diff --git a/client.go b/client.go
index 499d3f9..fb5e288 100644
--- a/client.go
+++ b/client.go
@@ -150,6 +150,15 @@ func (c *Client) UserAgent() string {
 	return c.userAgent
 }
 
+// HTTPClient returns the configured underlying HTTP client.
+//
+// Usage:
+//
+//	hc := client.HTTPClient()
+func (c *Client) HTTPClient() *http.Client {
+	return c.httpClient
+}
+
 // HasToken reports whether the client was configured with an API token.
 //
 // Usage:
diff --git a/client_test.go b/client_test.go
index 7edb888..fbae590 100644
--- a/client_test.go
+++ b/client_test.go
@@ -220,6 +220,9 @@ func TestClient_WithHTTPClient_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	if c.httpClient != custom {
 		t.Error("expected custom HTTP client to be set")
 	}
+	if got := c.HTTPClient(); got != custom {
+		t.Error("expected HTTPClient() to return the configured HTTP client")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestAPIError_Error_Good(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/docs/api-contract.md b/docs/api-contract.md
index e898e9f..0f56abc 100644
--- a/docs/api-contract.md
+++ b/docs/api-contract.md
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ Coverage notes: rows list direct tests when a symbol is named in test names or r
 | method | Client.Get | `func (c *Client) Get(ctx context.Context, path string, out any) error` | Get performs a GET request. | `TestClient_Bad_Forbidden`, `TestClient_Bad_NotFound`, `TestClient_Bad_ServerError` (+3 more) |
 | method | Client.GetRaw | `func (c *Client) GetRaw(ctx context.Context, path string) ([]byte, error)` | GetRaw performs a GET request and returns the raw response body as bytes instead of JSON-decoding. Useful for endpoints that return raw file content. | No direct tests. |
 | method | Client.HasToken | `func (c *Client) HasToken() bool` | HasToken reports whether the client was configured with an API token. | `TestClient_HasToken_Bad`, `TestClient_HasToken_Good` |
+| method | Client.HTTPClient | `func (c *Client) HTTPClient() *http.Client` | HTTPClient returns the configured underlying HTTP client. | `TestClient_Good_WithHTTPClient` |
 | method | Client.Patch | `func (c *Client) Patch(ctx context.Context, path string, body, out any) error` | Patch performs a PATCH request. | No direct tests. |
 | method | Client.Post | `func (c *Client) Post(ctx context.Context, path string, body, out any) error` | Post performs a POST request. | `TestClient_Bad_Conflict`, `TestClient_Good_Post` |
 | method | Client.PostRaw | `func (c *Client) PostRaw(ctx context.Context, path string, body any) ([]byte, error)` | PostRaw performs a POST request with a JSON body and returns the raw response body as bytes instead of JSON-decoding. Useful for endpoints such as /markdown that return raw HTML text. | No direct tests. |
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ Coverage notes: rows list direct tests when a symbol is named in test names or r
 | method | ContentService.UpdateFile | `func (s *ContentService) UpdateFile(ctx context.Context, owner, repo, filepath string, opts *types.UpdateFileOptions) (*types.FileResponse, error)` | UpdateFile updates an existing file in a repository. | `TestContentService_Good_UpdateFile` |
 | method | Forge.Client | `func (f *Forge) Client() *Client` | Client returns the underlying HTTP client. | `TestForge_Good_Client` |
 | method | Forge.HasToken | `func (f *Forge) HasToken() bool` | HasToken reports whether the Forge client was configured with an API token. | `TestForge_HasToken_Bad`, `TestForge_HasToken_Good` |
+| method | Forge.HTTPClient | `func (f *Forge) HTTPClient() *http.Client` | HTTPClient returns the configured underlying HTTP client. | `TestForge_HTTPClient_Good` |
 | method | Forge.RateLimit | `func (f *Forge) RateLimit() RateLimit` | RateLimit returns the last known rate limit information. | `TestForge_Good_RateLimit` |
 | method | Forge.UserAgent | `func (f *Forge) UserAgent() string` | UserAgent returns the configured User-Agent header value. | `TestForge_Good_UserAgent` |
 | method | IssueService.AddLabels | `func (s *IssueService) AddLabels(ctx context.Context, owner, repo string, index int64, labelIDs []int64) error` | AddLabels adds labels to an issue. | No direct tests. |
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
index 557820c..ee9c270 100644
--- a/docs/architecture.md
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func (c *Client) Delete(ctx context.Context, path string) error
 func (c *Client) DeleteWithBody(ctx context.Context, path string, body any) error
 func (c *Client) GetRaw(ctx context.Context, path string) ([]byte, error)
 func (c *Client) PostRaw(ctx context.Context, path string, body any) ([]byte, error)
+func (c *Client) HTTPClient() *http.Client
 ```
 
 The `Raw` variants return the response body as `[]byte` instead of decoding JSON. This is used by endpoints that return non-JSON content (e.g. the markdown rendering endpoint returns raw HTML).
diff --git a/forge.go b/forge.go
index 6e9f9b8..c3a3e34 100644
--- a/forge.go
+++ b/forge.go
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package forge
 
+import "net/http"
+
 // Forge is the top-level client for the Forgejo API.
 //
 // Usage:
@@ -93,6 +95,13 @@ func (f *Forge) RateLimit() RateLimit { return f.client.RateLimit() }
 //	ua := f.UserAgent()
 func (f *Forge) UserAgent() string { return f.client.UserAgent() }
 
+// HTTPClient returns the configured underlying HTTP client.
+//
+// Usage:
+//
+//	hc := f.HTTPClient()
+func (f *Forge) HTTPClient() *http.Client { return f.client.HTTPClient() }
+
 // HasToken reports whether the Forge client was configured with an API token.
 //
 // Usage:
diff --git a/forge_test.go b/forge_test.go
index d25b155..89968c7 100644
--- a/forge_test.go
+++ b/forge_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ func TestForge_UserAgent_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestForge_HTTPClient_Good(t *testing.T) {
+	custom := &http.Client{}
+	f := NewForge("https://forge.lthn.ai", "tok", WithHTTPClient(custom))
+	if got := f.HTTPClient(); got != custom {
+		t.Fatal("expected HTTPClient() to return the configured HTTP client")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestForge_HasToken_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	f := NewForge("https://forge.lthn.ai", "tok")
 	if !f.HasToken() {