diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/HTTPClient.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/HTTPClient.java
index 4391d75ec710..4ff494d0cfda 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/HTTPClient.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/rest/HTTPClient.java
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ public class HTTPClient implements RESTClient {
   static final int REST_MAX_CONNECTIONS_DEFAULT = 100;
   static final String REST_MAX_CONNECTIONS_PER_ROUTE = "rest.client.connections-per-route";
   static final int REST_MAX_CONNECTIONS_PER_ROUTE_DEFAULT = 100;
+  private static final String REST_USE_SYSTEM_PROPERTIES = "rest.client.use-system-properties";
+  private static final boolean REST_USE_SYSTEM_PROPERTIES_DEFAULT = true;
 
   @VisibleForTesting
   static final String REST_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS = "rest.client.connection-timeout-ms";
@@ -130,9 +132,18 @@ private HTTPClient(
       clientBuilder.setProxy(proxy);
     }
 
+    if (shouldUseSystemProperties(properties)) {
+      clientBuilder.useSystemProperties();
+    }
+
     this.httpClient = clientBuilder.build();
   }
 
+  private static boolean shouldUseSystemProperties(Map<String, String> properties) {
+    return PropertyUtil.propertyAsBoolean(
+        properties, REST_USE_SYSTEM_PROPERTIES, REST_USE_SYSTEM_PROPERTIES_DEFAULT);
+  }
+
   private static String extractResponseBodyAsString(CloseableHttpResponse response) {
     try {
       if (response.getEntity() == null) {
@@ -465,9 +476,11 @@ static HttpClientConnectionManager configureConnectionManager(Map<String, String
     if (connectionConfig != null) {
       connectionManagerBuilder.setDefaultConnectionConfig(connectionConfig);
     }
+    if (shouldUseSystemProperties(properties)) {
+      connectionManagerBuilder.useSystemProperties();
+    }
 
     return connectionManagerBuilder
-        .useSystemProperties()
         .setMaxConnTotal(
             Integer.getInteger(
                 REST_MAX_CONNECTIONS,