diff --git a/packages/github/src/internal/utils.ts b/packages/github/src/internal/utils.ts
index d7edde7e..7993f9a9 100644
--- a/packages/github/src/internal/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/github/src/internal/utils.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export function getProxyAgent(destinationUrl: string): http.Agent {
   return hc.getAgent(destinationUrl)
 }
 
-export function getProxyAgentDispatcher(destinationUrl: string): ProxyAgent | undefined {
+export function getProxyAgentDispatcher(destinationUrl: string): ProxyAgent | Agent {
   const hc = new httpClient.HttpClient()
   return hc.getAgentDispatcher(destinationUrl)
 }
diff --git a/packages/http-client/__tests__/proxy.test.ts b/packages/http-client/__tests__/proxy.test.ts
index d23ec107..10e1dda5 100644
--- a/packages/http-client/__tests__/proxy.test.ts
+++ b/packages/http-client/__tests__/proxy.test.ts
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ describe('proxy', () => {
   it('proxy settings return ProxyAgent', async () => {
     process.env['https_proxy'] = 'http://127.0.0.1:8080'
     const httpClient = new httpm.HttpClient()
-    const agent = httpClient.getAgentDispatcher('https://some-url')
+    const agent: Agent | ProxyAgent = httpClient.getAgentDispatcher('https://some-url')
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
     console.log(agent)
     expect(agent instanceof ProxyAgent).toBe(true)
@@ -307,10 +307,10 @@ describe('proxy', () => {
 
   it('proxyAuth is set in tunnel agent when authentication is provided', async () => {
     const httpClient = new httpm.HttpClient()
-    const agent = httpClient.getAgentDispatcher('https://some-url')
+    const agent: Agent | ProxyAgent = httpClient.getAgentDispatcher('https://some-url')
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
     console.log(agent)
-    expect(agent).toBe(undefined)
+    expect(agent instanceof Agent).toBe(true)
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/packages/http-client/src/index.ts b/packages/http-client/src/index.ts
index e93b62d2..9566ad78 100644
--- a/packages/http-client/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/http-client/src/index.ts
@@ -567,14 +567,16 @@ export class HttpClient {
     return this._getAgent(parsedUrl)
   }
 
-  getAgentDispatcher(serverUrl: string): ProxyAgent | undefined {
+  getAgentDispatcher(serverUrl: string): ProxyAgent | Agent {
     const parsedUrl = new URL(serverUrl)
     const proxyUrl = pm.getProxyUrl(parsedUrl)
     const useProxy = proxyUrl && proxyUrl.hostname
     if (useProxy) {
       return this._getProxyAgentDispatcher(parsedUrl, proxyUrl)
     }
-    return;
+    else {
+      return this._getAgentDispatcher(parsedUrl)
+    }
   }
 
   private _prepareRequest(
@@ -761,6 +763,46 @@ export class HttpClient {
     return proxyAgent
   }
 
+  private _getAgentDispatcher(parsedUrl: URL): Agent {
+    let agent;
+
+    if (this._keepAlive) {
+      agent = this._agentDispatcher
+    }
+
+    // if agent is already assigned use that agent.
+    if (agent) {
+      return agent
+    }
+
+    const usingSsl = parsedUrl.protocol === 'https:'
+    let maxSockets = 100
+    if (this.requestOptions) {
+      maxSockets = this.requestOptions.maxSockets || http.globalAgent.maxSockets
+    }
+
+    // if reusing agent across request and tunneling agent isn't assigned create a new agent
+    if (!agent) {
+      agent = new Agent(
+        {
+          pipelining: (!this._keepAlive ? 0 : 1),
+        }
+      )
+      this._agentDispatcher = agent
+    }
+
+    if (usingSsl && this._ignoreSslError) {
+      // we don't want to set NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 since that will affect request for entire process
+      // http.RequestOptions doesn't expose a way to modify RequestOptions.agent.options
+      // we have to cast it to any and change it directly
+      agent.options = Object.assign(agent.options.connect || {}, {
+        rejectUnauthorized: false
+      })
+    }
+
+    return agent
+  }
+
   private async _performExponentialBackoff(retryNumber: number): Promise<void> {
     retryNumber = Math.min(ExponentialBackoffCeiling, retryNumber)
     const ms: number = ExponentialBackoffTimeSlice * Math.pow(2, retryNumber)