diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 441d72d8d..84912b376 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1628,6 +1628,15 @@ version = "0.1.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "ff011a302c396a5197692431fc1948019154afc178baf7d8e37367442a4601cf"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "openssl-src"
+version = "111.27.0+1.1.1v"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "06e8f197c82d7511c5b014030c9b1efeda40d7d5f99d23b4ceed3524a5e63f02"
+dependencies = [
+ "cc",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "openssl-sys"
 version = "0.9.90"
@@ -1636,6 +1645,7 @@ checksum = "374533b0e45f3a7ced10fcaeccca020e66656bc03dac384f852e4e5a7a8104a6"
 dependencies = [
  "cc",
  "libc",
+ "openssl-src",
  "pkg-config",
  "vcpkg",
 ]
@@ -2443,6 +2453,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "jsonrpsee-core",
  "jsonrpsee-http-client",
  "num-bigint",
+ "openssl",
  "pathdiff",
  "predicates 2.1.5",
  "rand 0.8.5",
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-cli/Cargo.toml b/cmd/soroban-cli/Cargo.toml
index 1179a2c66..484c4a2ad 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-cli/Cargo.toml
+++ b/cmd/soroban-cli/Cargo.toml
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ tracing-appender = { workspace = true }
 tracing-subscriber = { workspace = true, features = ["env-filter"] }
 cargo_metadata = "0.15.4"
 pathdiff = "0.2.1"
+# For hyper-tls
+openssl = { version = "0.10.55", features = ["vendored"] }
 
 [build-dependencies]
 crate-git-revision = "0.0.4"
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-cli/src/commands/config/network/mod.rs b/cmd/soroban-cli/src/commands/config/network/mod.rs
index 85bab15aa..0f6928881 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-cli/src/commands/config/network/mod.rs
+++ b/cmd/soroban-cli/src/commands/config/network/mod.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use serde_json::Value;
 use stellar_strkey::ed25519::PublicKey;
 
-use crate::{commands::HEADING_RPC, rpc};
+use crate::{commands::HEADING_RPC, rpc::{self, Client}};
 
 use super::locator;
 
@@ -81,14 +81,6 @@ pub struct Args {
         help_heading = HEADING_RPC,
     )]
     pub network_passphrase: Option<String>,
-    /// Helper URL to use for funding accounts on test networks
-    #[arg(
-        long = "helper-url",
-        requires = "rpc_url",
-        env = "SOROBAN_NETWORK_PASSPHRASE",
-        help_heading = HEADING_RPC,
-    )]
-    pub helper_url: Option<String>,
     /// Name of network to use from config
     #[arg(
         long,
@@ -110,7 +102,6 @@ impl Args {
             Ok(Network {
                 rpc_url,
                 network_passphrase,
-                helper_url: self.helper_url.clone(),
             })
         } else {
             Err(Error::Network)
@@ -139,34 +130,21 @@ pub struct Network {
             help_heading = HEADING_RPC,
         )]
     pub network_passphrase: String,
-
-    /// Network passphrase to sign the transaction sent to the rpc server
-    #[arg(
-        long,
-        env = "SOROBAN_HELPER_URL",
-        help_heading = HEADING_RPC,
-    )]
-    pub helper_url: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl Network {
-    pub fn helper_url(&self, addr: &str) -> Result<http::Uri, Error> {
+    pub async fn helper_url(&self, addr: &str) -> Result<http::Uri, Error> {
         tracing::debug!("address {addr:?}");
-        let (url_root, path) = if let Some(helper_url) = &self.helper_url {
-            (helper_url, "")
-        } else {
-            (&self.rpc_url, "/friendbot")
-        };
-        tracing::debug!("helper url {url_root:?}\npath: {path:?}");
-        let uri =
-            http::Uri::from_str(url_root).map_err(|_| Error::InvalidUrl(url_root.to_string()))?;
+        let client = Client::new(&self.rpc_url)?;
+        let helper_url_root = client.friendbot_url().await?;
+        let uri = http::Uri::from_str(&helper_url_root).map_err(|_|Error::InvalidUrl(helper_url_root.to_string()))?;
         http::Uri::from_str(&format!("{uri:?}?addr={addr}"))
-            .map_err(|_| Error::InvalidUrl(url_root.to_string()))
+            .map_err(|_| Error::InvalidUrl(helper_url_root.to_string()))
     }
 
     #[allow(clippy::similar_names)]
     pub async fn fund_address(&self, addr: &PublicKey) -> Result<(), Error> {
-        let uri = self.helper_url(&addr.to_string())?;
+        let uri = self.helper_url(&addr.to_string()).await?;
         tracing::debug!("URL {uri:?}");
         let response = match uri.scheme_str() {
             Some("http") => hyper::Client::new().get(uri.clone()).await?,
@@ -200,8 +178,7 @@ impl Network {
     pub fn futurenet() -> Self {
         Network {
             rpc_url: "https://rpc-futurenet.stellar.org:443".to_owned(),
-            network_passphrase: "Test SDF Future Network ; October 2022".to_owned(),
-            helper_url: Some("https://friendbot-futurenet.stellar.org".to_owned()),
+            network_passphrase: "Test SDF Future Network ; October 2022".to_owned()
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/cmd/soroban-cli/src/rpc/mod.rs b/cmd/soroban-cli/src/rpc/mod.rs
index b5a4f96d7..9bf0796cf 100644
--- a/cmd/soroban-cli/src/rpc/mod.rs
+++ b/cmd/soroban-cli/src/rpc/mod.rs
@@ -427,6 +427,17 @@ impl Client {
             .build(url)?)
     }
 
+    pub async fn friendbot_url(&self) -> Result<String, Error> {
+        let network = self.get_network().await?;
+        tracing::trace!("{network:#?}");
+        network.friendbot_url.ok_or_else(|| {
+            Error::NotFound(
+                "Friendbot".to_string(),
+                "Friendbot is not available on this network".to_string(),
+            )
+        })
+    }
+
     pub async fn verify_network_passphrase(&self, expected: Option<&str>) -> Result<String, Error> {
         let server = self.get_network().await?.passphrase;
         if expected.is_some() && expected != Some(&server) {