diff --git a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/GatewayClientSettings.java b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/GatewayClientSettings.java
index 230450a8..c02acbc5 100644
--- a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/GatewayClientSettings.java
+++ b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/GatewayClientSettings.java
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 import io.scalecube.services.exceptions.DefaultErrorMapper;
 import io.scalecube.services.exceptions.ServiceClientErrorMapper;
 import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 import reactor.netty.tcp.SslProvider;
 
 public class GatewayClientSettings {
@@ -20,6 +23,7 @@ public class GatewayClientSettings {
   private final ServiceClientErrorMapper errorMapper;
   private final Duration keepAliveInterval;
   private final boolean wiretap;
+  private final Map<String, String> headers;
 
   private GatewayClientSettings(Builder builder) {
     this.host = builder.host;
@@ -30,6 +34,7 @@ private GatewayClientSettings(Builder builder) {
     this.errorMapper = builder.errorMapper;
     this.keepAliveInterval = builder.keepAliveInterval;
     this.wiretap = builder.wiretap;
+    this.headers = builder.headers;
   }
 
   public String host() {
@@ -64,6 +69,10 @@ public boolean wiretap() {
     return this.wiretap;
   }
 
+  public Map<String, String> headers() {
+    return headers;
+  }
+
   public static Builder builder() {
     return new Builder();
   }
@@ -96,9 +105,9 @@ public static class Builder {
     private ServiceClientErrorMapper errorMapper = DefaultErrorMapper.INSTANCE;
     private Duration keepAliveInterval = DEFAULT_KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL;
     private boolean wiretap = false;
+    private Map<String, String> headers = Collections.emptyMap();
 
-    private Builder() {
-    }
+    private Builder() {}
 
     private Builder(GatewayClientSettings originalSettings) {
       this.host = originalSettings.host;
@@ -109,6 +118,7 @@ private Builder(GatewayClientSettings originalSettings) {
       this.errorMapper = originalSettings.errorMapper;
       this.keepAliveInterval = originalSettings.keepAliveInterval;
       this.wiretap = originalSettings.wiretap;
+      this.headers = Collections.unmodifiableMap(new HashMap<>(originalSettings.headers));
     }
 
     public Builder host(String host) {
@@ -191,6 +201,11 @@ public Builder errorMapper(ServiceClientErrorMapper errorMapper) {
       return this;
     }
 
+    public Builder headers(Map<String, String> headers) {
+      this.headers = Collections.unmodifiableMap(new HashMap<>(headers));
+      return this;
+    }
+
     public GatewayClientSettings build() {
       return new GatewayClientSettings(this);
     }
diff --git a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/http/HttpGatewayClient.java b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/http/HttpGatewayClient.java
index 831048d9..0fac2bbd 100644
--- a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/http/HttpGatewayClient.java
+++ b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/http/HttpGatewayClient.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ public HttpGatewayClient(GatewayClientSettings settings, GatewayClientCodec<Byte
 
     httpClient =
         HttpClient.create(ConnectionProvider.elastic("http-gateway-client"))
+            .headers(headers -> settings.headers().forEach(headers::add))
             .followRedirect(settings.followRedirect())
             .tcpConfiguration(
                 tcpClient -> {
diff --git a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/rsocket/RSocketGatewayClient.java b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/rsocket/RSocketGatewayClient.java
index 107574d0..98e3a63a 100644
--- a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/rsocket/RSocketGatewayClient.java
+++ b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/rsocket/RSocketGatewayClient.java
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import io.rsocket.core.RSocketConnector;
 import io.rsocket.frame.decoder.PayloadDecoder;
 import io.rsocket.transport.netty.client.WebsocketClientTransport;
+import io.rsocket.util.EmptyPayload;
 import io.scalecube.services.api.ServiceMessage;
 import io.scalecube.services.exceptions.ConnectionClosedException;
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.transport.GatewayClient;
@@ -135,8 +136,14 @@ private Mono<RSocket> getOrConnect0(Mono prev) {
       return prev;
     }
 
+    Payload setupPayload = EmptyPayload.INSTANCE;
+    if (!settings.headers().isEmpty()) {
+      setupPayload = codec.encode(ServiceMessage.builder().headers(settings.headers()).build());
+    }
+
     return RSocketConnector.create()
         .payloadDecoder(PayloadDecoder.DEFAULT)
+        .setupPayload(setupPayload)
         .metadataMimeType(settings.contentType())
         .connect(createRSocketTransport(settings))
         .doOnSuccess(
diff --git a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/websocket/WebsocketGatewayClient.java b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/websocket/WebsocketGatewayClient.java
index 905792fc..432657de 100644
--- a/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/websocket/WebsocketGatewayClient.java
+++ b/services-gateway-client-transport/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/transport/websocket/WebsocketGatewayClient.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ public WebsocketGatewayClient(GatewayClientSettings settings, GatewayClientCodec
 
     httpClient =
         HttpClient.newConnection()
+            .headers(headers -> settings.headers().forEach(headers::add))
             .followRedirect(settings.followRedirect())
             .tcpConfiguration(
                 tcpClient -> {
diff --git a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySession.java b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySession.java
index 871c66f4..aa3b3d95 100644
--- a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySession.java
+++ b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySession.java
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package io.scalecube.services.gateway;
 
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 public interface GatewaySession {
@@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ public interface GatewaySession {
   /**
    * Returns headers associated with session.
    *
-   * @return heades map
+   * @return headers map
    */
-  Map<String, List<String>> headers();
+  Map<String, String> headers();
 }
diff --git a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySessionHandler.java b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySessionHandler.java
index 71ac8e33..650894d5 100644
--- a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySessionHandler.java
+++ b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/GatewaySessionHandler.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import io.netty.buffer.ByteBuf;
 import io.scalecube.services.api.ServiceMessage;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ default void onSessionError(GatewaySession session, Throwable throwable) {
    * @param headers connection/session headers
    * @return mono result
    */
-  default Mono<Void> onConnectionOpen(long sessionId, Map<String, List<String>> headers) {
+  default Mono<Void> onConnectionOpen(long sessionId, Map<String, String> headers) {
     return Mono.fromRunnable(
         () ->
             LOGGER.debug(
diff --git a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewayAcceptor.java b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewayAcceptor.java
index f49d246f..a7732f27 100644
--- a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewayAcceptor.java
+++ b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewayAcceptor.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.GatewaySessionHandler;
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.ServiceMessageCodec;
 import io.scalecube.services.transport.api.HeadersCodec;
+import java.util.Map;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Mono;
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ public Mono<RSocket> accept(ConnectionSetupPayload setup, RSocket rsocket) {
         new RSocketGatewaySession(
             serviceCall,
             messageCodec,
+            headers(messageCodec, setup),
             (session, req) -> sessionHandler.mapMessage(session, req, Context.empty()));
     sessionHandler.onSessionOpen(gatewaySession);
     rsocket
@@ -54,4 +56,11 @@ public Mono<RSocket> accept(ConnectionSetupPayload setup, RSocket rsocket) {
 
     return Mono.just(gatewaySession);
   }
+
+  private Map<String, String> headers(
+      ServiceMessageCodec messageCodec, ConnectionSetupPayload setup) {
+    return messageCodec
+        .decode(setup.sliceData().retain(), setup.sliceMetadata().retain())
+        .headers();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewaySession.java b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewaySession.java
index 9bdf50c5..85e713b5 100644
--- a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewaySession.java
+++ b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RSocketGatewaySession.java
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.ReferenceCountUtil;
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.ServiceMessageCodec;
 import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.List;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 import java.util.function.BiFunction;
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ public final class RSocketGatewaySession extends AbstractRSocket implements Gate
   private final ServiceMessageCodec messageCodec;
   private final long sessionId;
   private final BiFunction<GatewaySession, ServiceMessage, ServiceMessage> messageMapper;
+  private final Map<String, String> headers;
 
   /**
    * Constructor for gateway rsocket.
@@ -40,11 +41,13 @@ public final class RSocketGatewaySession extends AbstractRSocket implements Gate
   public RSocketGatewaySession(
       ServiceCall serviceCall,
       ServiceMessageCodec messageCodec,
+      Map<String, String> headers,
       BiFunction<GatewaySession, ServiceMessage, ServiceMessage> messageMapper) {
     this.serviceCall = serviceCall;
     this.messageCodec = messageCodec;
     this.messageMapper = messageMapper;
     this.sessionId = SESSION_ID_GENERATOR.incrementAndGet();
+    this.headers = Collections.unmodifiableMap(new HashMap<>(headers));
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -53,8 +56,8 @@ public long sessionId() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Map<String, List<String>> headers() {
-    return Collections.emptyMap();
+  public Map<String, String> headers() {
+    return headers;
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewayAcceptor.java b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewayAcceptor.java
index 32f0f700..83da2c0a 100644
--- a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewayAcceptor.java
+++ b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewayAcceptor.java
@@ -21,14 +21,14 @@
 import io.scalecube.services.exceptions.UnauthorizedException;
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.GatewaySessionHandler;
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.ReferenceCountUtil;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 import java.util.function.BiFunction;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import org.reactivestreams.Publisher;
 import reactor.core.Disposable;
 import reactor.core.publisher.Flux;
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public WebsocketGatewayAcceptor(ServiceCall serviceCall, GatewaySessionHandler g
 
   @Override
   public Publisher<Void> apply(HttpServerRequest httpRequest, HttpServerResponse httpResponse) {
-    final Map<String, List<String>> headers = computeHeaders(httpRequest.requestHeaders());
+    final Map<String, String> headers = computeHeaders(httpRequest.requestHeaders());
     final long sessionId = SESSION_ID_GENERATOR.incrementAndGet();
 
     return gatewayHandler
@@ -85,12 +85,9 @@ public Publisher<Void> apply(HttpServerRequest httpRequest, HttpServerResponse h
         .onErrorResume(throwable -> Mono.empty());
   }
 
-  private static Map<String, List<String>> computeHeaders(HttpHeaders httpHeaders) {
-    Map<String, List<String>> headers = new HashMap<>();
-    for (String name : httpHeaders.names()) {
-      headers.put(name, httpHeaders.getAll(name));
-    }
-    return headers;
+  private static Map<String, String> computeHeaders(HttpHeaders httpHeaders) {
+    // exception will be thrown on duplicate
+    return httpHeaders.entries().stream().collect(Collectors.toMap(Entry::getKey, Entry::getValue));
   }
 
   private static int toStatusCode(Throwable throwable) {
diff --git a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewaySession.java b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewaySession.java
index ff04690c..b21f0994 100644
--- a/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewaySession.java
+++ b/services-gateway-netty/src/main/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/ws/WebsocketGatewaySession.java
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 import io.scalecube.services.gateway.GatewaySessionHandler;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import org.jctools.maps.NonBlockingHashMapLong;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -33,7 +32,7 @@ public final class WebsocketGatewaySession implements GatewaySession {
   private final WebsocketServiceMessageCodec codec;
 
   private final long sessionId;
-  private final Map<String, List<String>> headers;
+  private final Map<String, String> headers;
 
   /**
    * Create a new websocket session with given handshake, inbound and outbound channels.
@@ -48,7 +47,7 @@ public final class WebsocketGatewaySession implements GatewaySession {
   public WebsocketGatewaySession(
       long sessionId,
       WebsocketServiceMessageCodec codec,
-      Map<String, List<String>> headers,
+      Map<String, String> headers,
       WebsocketInbound inbound,
       WebsocketOutbound outbound,
       GatewaySessionHandler gatewayHandler) {
@@ -68,7 +67,7 @@ public long sessionId() {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public Map<String, List<String>> headers() {
+  public Map<String, String> headers() {
     return headers;
   }
 
diff --git a/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/TestGatewaySessionHandler.java b/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/TestGatewaySessionHandler.java
index 84a30ac7..e4562add 100644
--- a/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/TestGatewaySessionHandler.java
+++ b/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/TestGatewaySessionHandler.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import io.scalecube.services.api.ServiceMessage;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 import reactor.util.context.Context;
 
 public class TestGatewaySessionHandler implements GatewaySessionHandler {
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ public class TestGatewaySessionHandler implements GatewaySessionHandler {
   public final CountDownLatch msgLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
   public final CountDownLatch connLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
   public final CountDownLatch disconnLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+  private final AtomicReference<GatewaySession> lastSession = new AtomicReference<>();
 
   @Override
   public ServiceMessage mapMessage(GatewaySession s, ServiceMessage req, Context context) {
@@ -19,10 +21,15 @@ public ServiceMessage mapMessage(GatewaySession s, ServiceMessage req, Context c
   @Override
   public void onSessionOpen(GatewaySession s) {
     connLatch.countDown();
+    lastSession.set(s);
   }
 
   @Override
   public void onSessionClose(GatewaySession s) {
     disconnLatch.countDown();
   }
+
+  public GatewaySession lastSession() {
+    return lastSession.get();
+  }
 }
diff --git a/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RsocketClientConnectionTest.java b/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RsocketClientConnectionTest.java
index bd2a00db..ab619973 100644
--- a/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RsocketClientConnectionTest.java
+++ b/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/rsocket/RsocketClientConnectionTest.java
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 import io.scalecube.services.transport.rsocket.RSocketServiceTransport;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
@@ -149,4 +151,29 @@ public void testHandlerEvents() throws InterruptedException {
     sessionEventHandler.disconnLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
     Assertions.assertEquals(0, sessionEventHandler.disconnLatch.getCount());
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void testClientSettingsHeaders() {
+    String headerKey = "secret-token";
+    String headerValue = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
+    client =
+        new RSocketGatewayClient(
+            GatewayClientSettings.builder()
+                .headers(Map.of(headerKey, headerValue))
+                .address(gatewayAddress)
+                .build(),
+            CLIENT_CODEC);
+
+    TestService service =
+        new ServiceCall()
+            .transport(new GatewayClientTransport(client))
+            .router(new StaticAddressRouter(gatewayAddress))
+            .api(TestService.class);
+
+    StepVerifier.create(
+            service.one("one").then(Mono.fromCallable(() -> sessionEventHandler.lastSession())))
+        .assertNext(session -> assertEquals(headerValue, session.headers().get(headerKey)))
+        .expectComplete()
+        .verify(TIMEOUT);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/websocket/WebsocketClientConnectionTest.java b/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/websocket/WebsocketClientConnectionTest.java
index 4f73e450..00425b0b 100644
--- a/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/websocket/WebsocketClientConnectionTest.java
+++ b/services-gateway-tests/src/test/java/io/scalecube/services/gateway/websocket/WebsocketClientConnectionTest.java
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.UUID;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
@@ -200,4 +202,28 @@ public void channelRead(ChannelHandlerContext ctx, Object msg) throws Exception
 
     assertEquals(0, keepaliveLatch.getCount());
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void testClientSettingsHeaders() {
+    String headerKey = "secret-token";
+    String headerValue = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
+    client =
+        new WebsocketGatewayClient(
+            GatewayClientSettings.builder()
+                .address(gatewayAddress)
+                .headers(Map.of(headerKey, headerValue))
+                .build(),
+            CLIENT_CODEC);
+    TestService service =
+        new ServiceCall()
+            .transport(new GatewayClientTransport(client))
+            .router(new StaticAddressRouter(gatewayAddress))
+            .api(TestService.class);
+
+    StepVerifier.create(
+            service.one("one").then(Mono.fromCallable(() -> sessionEventHandler.lastSession())))
+        .assertNext(session -> assertEquals(headerValue, session.headers().get(headerKey)))
+        .expectComplete()
+        .verify(TIMEOUT);
+  }
 }