diff --git a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.spec.ts b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.spec.ts
index 5d7637cd..add473e9 100644
--- a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { createJsonRpcRequest } from "../jsonrpc";
 import { defaultInstance } from "../testutil.spec";
-import { HttpClient } from "./httpclient";
+import { http, HttpClient } from "./httpclient";
 
 function pendingWithoutTendermint(): void {
   if (!process.env.TENDERMINT_ENABLED) {
@@ -8,9 +8,23 @@ function pendingWithoutTendermint(): void {
   }
 }
 
-describe("HttpClient", () => {
-  const tendermintUrl = defaultInstance.url;
+const tendermintUrl = defaultInstance.url;
 
+describe("http", () => {
+  it("can send a health request", async () => {
+    pendingWithoutTendermint();
+    const response = await http("POST", `http://${tendermintUrl}`, createJsonRpcRequest("health"));
+    expect(response).toEqual(jasmine.objectContaining({ jsonrpc: "2.0" }));
+  });
+
+  it("errors for non-open port", async () => {
+    await expectAsync(
+      http("POST", `http://localhost:56745`, createJsonRpcRequest("health")),
+    ).toBeRejectedWithError(/(ECONNREFUSED|Failed to fetch)/i);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("HttpClient", () => {
   it("can make a simple call", async () => {
     pendingWithoutTendermint();
     const client = new HttpClient(tendermintUrl);
diff --git a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.ts b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.ts
index 42950660..52beb72a 100644
--- a/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.ts
+++ b/packages/tendermint-rpc/src/rpcclients/httpclient.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ function filterBadStatus(res: any): any {
  *
  * For some reason, fetch does not complain about missing server-side CORS support.
  */
-async function http(method: "POST", url: string, request?: any): Promise<any> {
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/explicit-module-boundary-types
+export async function http(method: "POST", url: string, request?: any): Promise<any> {
   if (typeof fetch !== "undefined") {
     const body = request ? JSON.stringify(request) : undefined;
     return fetch(url, { method: method, body: body })