diff --git a/src/communication/http/httpClient.ts b/src/communication/http/httpClient.ts
index 0538018..d3f4e90 100644
--- a/src/communication/http/httpClient.ts
+++ b/src/communication/http/httpClient.ts
@@ -52,13 +52,10 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     queryParams?: Record<string, unknown>,
     retryConfig?: IAxiosRetryConfig,
     auth?: AxiosBasicCredentials,
-    headers?: unknown
+    headers?: Record<string, unknown>
   ): Promise<T> {
     try {
-      const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : { ...this.axiosOptions };
-      reqConfig.params = queryParams;
-      reqConfig.auth = auth;
-      reqConfig.headers = headers;
+      const reqConfig = this.getRequestConfig(retryConfig, queryParams, auth, headers);
       const res = await this.axiosClient.get<T>(url, reqConfig);
       return res.data;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -73,13 +70,10 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     queryParams?: Record<string, unknown>,
     retryConfig?: IAxiosRetryConfig,
     auth?: AxiosBasicCredentials,
-    headers?: unknown
+    headers?: Record<string, unknown>
   ): Promise<T> {
     try {
-      const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : this.axiosOptions;
-      reqConfig.params = queryParams;
-      reqConfig.auth = auth;
-      reqConfig.headers = headers;
+      const reqConfig = this.getRequestConfig(retryConfig, queryParams, auth, headers);
       const res = await this.axiosClient.post<T>(url, body, reqConfig);
       return res.data;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -94,13 +88,10 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     queryParams?: Record<string, unknown>,
     retryConfig?: IAxiosRetryConfig,
     auth?: AxiosBasicCredentials,
-    headers?: unknown
+    headers?: Record<string, unknown>
   ): Promise<T> {
     try {
-      const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : this.axiosOptions;
-      reqConfig.params = queryParams;
-      reqConfig.auth = auth;
-      reqConfig.headers = headers;
+      const reqConfig = this.getRequestConfig(retryConfig, queryParams, auth, headers);
       const res = await this.axiosClient.put<T>(url, body, reqConfig);
       return res.data;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -114,13 +105,10 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     queryParams?: Record<string, unknown>,
     retryConfig?: IAxiosRetryConfig,
     auth?: AxiosBasicCredentials,
-    headers?: unknown
+    headers?: Record<string, unknown>
   ): Promise<T> {
     try {
-      const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : this.axiosOptions;
-      reqConfig.params = queryParams;
-      reqConfig.auth = auth;
-      reqConfig.headers = headers;
+      const reqConfig = this.getRequestConfig(retryConfig, queryParams, auth, headers);
       const res = await this.axiosClient.delete<T>(url, reqConfig);
       return res.data;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -134,13 +122,10 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     queryParams?: Record<string, unknown>,
     retryConfig?: IAxiosRetryConfig,
     auth?: AxiosBasicCredentials,
-    headers?: unknown
+    headers?: Record<string, unknown>
   ): Promise<T> {
     try {
-      const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : this.axiosOptions;
-      reqConfig.params = queryParams;
-      reqConfig.auth = auth;
-      reqConfig.headers = headers;
+      const reqConfig = this.getRequestConfig(retryConfig, queryParams, auth, headers);
       const res = await this.axiosClient.head<T>(url, reqConfig);
       return res.data;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -154,13 +139,10 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     queryParams?: Record<string, unknown>,
     retryConfig?: IAxiosRetryConfig,
     auth?: AxiosBasicCredentials,
-    headers?: unknown
+    headers?: Record<string, unknown>
   ): Promise<T> {
     try {
-      const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : this.axiosOptions;
-      reqConfig.params = queryParams;
-      reqConfig.auth = auth;
-      reqConfig.headers = headers;
+      const reqConfig = this.getRequestConfig(retryConfig, queryParams, auth, headers);
       const res = await this.axiosClient.options<T>(url, reqConfig);
       return res.data;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -175,13 +157,10 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     queryParams?: Record<string, unknown>,
     retryConfig?: IAxiosRetryConfig,
     auth?: AxiosBasicCredentials,
-    headers?: unknown
+    headers?: Record<string, unknown>
   ): Promise<T> {
     try {
-      const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : this.axiosOptions;
-      reqConfig.params = queryParams;
-      reqConfig.auth = auth;
-      reqConfig.headers = headers;
+      const reqConfig = this.getRequestConfig(retryConfig, queryParams, auth, headers);
       const res = await this.axiosClient.patch<T>(url, body, reqConfig);
       return res.data;
     } catch (err) {
@@ -190,6 +169,25 @@ export abstract class HttpClient {
     }
   }
 
+  protected getRequestConfig(
+    retryConfig: IAxiosRetryConfig | undefined,
+    queryParams: Record<string, unknown> | undefined,
+    auth: AxiosBasicCredentials | undefined,
+    headers: Record<string, unknown> | undefined
+  ): AxiosRequestConfig {
+    const reqConfig = retryConfig ? { ...this.axiosOptions, 'axios-retry': retryConfig } : this.axiosOptions;
+    if (queryParams !== undefined) {
+      reqConfig.params = reqConfig.params !== undefined ? { ...(reqConfig.params as Record<string, unknown>), ...queryParams } : queryParams;
+    }
+    if (auth !== undefined) {
+      reqConfig.auth = auth;
+    }
+    if (headers !== undefined) {
+      reqConfig.headers = reqConfig.headers !== undefined ? { ...(reqConfig.headers as Record<string, unknown>), ...headers } : headers;
+    }
+    return reqConfig;
+  }
+
   private wrapError(url: string, err: AxiosError, body?: unknown): HttpError {
     const message = readProperty(err, 'response.data.message', undefined) as string | undefined;
     switch (err.response?.status) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/communication/http/httpClient.spec.ts b/tests/unit/communication/http/httpClient.spec.ts
index cdb1889..0d5df17 100644
--- a/tests/unit/communication/http/httpClient.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/communication/http/httpClient.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { BadRequestError } from '@map-colonies/error-types';
-import { AxiosError } from 'axios';
+import { AxiosError, AxiosRequestConfig } from 'axios';
 import { exponentialDelay, IAxiosRetryConfig } from 'axios-retry';
 import { HttpClient } from '../../../../src';
 import { axiosMocks, initAxiosMock } from '../../../mocks/externalDeps/axios';
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ class TestClient extends HttpClient {
   public callDelete = this.delete.bind(this);
   public callHead = this.head.bind(this);
   public callOptions = this.options.bind(this);
+  public callGetRequestConfig = this.getRequestConfig.bind(this);
+  public setGlobalConfig(config: AxiosRequestConfig): void {
+    this.axiosOptions = config;
+  }
 }
 
 const testUrl = 'http://test/test';
@@ -90,6 +94,89 @@ describe('HttpClient', function () {
       };
       expect(action).toThrow();
     });
+
+    it('global configurations are used when not overridden', () => {
+      const globalConfig: AxiosRequestConfig = {
+        'axios-retry': {
+          retries: 1,
+        },
+        auth: {
+          username: 'a',
+          password: 'b',
+        },
+        params: {
+          test1: 1,
+          test2: 2,
+        },
+        headers: {
+          test3: 3,
+          test4: 4,
+        },
+      };
+      client.setGlobalConfig(globalConfig);
+      const reqConf = client.callGetRequestConfig(undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined);
+      expect(reqConf).toEqual(globalConfig);
+    });
+
+    it('request configs are added to global configurations', () => {
+      const globalConfig: AxiosRequestConfig = {
+        'axios-retry': {
+          retries: 1,
+        },
+        auth: {
+          username: 'a',
+          password: 'b',
+        },
+        params: {
+          test1: 1,
+          test2: 2,
+        },
+        headers: {
+          test3: 3,
+          test4: 4,
+        },
+      };
+      const retryOverride = {
+        retries: 3,
+      };
+      const queryOverride = {
+        test1: 4,
+        test3: 3,
+      };
+      const authOverride = {
+        username: 't',
+        password: 't',
+      };
+      const headerOverride = {
+        test3: 6,
+        test5: 5,
+      };
+
+      client.setGlobalConfig(globalConfig);
+      const reqConf = client.callGetRequestConfig(retryOverride, queryOverride, authOverride, headerOverride);
+
+      const expectedConfig = {
+        'axios-retry': {
+          retries: 3,
+        },
+        auth: {
+          username: 't',
+          password: 't',
+        },
+        params: {
+          test1: 4,
+          test2: 2,
+          test3: 3,
+        },
+        headers: {
+          test3: 6,
+          test4: 4,
+          test5: 5,
+        },
+      };
+
+      expect(reqConf).toEqual(expectedConfig);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('GET', () => {