diff --git a/src/Ocelot/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptions.cs b/src/Ocelot/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptions.cs
index 4b6cfabea4..16a7b0bc3e 100644
--- a/src/Ocelot/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptions.cs
+++ b/src/Ocelot/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptions.cs
@@ -65,6 +65,6 @@ public HttpHandlerOptions(bool allowAutoRedirect, bool useCookieContainer, bool
         /// <see langword="true"/> if the default credentials are used; otherwise <see langword="false"/>. The default value is <see langword="false"/>.
         /// The property value is assignable to the <see cref="HttpClientHandler.UseDefaultCredentials"/> one.
         /// </value>
-        public bool UseDefaultCredentials { get; private set; }
+        public bool UseDefaultCredentials { get; }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Ocelot/Requester/MessageInvokerPool.cs b/src/Ocelot/Requester/MessageInvokerPool.cs
index 130b4bccbf..7303657a46 100644
--- a/src/Ocelot/Requester/MessageInvokerPool.cs
+++ b/src/Ocelot/Requester/MessageInvokerPool.cs
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ private HttpMessageHandler CreateHandler(DownstreamRoute downstreamRoute)
             UseProxy = downstreamRoute.HttpHandlerOptions.UseProxy,
             MaxConnectionsPerServer = downstreamRoute.HttpHandlerOptions.MaxConnectionsPerServer,
             PooledConnectionLifetime = downstreamRoute.HttpHandlerOptions.PooledConnectionLifeTime,
+            Credentials = downstreamRoute.HttpHandlerOptions.UseDefaultCredentials ? CredentialCache.DefaultCredentials : null,
         };
 
         if (downstreamRoute.HttpHandlerOptions.UseCookieContainer)
diff --git a/test/Ocelot.UnitTests/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptionsCreatorTests.cs b/test/Ocelot.UnitTests/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptionsCreatorTests.cs
index e762353277..eb64eed151 100644
--- a/test/Ocelot.UnitTests/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptionsCreatorTests.cs
+++ b/test/Ocelot.UnitTests/Configuration/HttpHandlerOptionsCreatorTests.cs
@@ -185,6 +185,41 @@ public void should_create_options_fixing_specified_MaxConnectionsPerServer_range
                 .Then(x => ThenTheFollowingOptionsReturned(expectedOptions))
                 .BDDfy();
         }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Should_create_options_with_useDefaultCredentials_false_as_default()
+        {
+            var fileRoute = new FileRoute
+            {
+                HttpHandlerOptions = new FileHttpHandlerOptions(),
+            };
+
+            var expectedOptions = new HttpHandlerOptions(false, false, false, true, int.MaxValue, DefaultPooledConnectionLifeTime, false);
+
+            this.Given(x => GivenTheFollowing(fileRoute))
+                .When(x => WhenICreateHttpHandlerOptions())
+                .Then(x => ThenTheFollowingOptionsReturned(expectedOptions))
+                .BDDfy();
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Should_create_options_with_useDefaultCredentials_true_if_set()
+        {
+            var fileRoute = new FileRoute
+            {
+                HttpHandlerOptions = new FileHttpHandlerOptions
+                {
+                    UseDefaultCredentials = true,
+                },
+            };
+
+            var expectedOptions = new HttpHandlerOptions(false, false, false, true, int.MaxValue, DefaultPooledConnectionLifeTime, true);
+
+            this.Given(x => GivenTheFollowing(fileRoute))
+                .When(x => WhenICreateHttpHandlerOptions())
+                .Then(x => ThenTheFollowingOptionsReturned(expectedOptions))
+                .BDDfy();
+        }
 
         private void GivenTheFollowing(FileRoute fileRoute)
         {
@@ -203,7 +238,8 @@ private void ThenTheFollowingOptionsReturned(HttpHandlerOptions expected)
             _httpHandlerOptions.UseCookieContainer.ShouldBe(expected.UseCookieContainer);
             _httpHandlerOptions.UseTracing.ShouldBe(expected.UseTracing);
             _httpHandlerOptions.UseProxy.ShouldBe(expected.UseProxy);
-            _httpHandlerOptions.MaxConnectionsPerServer.ShouldBe(expected.MaxConnectionsPerServer);
+            _httpHandlerOptions.MaxConnectionsPerServer.ShouldBe(expected.MaxConnectionsPerServer);
+            _httpHandlerOptions.UseDefaultCredentials.ShouldBe(expected.UseDefaultCredentials);
         }
 
         private void GivenARealTracer()