diff --git a/src/base-apis.js b/src/base-apis.js
index 35ef0938c..b38f6dfbd 100644
--- a/src/base-apis.js
+++ b/src/base-apis.js
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ const utils = require("./utils");
  * to all requests with this client. Useful for application services which require
  * <code>?user_id=</code>.
  *
+ * @param {boolean} [opts.useAuthorizationHeader = false] Set to true to use
+ * Authorization header instead of query param to send the access token to the server.
  */
 function MatrixBaseApis(opts) {
     utils.checkObjectHasKeys(opts, ["baseUrl", "request"]);
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ function MatrixBaseApis(opts) {
         onlyData: true,
         extraParams: opts.queryParams,
         localTimeoutMs: opts.localTimeoutMs,
+        useAuthorizationHeader: opts.useAuthorizationHeader,
     };
     this._http = new httpApi.MatrixHttpApi(this, httpOpts);
 
diff --git a/src/client.js b/src/client.js
index 7beb8c00f..85e6fa08f 100644
--- a/src/client.js
+++ b/src/client.js
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ try {
  * @param {Number=} opts.localTimeoutMs Optional. The default maximum amount of
  * time to wait before timing out HTTP requests. If not specified, there is no timeout.
  *
+ * @param {boolean} [opts.useAuthorizationHeader = false] Set to true to use
+ * Authorization header instead of query param to send the access token to the server.
+ *
  * @param {boolean} [opts.timelineSupport = false] Set to true to enable
  * improved timeline support ({@link
  * module:client~MatrixClient#getEventTimeline getEventTimeline}). It is
diff --git a/src/http-api.js b/src/http-api.js
index c7d1a79c1..443c63a08 100644
--- a/src/http-api.js
+++ b/src/http-api.js
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ module.exports.PREFIX_MEDIA_R0 = "/_matrix/media/r0";
  * @param {string} opts.prefix Required. The matrix client prefix to use, e.g.
  * '/_matrix/client/r0'. See PREFIX_R0 and PREFIX_UNSTABLE for constants.
  *
- * @param {bool=} opts.onlyData True to return only the 'data' component of the
+ * @param {boolean} opts.onlyData True to return only the 'data' component of the
  * response (e.g. the parsed HTTP body). If false, requests will return an
  * object with the properties <tt>code</tt>, <tt>headers</tt> and <tt>data</tt>.
  *
@@ -74,18 +74,15 @@ module.exports.PREFIX_MEDIA_R0 = "/_matrix/media/r0";
  * requests.
  * @param {Number=} opts.localTimeoutMs The default maximum amount of time to wait
  * before timing out the request. If not specified, there is no timeout.
- * @param {bool=} opts.useAuthorizationHeader True to use Authorization header instead of
- * query param to send the access token to the server. Defaults to false
+ * @param {boolean} [opts.useAuthorizationHeader = false] Set to true to use
+ * Authorization header instead of query param to send the access token to the server.
  */
 module.exports.MatrixHttpApi = function MatrixHttpApi(event_emitter, opts) {
     utils.checkObjectHasKeys(opts, ["baseUrl", "request", "prefix"]);
     opts.onlyData = opts.onlyData || false;
     this.event_emitter = event_emitter;
     this.opts = opts;
-    this.useAuthorizationHeader = false;
-    if (opts.useAuthorizationHeader) {
-        this.useAuthorizationHeader = Boolean(opts.useAuthorizationHeader);
-    }
+    this.useAuthorizationHeader = Boolean(opts.useAuthorizationHeader);
     this.uploads = [];
 };
 
@@ -370,7 +367,8 @@ module.exports.MatrixHttpApi.prototype = {
      *
      * @param {Object} data The HTTP JSON body.
      *
-     * @param {Object=} opts additional options
+     * @param {Object|Number=} opts additional options. If a number is specified,
+     * this is treated as `opts.localTimeoutMs`.
      *
      * @param {Number=} opts.localTimeoutMs The maximum amount of time to wait before
      * timing out the request. If not specified, there is no timeout.