diff --git a/common/download.cpp b/common/download.cpp
index 3776c6c7eb..05d84ca569 100644
--- a/common/download.cpp
+++ b/common/download.cpp
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ static int common_download_file_single_online(const std::string & url,
     if (!opts.bearer_token.empty()) {
         headers.emplace("Authorization", "Bearer " + opts.bearer_token);
     }
-    cli.set_default_headers(headers);
+    cli->set_default_headers(headers);
 
     std::string last_etag;
     if (file_exists) {
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ static int common_download_file_single_online(const std::string & url,
         LOG_DBG("%s: no previous model file found %s\n", __func__, path.c_str());
     }
 
-    auto head = cli.Head(parts.path);
+    auto head = cli->Head(parts.path);
     if (!head || head->status < 200 || head->status >= 300) {
         LOG_TRC("%s: HEAD failed, status: %d\n", __func__, head ? head->status : -1);
         if (file_exists) {
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ static int common_download_file_single_online(const std::string & url,
                 __func__, common_http_show_masked_url(parts).c_str(),
                 path_temporary.c_str(), etag.c_str());
 
-        if (common_pull_file(cli, parts.path, path_temporary, supports_ranges, p, opts.callback)) {
+        if (common_pull_file(*cli, parts.path, path_temporary, supports_ranges, p, opts.callback)) {
             if (std::rename(path_temporary.c_str(), path.c_str()) != 0) {
                 LOG_ERR("%s: unable to rename file: %s to %s\n", __func__, path_temporary.c_str(), path.c_str());
                 break;
@@ -447,12 +447,12 @@ std::pair<long, std::vector<char>> common_remote_get_content(const std::string
     }
 
     if (params.timeout > 0) {
-        cli.set_read_timeout(params.timeout, 0);
-        cli.set_write_timeout(params.timeout, 0);
+        cli->set_read_timeout(params.timeout, 0);
+        cli->set_write_timeout(params.timeout, 0);
     }
 
     std::vector<char> buf;
-    auto res = cli.Get(parts.path, headers,
+    auto res = cli->Get(parts.path, headers,
         [&](const char *data, size_t len) {
             buf.insert(buf.end(), data, data + len);
             return params.max_size == 0 ||
diff --git a/common/hf-cache.cpp b/common/hf-cache.cpp
index f1dacaa477..8d6d2bdffb 100644
--- a/common/hf-cache.cpp
+++ b/common/hf-cache.cpp
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ static nl::json api_get(const std::string & url,
         LOG_WRN("%s: invalid token, authentication disabled\n", __func__);
     }
 
-    if (auto res = cli.Get(parts.path, headers)) {
+    if (auto res = cli->Get(parts.path, headers)) {
         auto body = res->body;
 
         if (res->status == 200) {
diff --git a/common/http.h b/common/http.h
index 878ad1ce28..510414412c 100644
--- a/common/http.h
+++ b/common/http.h
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <cpp-httplib/httplib.h>
 
+#include <memory>
+
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include <winsock2.h>
 #include <windows.h>
@@ -97,7 +99,25 @@ static common_http_url common_http_parse_url(const std::string & url) {
     return parts;
 }
 
-static std::pair<httplib::Client, common_http_url> common_http_client(const std::string & url) {
+class common_http_client {
+    httplib::Client cli;
+public:
+    common_http_client(const std::string & url) : cli(url) {}
+    //set_follow_location // TODO
+    //set_basic_auth // TODO
+    httplib::Result Get(); // TODO
+    // TODO
+};
+
+using common_http_client_ptr = std::unique_ptr<common_http_client>;
+
+// re-assign this to mock a different HTTP client for testing purposes (ONLY for testing)
+inline std::function<common_http_client_ptr(const std::string &)>
+    common_http_client_factory = [](const std::string & url) -> common_http_client_ptr {
+        return std::make_unique<common_http_client>(url);
+    };
+
+static std::pair<common_http_client_ptr, common_http_url> common_http_client_init(const std::string & url) {
     common_http_url parts = common_http_parse_url(url);
 
     if (parts.host.empty()) {
@@ -115,14 +135,12 @@ static std::pair<httplib::Client, common_http_url> common_http_client(const std:
     }
 #endif
 
-    httplib::Client cli(parts.scheme + "://" + common_http_format_host(parts.host) + ":" + std::to_string(parts.port));
+    auto cli = common_http_client_factory(parts.scheme + "://" + common_http_format_host(parts.host) + ":" + std::to_string(parts.port));
 
     if (!parts.user.empty()) {
-        cli.set_basic_auth(parts.user, parts.password);
+        cli->set_basic_auth(parts.user, parts.password);
     }
 
-    cli.set_follow_location(true);
-
     return { std::move(cli), std::move(parts) };
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/gguf-model-data.cpp b/tests/gguf-model-data.cpp
index fe8b4ca76e..5a9579dfaf 100644
--- a/tests/gguf-model-data.cpp
+++ b/tests/gguf-model-data.cpp
@@ -418,13 +418,13 @@ static std::pair<long, std::vector<char>> gguf_http_get(
         auto [cli, parts] = common_http_client(url);
 
         if (timeout_sec > 0) {
-            cli.set_read_timeout(timeout_sec, 0);
-            cli.set_write_timeout(timeout_sec, 0);
+            cli->set_read_timeout(timeout_sec, 0);
+            cli->set_write_timeout(timeout_sec, 0);
         }
-        cli.set_connection_timeout(30, 0);
+        cli->set_connection_timeout(30, 0);
 
         std::vector<char> body;
-        auto res = cli.Get(parts.path, headers,
+        auto res = cli->Get(parts.path, headers,
             [&](const char * data, size_t len) {
                 body.insert(body.end(), data, data + len);
                 return true;
diff --git a/tools/cli/cli-client.cpp b/tools/cli/cli-client.cpp
index 1c563335ba..14aacbdc24 100644
--- a/tools/cli/cli-client.cpp
+++ b/tools/cli/cli-client.cpp
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ static std::string join_path(const common_http_url & parts, const std::string &
 
 std::string cli_client::get(const std::string & path) {
     auto [cli, parts] = common_http_client(server_base);
-    cli.set_read_timeout(CLI_HTTP_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC, 0);
+    cli->set_read_timeout(CLI_HTTP_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC, 0);
     auto path_with_model = path + (model.empty() ? "" : ("?model=" + model));
-    auto res = cli.Get(join_path(parts, path_with_model));
+    auto res = cli->Get(join_path(parts, path_with_model));
     if (!res) {
         throw std::runtime_error("failed to connect to " + server_base + ": " + httplib::to_string(res.error()));
     }
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ std::string cli_client::get(const std::string & path) {
 
 std::string cli_client::post(const std::string & path, const std::string & body) {
     auto [cli, parts] = common_http_client(server_base);
-    cli.set_read_timeout(CLI_HTTP_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC, 0);
-    auto res = cli.Post(join_path(parts, path), body, "application/json");
+    cli->set_read_timeout(CLI_HTTP_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC, 0);
+    auto res = cli->Post(join_path(parts, path), body, "application/json");
     if (!res) {
         throw std::runtime_error("failed to connect to " + server_base + ": " + httplib::to_string(res.error()));
     }
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ std::string cli_client::post_sse(const std::string & path,
                                   const std::function<bool()> & should_stop,
                                   const std::function<void(const std::string &)> & on_data) {
     auto [cli, parts] = common_http_client(server_base);
-    cli.set_read_timeout(CLI_HTTP_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC, 0);
+    cli->set_read_timeout(CLI_HTTP_READ_TIMEOUT_SEC, 0);
 
     std::string pending;  // buffer for incomplete SSE lines
     std::string raw_body; // accumulated body, used only for error reporting
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ std::string cli_client::post_sse(const std::string & path,
     };
 
     httplib::Headers headers = {{"Accept", "text/event-stream"}};
-    auto res = cli.Post(join_path(parts, path), headers, body, "application/json", receiver);
+    auto res = cli->Post(join_path(parts, path), headers, body, "application/json", receiver);
 
     if (!res) {
         if (res.error() == httplib::Error::Canceled && should_stop()) {
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ bool cli_client::wait_health(const std::function<bool()> & is_aborted) {
     int connect_attempts = 0;
     while (!is_aborted()) {
         auto [cli, parts] = common_http_client(server_base);
-        cli.set_connection_timeout(1, 0);
-        auto res = cli.Get(join_path(parts, "/health"));
+        cli->set_connection_timeout(1, 0);
+        auto res = cli->Get(join_path(parts, "/health"));
         if (res) {
             if (res->status == 200) {
                 return true;
diff --git a/tools/cli/cli-server.h b/tools/cli/cli-server.h
index 7596efb01b..bc5d1bc232 100644
--- a/tools/cli/cli-server.h
+++ b/tools/cli/cli-server.h
@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ struct cli_server {
         }
         while (!should_stop()) {
             auto [cli, parts] = common_http_client(address());
-            cli.set_connection_timeout(1, 0);
-            auto res = cli.Get("/health");
+            cli->set_connection_timeout(1, 0);
+            auto res = cli->Get("/health");
             if (res) {
                 if (res->status == 200) {
                     return true;