diff --git a/include/seastar/http/client.hh b/include/seastar/http/client.hh
index 09e3b8d2ed..351fd219f7 100644
--- a/include/seastar/http/client.hh
+++ b/include/seastar/http/client.hh
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ private:
     requires std::invocable<Fn, connection&>
     auto with_new_connection(Fn&& fn, abort_source*);
 
-    future<> do_make_request(request req, reply_handler handle, abort_source*, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected);
+    future<> do_make_request(request& req, reply_handler& handle, abort_source*, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected);
     future<> do_make_request(connection& con, request& req, reply_handler& handle, abort_source*, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected);
 
 public:
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ public:
      * client may restart the whole request processing in case server closes the connection
      * in the middle of operation
      */
-    future<> make_request(request req, reply_handler handle, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected = std::nullopt);
+    future<> make_request(request&& req, reply_handler&& handle, std::optional<reply::status_type>&& expected = std::nullopt);
 
     /**
      * \brief Send the request and handle the response (abortable)
@@ -295,7 +295,18 @@ public:
      * \param as -- abort source that aborts the request
      * \param expected -- the optional expected reply status code, default is std::nullopt
      */
-    future<> make_request(request req, reply_handler handle, abort_source& as, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected = std::nullopt);
+    future<> make_request(request&& req, reply_handler&& handle, abort_source& as, std::optional<reply::status_type>&& expected = std::nullopt);
+
+    /**
+     * \brief Send the request and handle the response, same as \ref make_request()
+     *
+     *  @attention Note that the method does not take the ownership of the
+     * `request and the `handle`, it caller's responsibility the make sure they
+     * are referencing valid instances
+     */
+    future<> make_request(request& req, reply_handler& handle, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected = std::nullopt);
+
+    future<> make_request(request& req, reply_handler& handle, abort_source& as, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected = std::nullopt);
 
     /**
      * \brief Updates the maximum number of connections a client may have
diff --git a/src/http/client.cc b/src/http/client.cc
index 4d618f7f8c..48b1a0187e 100644
--- a/src/http/client.cc
+++ b/src/http/client.cc
@@ -338,16 +338,27 @@ auto client::with_new_connection(Fn&& fn, abort_source* as) {
     });
 }
 
-future<> client::make_request(request req, reply_handler handle, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected) {
-    return do_make_request(std::move(req), std::move(handle), nullptr, std::move(expected));
+future<> client::make_request(request&& req, reply_handler&& handle, std::optional<reply::status_type>&& expected) {
+    return do_with(std::move(req), std::move(handle), [this, expected](request& req, reply_handler& handle) mutable {
+        return do_make_request(req, handle, nullptr, std::move(expected));
+    });
+}
+
+future<> client::make_request(request&& req, reply_handler&& handle, abort_source& as, std::optional<reply::status_type>&& expected) {
+    return do_with(std::move(req), std::move(handle), [this, as{&as}, expected](request& req, reply_handler& handle) mutable {
+        return do_make_request(req, handle, as, std::move(expected));
+    });
 }
 
-future<> client::make_request(request req, reply_handler handle, abort_source& as, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected) {
-    return do_make_request(std::move(req), std::move(handle), &as, std::move(expected));
+future<> client::make_request(request& req, reply_handler& handle, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected) {
+    return do_make_request(req, handle, nullptr, std::move(expected));
 }
 
-future<> client::do_make_request(request req, reply_handler handle, abort_source* as, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected) {
-    return do_with(std::move(req), std::move(handle), [this, as, expected] (request& req, reply_handler& handle) mutable {
+future<> client::make_request(request& req, reply_handler& handle, abort_source& as, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected) {
+    return do_make_request(req, handle, &as, std::move(expected));
+}
+
+future<> client::do_make_request(request& req, reply_handler& handle, abort_source* as, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected) {
         return with_connection([this, &req, &handle, as, expected] (connection& con) {
             return do_make_request(con, req, handle, as, expected);
         }, as).handle_exception_type([this, &req, &handle, as, expected] (const std::system_error& ex) {
@@ -371,7 +382,6 @@ future<> client::do_make_request(request req, reply_handler handle, abort_source
                 return do_make_request(con, req, handle, as, expected);
             }, as);
         });
-    });
 }
 
 future<> client::do_make_request(connection& con, request& req, reply_handler& handle, abort_source* as, std::optional<reply::status_type> expected) {