diff --git a/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/config/XecdApiConfigBean.java b/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/config/XecdApiConfigBean.java
index 131d6a0..0b2f960 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/config/XecdApiConfigBean.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/config/XecdApiConfigBean.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ public class XecdApiConfigBean
 	private String apiKey;
 	private String serverPrefix;
 	private Integer connectTimeout;
+	private Boolean useSystemProperties;
 
 	public String getAccountId()
 	{
@@ -55,4 +56,12 @@ public void setConnectTimeout(Integer connectTimeout)
 	{
 		this.connectTimeout = connectTimeout;
 	}
+
+	public Boolean useSystemProperties() {
+		return useSystemProperties;
+	}
+
+	public void setUseSystemProperties(final Boolean useSystemProperties) {
+		this.useSystemProperties = useSystemProperties;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdApiServiceImpl.java b/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdApiServiceImpl.java
index fe0097c..95826e3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdApiServiceImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdApiServiceImpl.java
@@ -61,30 +61,30 @@ public class XecdApiServiceImpl implements XecdApiService
 		this.apiKey = config.getApiKey();
 		this.serverPrefix = config.getServerPrefix() != null ? config.getServerPrefix() : this.serverPrefix;
 		this.jsonUtils = new JsonUtils();
-		this.wsClient = new XecdHttpClientImpl(config.getConnectTimeout());
+		this.wsClient = new XecdHttpClientImpl(config.getConnectTimeout(), config.useSystemProperties());
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Looks at the environment variables to satisfy required properties
 	 * - XECD_ACCOUNT_ID
 	 * - XECD_API_KEY
-	 * @throws XecdApiException 
+	 * @throws XecdApiException
 	 */
 	XecdApiServiceImpl() throws XecdApiException
 	{
 		String apiKeyVar = System.getenv("XECD_API_KEY");
 		String accountIdVar = System.getenv("XECD_ACCOUNT_ID");
-		
-		this.wsClient = new XecdHttpClientImpl(null);
-		
+
+		this.wsClient = new XecdHttpClientImpl(null, null);
+
 		if(apiKeyVar != null && accountIdVar != null && !apiKeyVar.isEmpty() && !accountIdVar.isEmpty())
 		{
 			logger.debug("INITIALIZING WITH ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES");
-			
+
 			this.apiKey = System.getenv("XECD_API_KEY");
 			this.accountId = System.getenv("XECD_ACCOUNT_ID");
 			this.jsonUtils = new JsonUtils();
-			
+
 		}
 		else
 		{
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdHttpClientImpl.java b/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdHttpClientImpl.java
index 2a251f5..73b7b98 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdHttpClientImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/xe/xecdApiClient/service/XecdHttpClientImpl.java
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public class XecdHttpClientImpl implements XecdHttpClient
 
 	private HttpClient client = null;
 
-	public XecdHttpClientImpl(Integer connectTimeout)
+	public XecdHttpClientImpl(Integer connectTimeout, Boolean useSystemProperties)
 	{
 		HttpClientBuilder builder = HttpClientBuilder.create();
 		if (connectTimeout != null)
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ public XecdHttpClientImpl(Integer connectTimeout)
 			RequestConfig requestConfig = RequestConfig.custom().setConnectTimeout(connectTimeout).build();
 			builder.setDefaultRequestConfig(requestConfig);
 		}
+		if(useSystemProperties != null && useSystemProperties) {
+			builder.useSystemProperties();
+		}
 		try
 		{
 			SSLContext sslContext = SSLContext.getInstance("TLSv1.2");