diff --git a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DecompressingHttpClient.java b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DecompressingHttpClient.java
index 26307a10c..79f388cb7 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DecompressingHttpClient.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/main/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/DecompressingHttpClient.java
@@ -73,10 +73,18 @@ import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;
  */
 public class DecompressingHttpClient implements HttpClient {
 
-    private HttpClient backend;
-    private HttpRequestInterceptor acceptEncodingInterceptor;
-    private HttpResponseInterceptor contentEncodingInterceptor;
+    private final HttpClient backend;
+    private final HttpRequestInterceptor acceptEncodingInterceptor;
+    private final HttpResponseInterceptor contentEncodingInterceptor;
     
+    /**
+     * Constructs a decorator to ask for and handle compressed
+     * entities on the fly.
+     */
+    public DecompressingHttpClient() {
+        this(new DefaultHttpClient());
+    }
+
     /**
      * Constructs a decorator to ask for and handle compressed
      * entities on the fly.
@@ -86,7 +94,7 @@ public class DecompressingHttpClient implements HttpClient {
     public DecompressingHttpClient(HttpClient backend) {
         this(backend, new RequestAcceptEncoding(), new ResponseContentEncoding());
     }
-    
+        
     DecompressingHttpClient(HttpClient backend, 
             HttpRequestInterceptor requestInterceptor, 
             HttpResponseInterceptor responseInterceptor) {
diff --git a/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/TestContentCodings.java b/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/TestContentCodings.java
index f04393d8d..42a00e199 100644
--- a/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/TestContentCodings.java
+++ b/httpclient/src/test/java/org/apache/http/impl/client/TestContentCodings.java
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
             }
         });
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
 
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         HttpResponse response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request);
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
 
         this.localServer.register("*", createDeflateEncodingRequestHandler(entityText, false));
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
 
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         HttpResponse response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request);
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
 
         this.localServer.register("*", createDeflateEncodingRequestHandler(entityText, true));
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
 
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         HttpResponse response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request);
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
 
         this.localServer.register("*", createGzipEncodingRequestHandler(entityText));
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
 
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         HttpResponse response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request);
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
 
         this.localServer.register("*", createGzipEncodingRequestHandler(entityText));
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         HttpResponse response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request);
         ByteArrayOutputStream out = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
 
         this.localServer.register("*", createDeflateEncodingRequestHandler(entityText, true));
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
 
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         HttpResponse response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request);
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
 
         this.localServer.register("*", createGzipEncodingRequestHandler(entityText));
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
 
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         String response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request, new BasicResponseHandler());
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ public class TestContentCodings extends ServerTestBase {
 
         this.localServer.register("*", createDeflateEncodingRequestHandler(entityText, false));
 
-        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient(new DefaultHttpClient());
+        HttpClient client = new DecompressingHttpClient();
         
         HttpGet request = new HttpGet("/some-resource");
         String response = client.execute(getServerHttp(), request, new BasicResponseHandler());