diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f71860468..446ac8db8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 - Ability to use Redis DB and password via `REDIS_URL` [PR #303](https://github.com/3scale/apicast/pull/303)
 - Ability to Authenticate against API using RHSSO and OpenID Connect [PR #283](https://github.com/3scale/apicast/pull/283)
 
+### Fixed
+- `http_ng` client supports auth passsed in the url, and default client options if the request options are missing for methods with body (POST, PUT, etc.) [PR #310](https://github.com/3scale/apicast/pull/310)
+
 ### Removed
 
 - Removed support for sending Request logs [PR #296](https://github.com/3scale/apicast/pull/296)
diff --git a/apicast/src/configuration_loader.lua b/apicast/src/configuration_loader.lua
index 53af7a6cf..65907b4cc 100644
--- a/apicast/src/configuration_loader.lua
+++ b/apicast/src/configuration_loader.lua
@@ -107,10 +107,16 @@ function boot.init(configuration)
     os.exit(0)
   end
 
-  local keycloak_config = _M.run_external_command("keycloak")
-
-  if keycloak_config then
-    configuration.keycloak = cjson.decode(keycloak_config)
+  if keycloak.enabled() then
+    local keycloak_config
+    keycloak_config, err, code = _M.run_external_command("keycloak")
+    if keycloak_config then
+      ngx.log(ngx.DEBUG, 'downloaded keycloak configuration: ', keycloak_config)
+      configuration.keycloak = cjson.decode(keycloak_config)
+    else
+      -- TODO: consider exiting if there is problem with keycloak configuration
+      ngx.log(ngx.WARN, 'failed to load keycloak configuration, exiting (code ', code, ')\n',  err)
+    end
   end
 end
 
@@ -128,8 +134,6 @@ end
 function boot.init_worker(configuration)
   local interval = ttl() or 0
 
-  configuration.keycloak = keycloak.load_configuration()
-
   local function schedule(...)
     local ok, err = ngx.timer.at(...)
 
diff --git a/apicast/src/oauth/keycloak.lua b/apicast/src/oauth/keycloak.lua
index bdd59162e..e06ec6d86 100644
--- a/apicast/src/oauth/keycloak.lua
+++ b/apicast/src/oauth/keycloak.lua
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ local function get_public_key(http_client, endpoint)
   return format_public_key(key)
 end
 
+function _M.enabled()
+  return env.get('RHSSO_ENDPOINT')
+end
+
 function _M.load_configuration(client)
   local endpoint = env.get('RHSSO_ENDPOINT')
 
diff --git a/apicast/src/proxy.lua b/apicast/src/proxy.lua
index e5ab6c899..d87d699fc 100644
--- a/apicast/src/proxy.lua
+++ b/apicast/src/proxy.lua
@@ -266,38 +266,15 @@ function _M:set_backend_upstream(service)
   ngx.var.backend_host = backend.host or server or ngx.var.backend_host
 end
 
-
-local function auth_oauth(proxy, service, usage, auth)
-  local credentials, err = proxy.oauth:transform_credentials(auth)
-
-  if err then
-    return error_authorization_failed(service)
-  end
-
-  credentials = encode_args(credentials)
-
-  return proxy:authorize(service, usage, credentials)
-end
-
-local function auth_key(proxy, service, usage, auth)
-  local credentials = encode_args(auth)
-
-  return proxy:authorize(service, usage, credentials)
-end
-
 function _M:call(host)
   host = host or ngx.var.host
   local service = ngx.ctx.service or self:set_service(host)
 
   self:set_backend_upstream(service)
 
-  local authorize = auth_key
-
   if service.backend_version == 'oauth' then
     local o = oauth.new(self.configuration)
     local f, params = oauth.call(o, service)
-
-    authorize = auth_oauth
     self.oauth = o
 
     if f then
@@ -308,11 +285,11 @@ function _M:call(host)
 
   return function()
     -- call access phase
-    return self:access(service, authorize)
+    return self:access(service)
   end
 end
 
-function _M:access(service, authorize)
+function _M:access(service)
   local request = ngx.var.request -- NYI: return to lower frame
 
   ngx.var.secret_token = service.secret_token
@@ -328,8 +305,7 @@ function _M:access(service, authorize)
 
   insert(credentials, 1, service.id)
 
-  local _, matched_patterns, params = service:extract_usage(request)
-  local usage = encode_args(params)
+  local _, matched_patterns, usage_params = service:extract_usage(request)
 
   ngx.var.cached_key = concat(credentials, ':')
 
@@ -342,11 +318,22 @@ function _M:access(service, authorize)
   local ctx = ngx.ctx
 
   -- save those tables in context so they can be used in the backend client
-  ctx.usage = params
+  ctx.usage = usage_params
   ctx.credentials = credentials
   ctx.matched_patterns = matched_patterns
 
-  return authorize(self, service, usage, credentials)
+  if self.oauth then
+    credentials, err = self.oauth:transform_credentials(credentials)
+
+    if err then
+      return error_authorization_failed(service)
+    end
+  end
+
+  credentials = encode_args(credentials)
+  local usage = encode_args(usage_params)
+
+  return self:authorize(service, usage, credentials)
 end
 
 
diff --git a/apicast/src/resty/http_ng.lua b/apicast/src/resty/http_ng.lua
index cdf11d4d4..84b259692 100644
--- a/apicast/src/resty/http_ng.lua
+++ b/apicast/src/resty/http_ng.lua
@@ -52,6 +52,26 @@ local function merge(...)
   return res
 end
 
+local function get_request_params(method, client, url, options)
+  local opts = {}
+  local scheme, user, pass, host, port, path = unpack(assert(resty_url.split(url)))
+  if port then host = concat({host, port}, ':') end
+
+  opts.headers = { ['Host'] = host }
+
+  if user or pass then
+    opts.headers.Authorization = "Basic " .. ngx.encode_base64(concat({ user or '', pass or '' }, ':'))
+  end
+
+  return {
+    url         = concat({ scheme, '://', host, path or DEFAULT_PATH }, ''),
+    method      = method,
+    options     = merge(opts, rawget(client, 'options'), options),
+    client      = client,
+    serializer  = client.serializer or http.serializers.default
+  }
+end
+
 http.method = function(method, client)
   assert(method)
   assert(client)
@@ -64,23 +84,8 @@ http.method = function(method, client)
 
     assert(url, 'url as first parameter is required')
 
-    local opts = {}
-    local scheme, user, pass, host, port, path = unpack(assert(resty_url.split(url)))
-    if port then host = concat({host, port}, ':') end
-
-    opts.headers = { ['Host'] = host }
-
-    if user or pass then
-      opts.headers.Authorization = "Basic " .. ngx.encode_base64(concat({ user or '', pass or '' }, ':'))
-    end
-
-    local req = http.request.new({
-      url         = concat({ scheme, '://', host, path or DEFAULT_PATH }, ''),
-      method      = method,
-      options     = merge(opts, rawget(client, 'options'), options),
-      client      = client,
-      serializer  = client.serializer or http.serializers.default
-    })
+    local req_params = get_request_params(method, client, url, options)
+    local req = http.request.new(req_params)
 
     return client.backend.send(req)
   end
@@ -99,9 +104,10 @@ http.method_with_body = function(method, client)
     assert(url, 'url as first parameter is required')
     assert(body, 'body as second parameter is required')
 
-    local req = http.request.new{ url = url, method = method, body = body,
-                                  options = options, client = client,
-                                  serializer = client.serializer or http.serializers.default  }
+    local req_params = get_request_params(method, client, url, options)
+    req_params.body = body
+    local req = http.request.new(req_params)
+
     return client.backend.send(req)
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/keycloak_spec.lua b/spec/keycloak_spec.lua
index 93b344293..803e33318 100644
--- a/spec/keycloak_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/keycloak_spec.lua
@@ -154,4 +154,14 @@ describe('Keycloak', function()
       assert.spy(_M.respond_with_error).was.called_with(401, 'invalid_client')
     end)
   end)
+
+  describe('.enabled', function()
+    it('is falsy if there is no RHSSO_ENDPOINT enviroment varialbe set', function()
+      assert.is.falsy(_M.enabled())
+    end)
+    it('if truty a non-nil value if RHSSO_ENDPOINT enviroment varialbe set', function()
+      env.set('RHSSO_ENDPOINT', 'http://www.example.com:80/auth/realms/test')
+      assert.is.truthy(_M.enabled())
+    end)
+  end)
 end)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua b/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua
index 5af7ad5df..09af6e864 100755
--- a/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/resty/http_ng_spec.lua
@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ describe('http_ng', function()
       http.get('http://example.com')
       local last_request = assert(backend.last_request)
 
+      assert.equal(false, last_request.options.ssl.verify)
+    end)
+    it('can turn off ssl validation for methods with body', function()
+      http = http_ng.new{backend = backend, options = { ssl = { verify = false } } }
+
+      http.post('http://example.com', {})
+      local last_request = assert(backend.last_request)
+
       assert.equal(false, last_request.options.ssl.verify)
     end)
   end)