diff --git a/src/main/java/fi/aalto/cs/apluscourses/utils/CoursesClient.java b/src/main/java/fi/aalto/cs/apluscourses/utils/CoursesClient.java
index d9d52351b..68e720f4c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/fi/aalto/cs/apluscourses/utils/CoursesClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/fi/aalto/cs/apluscourses/utils/CoursesClient.java
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import org.apache.http.HttpEntity;
 import org.apache.http.HttpRequest;
 import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;
-import org.apache.http.client.methods.CloseableHttpResponse;
+import org.apache.http.client.HttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpPost;
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpUriRequest;
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 import org.apache.http.entity.mime.content.ContentBody;
 import org.apache.http.entity.mime.content.FileBody;
 import org.apache.http.entity.mime.content.StringBody;
-import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient;
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients;
 import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;
 import org.apache.http.util.VersionInfo;
@@ -44,6 +43,8 @@ public class CoursesClient {
 
   private static final AtomicReference<String> userAgent = new AtomicReference<>(null);
 
+  private static HttpClient httpClient;
+
   /**
    * Makes a GET request to the given URL and returns the response body in a
    * {@link ByteArrayInputStream}.
@@ -213,11 +214,9 @@ public static <T> T post(@NotNull URL url,
       authentication.addToRequest(request);
     }
 
-    try (CloseableHttpClient client = createClient();
-         CloseableHttpResponse response = client.execute(request)) {
-      requireSuccessStatusCode(response);
-      return mapper.map(response);
-    }
+    HttpResponse response = getClient().execute(request);
+    requireSuccessStatusCode(response);
+    return mapper.map(response);
   }
 
   @NotNull
@@ -240,11 +239,9 @@ private static ContentBody getContentBody(@NotNull Object value) {
    */
   private static <T> T mapResponse(@NotNull HttpUriRequest request,
                                    @NotNull ResponseMapper<T> mapper) throws IOException {
-    try (CloseableHttpClient client = createClient();
-         CloseableHttpResponse response = client.execute(request)) {
-      requireSuccessStatusCode(response);
-      return mapper.map(response);
-    }
+    HttpResponse response = getClient().execute(request);
+    requireSuccessStatusCode(response);
+    return mapper.map(response);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -253,11 +250,9 @@ private static <T> T mapResponse(@NotNull HttpUriRequest request,
    */
   private static void consumeResponse(@NotNull HttpUriRequest request,
                                       @NotNull ResponseConsumer consumer) throws IOException {
-    try (CloseableHttpClient client = createClient();
-         CloseableHttpResponse response = client.execute(request)) {
-      requireSuccessStatusCode(response);
-      consumer.consume(response);
-    }
+    HttpResponse response = getClient().execute(request);
+    requireSuccessStatusCode(response);
+    consumer.consume(response);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -309,8 +304,11 @@ private static void requireResponseEntity(@NotNull HttpResponse response)
   }
 
   @NotNull
-  private static CloseableHttpClient createClient() {
-    return HttpClients.custom().setUserAgent(getUserAgent()).build();
+  private static synchronized HttpClient getClient() {
+    if (httpClient == null) {
+      httpClient = HttpClients.custom().setUserAgent(getUserAgent()).build();
+    }
+    return httpClient;
   }
 
   @NotNull