diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
index 50a6735e2..062bf8c9a 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 Changes since release 4.0 Alpha 1
 
+* [HTTPCLIENT-689] stackable parameters in AbstractHttpClient
+  Contributed by Roland Weber <rolandw at apache.org>
+
 * [HTTPCLIENT-477] Use distinct instances of the authentication handler 
   interface for authentication with target and proxy hosts
   Contributed by Oleg Kalnichevski <olegk at apache.org>
diff --git a/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/AbstractHttpClient.java b/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/AbstractHttpClient.java
index 83ee3b587..df0ffcd76 100644
--- a/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/AbstractHttpClient.java
+++ b/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/AbstractHttpClient.java
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractHttpClient
                     getRedirectHandler(),
                     getTargetAuthenticationHandler(),
                     getProxyAuthenticationHandler(),
-                    getParams());
+                    determineParams(roureq.getRequest()));
         }
 
         HttpResponse response = director.execute(roureq, context);
@@ -533,6 +533,27 @@ public abstract class AbstractHttpClient
     } // execute
 
 
+    /**
+     * Obtains parameters for executing a request.
+     * The default implementation in this class creates a new
+     * {@link ClientParamsStack} from the request parameters
+     * and the client parameters.
+     * <br/>
+     * This method is called by the default implementation of
+     * {@link #execute(RoutedRequest,HttpContext)}
+     * to obtain the parameters for the
+     * {@link DefaultClientRequestDirector}.
+     *
+     * @param req    the request that will be executed
+     *
+     * @return  the parameters to use
+     */
+    protected HttpParams determineParams(HttpRequest req) {
+        return new ClientParamsStack
+            (null, getParams(), req.getParams(), null);
+    }
+
+
     /**
      * Determines the route for a request.
      * Called by {@link #execute(HttpUriRequest,HttpContext)
diff --git a/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultClientRequestDirector.java b/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultClientRequestDirector.java
index 958c5622c..e19252af9 100644
--- a/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultClientRequestDirector.java
+++ b/module-client/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DefaultClientRequestDirector.java
@@ -263,11 +263,6 @@ public class DefaultClientRequestDirector
 
         HttpRequest orig = roureq.getRequest();
 
-        //@@@ build the parameter stack in the client?
-        //@@@ that's the place to keep application and override params
-        final HttpParams stackedparams = new ClientParamsStack
-            (null, this.params, orig.getParams(), null);
-
         long timeout = HttpClientParams.getConnectionManagerTimeout(params);
         
         int execCount = 0;
@@ -310,7 +305,7 @@ public class DefaultClientRequestDirector
 
                 // Wrap the original request
                 RequestWrapper request = wrapRequest(roureq.getRequest());
-                request.setParams(stackedparams);
+                request.setParams(this.params);
                 
                 // Re-write request URI if needed
                 rewriteRequestURI(request, route);
@@ -370,7 +365,7 @@ public class DefaultClientRequestDirector
                     throw ex;
                 }
 
-                response.setParams(stackedparams);
+                response.setParams(this.params);
                 requestExec.postProcess(response, httpProcessor, context);
                 
                 RoutedRequest followup =