diff --git a/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient+Conveniences.swift b/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient+Conveniences.swift
index bb6aee0..f1d6d6a 100644
--- a/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient+Conveniences.swift
+++ b/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient+Conveniences.swift
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ extension HTTPClient where Self: ~Copyable {
     public func perform<Return: ~Copyable>(
         request: HTTPRequest,
         body: consuming HTTPClientRequestBody<RequestWriter>? = nil,
-        options: RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: RequestOptions? = nil,
         responseHandler: (HTTPResponse, consuming ResponseConcludingReader) async throws -> Return,
     ) async throws -> Return {
+        let options = options ?? self.defaultRequestOptions
         return try await self.perform(request: request, body: body, options: options, responseHandler: responseHandler)
     }
 
@@ -63,10 +64,11 @@ extension HTTPClient where Self: ~Copyable {
     public func get(
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
-        options: RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: RequestOptions? = nil,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
         let request = HTTPRequest(url: url, headerFields: headerFields)
+        let options = options ?? self.defaultRequestOptions
         return try await self.perform(request: request, body: nil, options: options) { response, body in
             (
                 response,
@@ -94,10 +96,11 @@ extension HTTPClient where Self: ~Copyable {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data,
-        options: RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: RequestOptions? = nil,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
         let request = HTTPRequest(method: .post, url: url, headerFields: headerFields)
+        let options = options ?? self.defaultRequestOptions
         return try await self.perform(request: request, body: .data(bodyData), options: options) { response, body in
             (
                 response,
@@ -125,10 +128,11 @@ extension HTTPClient where Self: ~Copyable {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data,
-        options: RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: RequestOptions? = nil,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
         let request = HTTPRequest(method: .put, url: url, headerFields: headerFields)
+        let options = options ?? self.defaultRequestOptions
         return try await self.perform(request: request, body: .data(bodyData), options: options) { response, body in
             (
                 response,
@@ -156,10 +160,11 @@ extension HTTPClient where Self: ~Copyable {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data? = nil,
-        options: RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: RequestOptions? = nil,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
         let request = HTTPRequest(method: .delete, url: url, headerFields: headerFields)
+        let options = options ?? self.defaultRequestOptions
         return try await self.perform(request: request, body: bodyData.map { .data($0) }, options: options) { response, body in
             (
                 response,
@@ -187,10 +192,11 @@ extension HTTPClient where Self: ~Copyable {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data,
-        options: RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: RequestOptions? = nil,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
         let request = HTTPRequest(method: .patch, url: url, headerFields: headerFields)
+        let options = options ?? self.defaultRequestOptions
         return try await self.perform(request: request, body: .data(bodyData), options: options) { response, body in
             (
                 response,
diff --git a/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient.swift b/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient.swift
index bc1aaa9..0d45155 100644
--- a/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient.swift
+++ b/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClient.swift
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ public protocol HTTPClient<RequestOptions>: Sendable, ~Copyable {
     associatedtype ResponseConcludingReader: ConcludingAsyncReader, ~Copyable, SendableMetatype
     where ResponseConcludingReader.Underlying.ReadElement == UInt8, ResponseConcludingReader.FinalElement == HTTPFields?
 
+    /// The default request options for `perform`.
+    var defaultRequestOptions: RequestOptions { get }
+
     /// Performs an HTTP request and processes the response.
     ///
     /// This method executes the HTTP request with the specified options, then invokes
diff --git a/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClientCapability+RequestOptions.swift b/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClientCapability+RequestOptions.swift
index 93ad5ed..925856a 100644
--- a/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClientCapability+RequestOptions.swift
+++ b/Sources/HTTPAPIs/Client/HTTPClientCapability+RequestOptions.swift
@@ -20,6 +20,5 @@ public enum HTTPClientCapability {
     /// Additional options supported by a subset of clients are defined in child
     /// protocols to allow libraries to depend on a specific capabilities.
     public protocol RequestOptions {
-        init()
     }
 }
diff --git a/Sources/HTTPClient/DefaultHTTPClient.swift b/Sources/HTTPClient/DefaultHTTPClient.swift
index 04ce9ca..46a6f47 100644
--- a/Sources/HTTPClient/DefaultHTTPClient.swift
+++ b/Sources/HTTPClient/DefaultHTTPClient.swift
@@ -159,6 +159,10 @@ public struct DefaultHTTPClient: HTTPClient, ~Copyable {
         fatalError()
         #endif
     }
+
+    public var defaultRequestOptions: HTTPRequestOptions {
+        .init()
+    }
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/Sources/HTTPClient/HTTP+Conveniences.swift b/Sources/HTTPClient/HTTP+Conveniences.swift
index 3eea904..743d25c 100644
--- a/Sources/HTTPClient/HTTP+Conveniences.swift
+++ b/Sources/HTTPClient/HTTP+Conveniences.swift
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ extension HTTP {
     public static func perform<Client: HTTPClient & ~Copyable, Return: ~Copyable>(
         request: HTTPRequest,
         body: consuming HTTPClientRequestBody<Client.RequestWriter>? = nil,
-        options: Client.RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: Client.RequestOptions? = nil,
         on client: borrowing Client = DefaultHTTPClient.shared,
         responseHandler: (HTTPResponse, consuming Client.ResponseConcludingReader) async throws -> Return,
     ) async throws -> Return {
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ extension HTTP {
     public static func get<Client: HTTPClient & ~Copyable>(
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
-        options: Client.RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: Client.RequestOptions? = nil,
         on client: borrowing Client = DefaultHTTPClient.shared,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ extension HTTP {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data,
-        options: Client.RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: Client.RequestOptions? = nil,
         on client: borrowing Client = DefaultHTTPClient.shared,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ extension HTTP {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data,
-        options: Client.RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: Client.RequestOptions? = nil,
         on client: borrowing Client = DefaultHTTPClient.shared,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ extension HTTP {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data? = nil,
-        options: Client.RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: Client.RequestOptions? = nil,
         on client: borrowing Client = DefaultHTTPClient.shared,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ extension HTTP {
         url: URL,
         headerFields: HTTPFields = [:],
         bodyData: Data,
-        options: Client.RequestOptions = .init(),
+        options: Client.RequestOptions? = nil,
         on client: borrowing Client = DefaultHTTPClient.shared,
         collectUpTo limit: Int,
     ) async throws -> (response: HTTPResponse, bodyData: Data) {
diff --git a/Sources/HTTPClient/URLSession/URLSessionHTTPClient.swift b/Sources/HTTPClient/URLSession/URLSessionHTTPClient.swift
index 548fa93..02c2e46 100644
--- a/Sources/HTTPClient/URLSession/URLSessionHTTPClient.swift
+++ b/Sources/HTTPClient/URLSession/URLSessionHTTPClient.swift
@@ -290,5 +290,9 @@ final class URLSessionHTTPClient: HTTPClient, IdleTimerEntryProvider {
         }
         return try result!.get()
     }
+
+    var defaultRequestOptions: HTTPRequestOptions {
+        .init()
+    }
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/Tests/HTTPAPIsTests/Helpers/HTTPClientAndServerTests.swift b/Tests/HTTPAPIsTests/Helpers/HTTPClientAndServerTests.swift
index c9c9920..84875d3 100644
--- a/Tests/HTTPAPIsTests/Helpers/HTTPClientAndServerTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/HTTPAPIsTests/Helpers/HTTPClientAndServerTests.swift
@@ -160,6 +160,10 @@ final class TestClientAndServer: HTTPClient, HTTPServer {
         )
     }
 
+    var defaultRequestOptions: RequestOptions {
+        .init()
+    }
+
     func serve(
         handler: some HTTPServerRequestHandler<AsyncChannelConcludingAsyncReader, AsyncChannelConcludingAsyncWriter>
     ) async throws {