diff --git a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/NoSQLHandleConfig.java b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/NoSQLHandleConfig.java
index 45a0df40..dba9dc68 100644
--- a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/NoSQLHandleConfig.java
+++ b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/NoSQLHandleConfig.java
@@ -204,6 +204,18 @@ public class NoSQLHandleConfig implements Cloneable {
      */
     private String compartment;
 
+    /**
+     * On-premise only.
+     *
+     * The default namespace to use for all requests. If this is null (the
+     * default), no namespace is used unless specified in table names in
+     * requests and SQL statements.
+     *
+     * Any non-namespace qualified table name in requests and/or SQL
+     * statements will be resolved/qualified to the specified namespace.
+     */
+    private String defaultNamespace;
+
     /**
      * Enable rate limiting.
      * Cloud service only.
@@ -1074,6 +1086,40 @@ public String getDefaultCompartment() {
         return compartment;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @hidden
+     *
+     * On-premise only.
+     *
+     * Sets the default namespace to use for requests sent using the
+     * handle. This is an optional convenience method to avoid having to
+     * add the namespace to table names in requests and SQL statements.
+     *
+     * Any non-namespace qualified table name in requests and/or SQL
+     * statements will be resolved/qualified to the specified namespace.
+     *
+     * @param namespace the default namespace to use
+     *
+     * @return this
+     */
+    public NoSQLHandleConfig setDefaultNamespace(String defaultNamespace) {
+        this.defaultNamespace = defaultNamespace;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @hidden
+     *
+     * On-premise only.
+     *
+     * Returns the default namespace to use for requests or null if not set.
+     *
+     * @return the default namespace
+     */
+    public String getDefaultNamespace() {
+        return defaultNamespace;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the SSL cipher suites to enable.
      * @return cipher suites.
diff --git a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/Client.java b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/Client.java
index 700d1c91..49b8513b 100644
--- a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/Client.java
+++ b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/Client.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import static oracle.nosql.driver.util.HttpConstants.CONTENT_LENGTH;
 import static oracle.nosql.driver.util.HttpConstants.CONTENT_TYPE;
 import static oracle.nosql.driver.util.HttpConstants.COOKIE;
+import static oracle.nosql.driver.util.HttpConstants.REQUEST_NAMESPACE_HEADER;
 import static oracle.nosql.driver.util.HttpConstants.NOSQL_DATA_PATH;
 import static oracle.nosql.driver.util.HttpConstants.REQUEST_ID_HEADER;
 import static oracle.nosql.driver.util.HttpConstants.USER_AGENT;
@@ -624,6 +625,11 @@ public Result execute(Request kvRequest) {
                 }
                 authProvider.setRequiredHeaders(authString, kvRequest, headers);
 
+                if (config.getDefaultNamespace() != null) {
+                    headers.add(REQUEST_NAMESPACE_HEADER,
+                                config.getDefaultNamespace());
+                }
+
                 if (isLoggable(logger, Level.FINE) &&
                     !kvRequest.getIsRefresh()) {
                     logTrace(logger, "Request: " + requestClass +
@@ -806,7 +812,7 @@ public Result execute(Request kvRequest) {
                 /* reduce protocol version and try again */
                 if (decrementSerialVersion(serialVersionUsed) == true) {
                     exception = upe;
-                    logInfo(logger, "Got unsupported protocol error " +
+                    logFine(logger, "Got unsupported protocol error " +
                             "from server: decrementing serial version to " +
                             serialVersion + " and trying again.");
                     continue;
@@ -1654,4 +1660,12 @@ private int getRateDelayedFromHeader(HttpHeaders headers) {
 
         return 0;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @hidden
+     * For testing use
+     */
+    public void setDefaultNamespace(String ns) {
+        config.setDefaultNamespace(ns);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/NoSQLHandleImpl.java b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/NoSQLHandleImpl.java
index a099ebfb..ab85e332 100644
--- a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/NoSQLHandleImpl.java
+++ b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/http/NoSQLHandleImpl.java
@@ -415,6 +415,15 @@ public short getSerialVersion() {
         return client.getSerialVersion();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @hidden
+     *
+     * Testing use only.
+     */
+    public void setDefaultNamespace(String ns) {
+        client.setDefaultNamespace(ns);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Cloud service only.
      * The refresh method of this class is called when a Signature is refreshed
diff --git a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/util/HttpConstants.java b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/util/HttpConstants.java
index 8556bd43..debb3810 100644
--- a/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/util/HttpConstants.java
+++ b/driver/src/main/java/oracle/nosql/driver/util/HttpConstants.java
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@ public class HttpConstants {
      */
     public static final String REQUEST_COMPARTMENT_ID = "x-nosql-compartment-id";
 
+    /**
+     * A header for transferring the default namespace on an http request.
+     * onprem use only.
+     */
+    public static final String REQUEST_NAMESPACE_HEADER = "x-nosql-default-ns";
+
     /**
      * Headers possibly set by the load balancer service to indicate original
      * IP address