBaseClientOptions().setPipelining(true).setMaxPoolSize(1).setKeepAlive(true));
-    HttpClientRequest req1 = client.request(HttpMethod.GET, testAddress, DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT, DEFAULT_HTTP_HOST, "/", resp -> {
+    HttpClientRequest req = client.request(HttpMethod.GET, testAddress, DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT, DEFAULT_HTTP_HOST, "/", resp -> {
       complete();
-    }).sendHead();
+    });
+    req.sendHead();
     client.request(HttpMethod.GET, testAddress, DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT, DEFAULT_HTTP_HOST, "/", resp -> {
       complete();
     }).end();
@@ -4441,7 +4442,7 @@ public class Http1xTest extends HttpTest {
     // Need to wait a little so requests 2 and 3 are appended to the first request
     Thread.sleep(300);
     // This will end request 1 and make requests 2 and 3 progress
-    req1.end();
+    req.end();
     await();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2ClientTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2ClientTest.java
index 3f4b63190..a25273d3b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2ClientTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2ClientTest.java
@@ -1460,11 +1460,11 @@ public class Http2ClientTest extends Http2TestBase {
         testComplete();
       });
     }));
-    req.sendHead(version -> {
+    req.sendHead(onSuccess(version -> {
       assertEquals(0, status.getAndIncrement());
       assertSame(HttpVersion.HTTP_2, version);
       req.end();
-    });
+    }));
     await();
   }
 
@@ -1497,11 +1497,11 @@ public class Http2ClientTest extends Http2TestBase {
         testComplete();
       });
     }));
-    req.sendHead(version -> {
+    req.sendHead(onSuccess(version -> {
       assertSame(HttpVersion.HTTP_2, version);
       req.writeCustomFrame(10, 253, expectedSend);
       req.end();
-    });
+    }));
     await();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2Test.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2Test.java
index 441d514ed..281a48e4c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2Test.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/Http2Test.java
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ public class Http2Test extends HttpTest {
     HttpClientRequest req = client.request(HttpMethod.GET, testAddress, 8080, "localhost", "/somepath", onSuccess(resp -> {
       assertEquals(200, resp.statusCode());
       testComplete();
-    })).setChunked(true).sendHead();
+    }))
+      .setChunked(true);
+    req.sendHead();
     awaitLatch(latch2); // The next write won't be buffered
     req.write("hello ");
     req.end("world");
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java
index 7099f2e80..586eabb7e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/http/HttpTest.java
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ public abstract class HttpTest extends HttpTestBase {
     server.listen(testAddress, onSuccess(server -> {
       HttpClientRequest req = client.request(HttpMethod.PUT, testAddress, DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT, DEFAULT_HTTP_HOST, DEFAULT_TEST_URI, noOpHandler());
       assertTrue(req.setChunked(true) == req);
-      assertTrue(req.sendHead() == req);
       testComplete();
     }));
 
@@ -4088,8 +4087,8 @@ public abstract class HttpTest extends HttpTestBase {
       public void write(String chunk, Handler<AsyncResult<Void>> handler) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
       public void write(String chunk, String enc, Handler<AsyncResult<Void>> handler) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
       public HttpClientRequest continueHandler(@Nullable Handler<Void> handler) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
-      public HttpClientRequest sendHead() { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
-      public HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<HttpVersion> completionHandler) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
+      public Future<HttpVersion> sendHead() { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
+      public HttpClientRequest sendHead(Handler<AsyncResult<HttpVersion>> completionHandler) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
       public Future<Void> end(String chunk) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
       public Future<Void> end(String chunk, String enc) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }
       public void end(String chunk, Handler<AsyncResult<Void>> handler) { throw new UnsupportedOperationException(); }