diff --git a/client/rest/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientBuilder.java b/client/rest/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientBuilder.java
index d881bd70a44..4466a61d9df 100644
--- a/client/rest/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientBuilder.java
+++ b/client/rest/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientBuilder.java
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ import org.apache.http.impl.nio.client.CloseableHttpAsyncClient;
 import org.apache.http.impl.nio.client.HttpAsyncClientBuilder;
 import org.apache.http.nio.conn.SchemeIOSessionStrategy;
 
+import java.security.AccessController;
+import java.security.PrivilegedAction;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
 /**
@@ -177,7 +179,12 @@ public final class RestClientBuilder {
         if (failureListener == null) {
             failureListener = new RestClient.FailureListener();
         }
-        CloseableHttpAsyncClient httpClient = createHttpClient();
+        CloseableHttpAsyncClient httpClient = AccessController.doPrivileged(new PrivilegedAction<CloseableHttpAsyncClient>() {
+            @Override
+            public CloseableHttpAsyncClient run() {
+                return createHttpClient();
+            }
+        });
         RestClient restClient = new RestClient(httpClient, maxRetryTimeout, defaultHeaders, hosts, pathPrefix, failureListener);
         httpClient.start();
         return restClient;