diff --git a/libraries/s3_file.rb b/libraries/s3_file.rb
index e03b56f..07cc596 100644
--- a/libraries/s3_file.rb
+++ b/libraries/s3_file.rb
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
-require 'rest-client'
+
 require 'time'
 require 'openssl'
 require 'base64'
 
 module S3FileLib
   BLOCKSIZE_TO_READ = 1024 * 1000 unless const_defined?(:BLOCKSIZE_TO_READ)
-  RestClient.proxy = ENV['http_proxy']
   
   def self.build_headers(date, authorization, token)
     headers = {
@@ -24,13 +23,14 @@ def self.get_md5_from_s3(bucket,url,path,aws_access_key_id,aws_secret_access_key
   end
   
   def self.get_digests_from_s3(bucket,url,path,aws_access_key_id,aws_secret_access_key,token)
+    client = self.client
     now, auth_string = get_s3_auth("HEAD", bucket,path,aws_access_key_id,aws_secret_access_key, token)
     
     headers = build_headers(now, auth_string, token)
 
     url = "https://#{bucket}.s3.amazonaws.com" if url.nil?
 
-    response = RestClient.head("#{url}#{path}", headers)
+    response = client.head("#{url}#{path}", headers)
     
     etag = response.headers[:etag].gsub('"','')
     digest = response.headers[:x_amz_meta_digest]
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@ def self.get_digests_from_s3(bucket,url,path,aws_access_key_id,aws_secret_access
     return {"md5" => etag}.merge(digests)
   end
 
-  def self.get_from_s3(bucket,url,path,aws_access_key_id,aws_secret_access_key,token)   
+  def self.get_from_s3(bucket,url,path,aws_access_key_id,aws_secret_access_key,token)
+    client = self.client
     now, auth_string = get_s3_auth("GET", bucket,path,aws_access_key_id,aws_secret_access_key, token)
 
     url = "https://#{bucket}.s3.amazonaws.com" if url.nil?
     
     headers = build_headers(now, auth_string, token)
-#    response = RestClient.get('https://%s.s3.amazonaws.com%s' % [bucket,path], headers)
-    response = RestClient::Request.execute(:method => :get, :url => "#{url}#{path}", :raw_response => true, :headers => headers)
+    response = client::Request.execute(:method => :get, :url => "#{url}#{path}", :raw_response => true, :headers => headers)
 
     return response
   end
@@ -122,4 +122,10 @@ def self.verify_md5_checksum(checksum, file)
 
     local_md5.hexdigest == s3_md5
   end
+
+  def self.client
+    require 'rest-client'
+    RestClient.proxy = ENV['http_proxy']
+    RestClient
+  end
 end
diff --git a/providers/default.rb b/providers/default.rb
index 8e90f00..e01bd0b 100644
--- a/providers/default.rb
+++ b/providers/default.rb
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 require 'digest/md5'
-require 'rest-client'
 require 'json'
 
 use_inline_resources
 
 action :create do
+  rest_client_gem = Chef::Resource::ChefGem.new('rest-client', @run_context)
+  rest_client_gem.run_action :install
+  client = S3FileLib::client
   download = true
 
   # handle key specified without leading slash
@@ -20,12 +22,12 @@
   if aws_access_key_id.nil? && aws_secret_access_key.nil? && token.nil?
     instance_profile_base_url = 'http://169.254.169.254/latest/meta-data/iam/security-credentials/'
     begin
-      instance_profiles = RestClient.get(instance_profile_base_url)
-    rescue RestClient::ResourceNotFound, Errno::ETIMEDOUT # we can either 404 on an EC2 instance, or timeout on non-EC2
+      instance_profiles = client.get(instance_profile_base_url)
+    rescue client::ResourceNotFound, Errno::ETIMEDOUT # we can either 404 on an EC2 instance, or timeout on non-EC2
       raise ArgumentError.new 'No credentials provided and no instance profile on this machine.'
     end
     instance_profile_name = instance_profiles.split.first
-    instance_profile = JSON.load(RestClient.get(instance_profile_base_url + instance_profile_name))
+    instance_profile = JSON.load(client.get(instance_profile_base_url + instance_profile_name))
 
     aws_access_key_id = instance_profile['AccessKeyId']
     aws_secret_access_key = instance_profile['SecretAccessKey']