diff --git a/config/config.default.js b/config/config.default.js
index 49d3eee46..476e38825 100644
--- a/config/config.default.js
+++ b/config/config.default.js
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ module.exports = appInfo => {
    * @property {Number} httpsAgent.maxSockets - https agent max socket number of one host, default is `Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER` @ses https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Number/MAX_SAFE_INTEGER
    * @property {Number} httpsAgent.maxFreeSockets - https agent max free socket number of one host, default is 256.
    * @property {Boolean} useHttpClientNext - use urllib@3 HttpClient, default is false
-   * @property {Boolean} allowH2 - use urllib@4 HttpClient and enable H2, default is false
+   * @property {Boolean} allowH2 - use urllib@4 HttpClient and enable H2, default is false. Only works on Node.js >= 18
    */
   config.httpclient = {
     enableDNSCache: false,
diff --git a/lib/egg.js b/lib/egg.js
index c57371273..919e77087 100644
--- a/lib/egg.js
+++ b/lib/egg.js
@@ -14,13 +14,19 @@ const Messenger = require('./core/messenger');
 const DNSCacheHttpClient = require('./core/dnscache_httpclient');
 const HttpClient = require('./core/httpclient');
 const HttpClientNext = require('./core/httpclient_next');
-const HttpClient4 = require('./core/httpclient4');
 const createLoggers = require('./core/logger');
 const Singleton = require('./core/singleton');
 const utils = require('./core/utils');
 const BaseContextClass = require('./core/base_context_class');
 const BaseHookClass = require('./core/base_hook_class');
 
+let HttpClient4 = HttpClientNext;
+const mainNodejsVersion = parseInt(process.versions.node.split('.')[0]);
+if (mainNodejsVersion >= 18) {
+  // urllib@4 only works on Node.js >= 18
+  HttpClient4 = require('./core/httpclient4');
+}
+
 const HTTPCLIENT = Symbol('EggApplication#httpclient');
 const LOGGERS = Symbol('EggApplication#loggers');
 const EGG_PATH = Symbol.for('egg#eggPath');
diff --git a/test/fixtures/apps/httpclient-tracer/app.js b/test/fixtures/apps/httpclient-tracer/app.js
index 0b6d6e866..80fd82b24 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/apps/httpclient-tracer/app.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/apps/httpclient-tracer/app.js
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ module.exports = app => {
     });
     assert(res.status === 200);
 
-    res = await httpclient.request('https://github.com', {
+    res = await httpclient.request('https://registry.npmmirror.com', {
       method: 'GET',
       timeout: 20000,
     });
 
     assert(res.status === 200);
 
-    res = await httpclient.request('https://www.npmjs.com', {
+    res = await httpclient.request('https://npmmirror.com', {
       method: 'GET',
       timeout: 20000,
     });
diff --git a/test/lib/core/httpclient.test.js b/test/lib/core/httpclient.test.js
index 4b4f8e274..755fd6c5b 100644
--- a/test/lib/core/httpclient.test.js
+++ b/test/lib/core/httpclient.test.js
@@ -589,13 +589,13 @@ describe('test/lib/core/httpclient.test.js', () => {
       });
       assert(res.status === 200);
 
-      res = await httpclient.request('https://github.com', {
+      res = await httpclient.request('https://registry.npmmirror.com', {
         method: 'GET',
         timeout: 20000,
       });
       assert(res.status === 200);
 
-      res = await httpclient.request('https://www.npmjs.com', {
+      res = await httpclient.request('https://npmmirror.com', {
         method: 'GET',
         timeout: 20000,
       });