diff --git a/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/HttpClient.java b/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/HttpClient.java
index 7eba63cb0d6..cccf61e8968 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/HttpClient.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/http/HttpClient.java
@@ -58,6 +58,15 @@ default boolean isDefault() {
       return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The priority of the implementation. The higher the priority the more likely it will be used.
+     * 
+     * @return the priority.
+     */
+    default int priority() {
+      return 0;
+    }
+
   }
 
   interface DerivedClientBuilder {
diff --git a/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtils.java b/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtils.java
index 03bc1a8c017..cd93779b296 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtils.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client-api/src/main/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtils.java
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ private static HttpClient.Factory getFactory(ServiceLoader<HttpClient.Factory> l
             + "choosing the first non-default implementation. "
             + "You should exclude dependencies that aren't needed or use an explicit association of the HttpClient.Factory.");
       }
-      if (factory == null || (factory.isDefault() && !possible.isDefault())) {
+      if (factory == null || (factory.isDefault() && !possible.isDefault())
+          || (!factory.isDefault()) && factory.priority() < possible.priority()) {
         factory = possible;
       }
     }
diff --git a/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtilsTest.java b/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtilsTest.java
index 0bc571b77d0..3cbb7e27fcc 100644
--- a/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtilsTest.java
+++ b/kubernetes-client-api/src/test/java/io/fabric8/kubernetes/client/utils/HttpClientUtilsTest.java
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
 
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.Config;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.ConfigBuilder;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.KubernetesClientException;
+import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.http.HttpClient;
 import io.fabric8.kubernetes.client.http.Interceptor;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Nested;
@@ -27,17 +30,28 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.MethodSource;
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
+import org.mockito.MockedStatic;
 
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URL;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.ServiceLoader;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatIllegalArgumentException;
 import static org.assertj.core.api.AssertionsForClassTypes.assertThatThrownBy;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.TestInstance.Lifecycle.PER_CLASS;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.Arguments.arguments;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mockStatic;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 class HttpClientUtilsTest {
 
@@ -182,4 +196,100 @@ void withNoHttpProxyProvidedReturnsNull() throws MalformedURLException {
       assertThat(url).isNull();
     }
   }
+
+  @Nested
+  @DisplayName("getHttpClientFactory")
+  class GetHttpClientFactory {
+
+    private List<HttpClient.Factory> factories;
+    @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
+    private MockedStatic<ServiceLoader> mockedStaticServiceLoader;
+
+    @BeforeEach
+    void setUp() {
+      // n.b. Since ServiceLoader is mocked for this test, it's not possible to use AssertJ assertions.
+      factories = new ArrayList<>();
+      mockedStaticServiceLoader = mockStatic(ServiceLoader.class);
+      @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+      final ServiceLoader<HttpClient.Factory> mockServiceLoader = mock(ServiceLoader.class);
+      when(mockServiceLoader.iterator()).thenAnswer(i -> new ArrayList<>(factories).iterator());
+      when(ServiceLoader.load(eq(HttpClient.Factory.class), any())).thenReturn(mockServiceLoader);
+      mockedStaticServiceLoader.when(() -> ServiceLoader.load(eq(HttpClient.Factory.class)))
+          .thenReturn(mockServiceLoader);
+    }
+
+    @AfterEach
+    void tearDown() {
+      factories.clear();
+      mockedStaticServiceLoader.close();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("With no implementations, should throw exception")
+    void withNoImplementations() {
+      final KubernetesClientException result = assertThrows(KubernetesClientException.class,
+          HttpClientUtils::getHttpClientFactory);
+      assertEquals(
+          "No httpclient implementations found on the context classloader, please ensure your classpath includes an implementation jar",
+          result.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("With default implementation, should return default")
+    void withDefault() {
+      factories.add(new DefaultHttpClientFactory());
+      assertEquals(DefaultHttpClientFactory.class, HttpClientUtils.getHttpClientFactory().getClass());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("With default and other implementation, should return other")
+    void withDefaultAndOther() {
+      factories.add(new OtherHttpClientFactory());
+      factories.add(new DefaultHttpClientFactory());
+      assertEquals(OtherHttpClientFactory.class, HttpClientUtils.getHttpClientFactory().getClass());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("With default and other implementation, should return Priority")
+    void withDefaultAndPriorityAndOther() {
+      factories.add(new OtherHttpClientFactory());
+      factories.add(new PriorityHttpClientFactory());
+      factories.add(new DefaultHttpClientFactory());
+      assertEquals(PriorityHttpClientFactory.class, HttpClientUtils.getHttpClientFactory().getClass());
+    }
+
+    private final class DefaultHttpClientFactory implements HttpClient.Factory {
+
+      @Override
+      public HttpClient.Builder newBuilder() {
+        return null;
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public boolean isDefault() {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+
+    private final class OtherHttpClientFactory implements HttpClient.Factory {
+
+      @Override
+      public HttpClient.Builder newBuilder() {
+        return null;
+      }
+    }
+
+    private final class PriorityHttpClientFactory implements HttpClient.Factory {
+
+      @Override
+      public HttpClient.Builder newBuilder() {
+        return null;
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public int priority() {
+        return Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }