diff --git a/lib/helpers/request.js b/lib/helpers/request.js
index c4927d203..c686da1dd 100644
--- a/lib/helpers/request.js
+++ b/lib/helpers/request.js
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
-const { Agent: HttpAgent } = require('http');
-const { Agent: HttpsAgent } = require('https');
-
 const got = require('got');
 const CacheableLookup = require('cacheable-lookup');
 const QuickLRU = require('quick-lru');
 
-const omitBy = require('./_/omit_by');
+const pickBy = require('./_/pick_by');
 const instance = require('./weak_cache');
 
 const cacheable = new CacheableLookup({
@@ -20,21 +17,18 @@ module.exports = async function request(options) {
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
   options.headers['user-agent'] = undefined;
   const { timeout, agent, lookup } = instance(this).configuration('httpOptions')(new URL(options.url));
-  const helperOptions = omitBy({ timeout, agent, lookup }, Boolean);
+  const helperOptions = pickBy({ timeout, agent, lookup }, Boolean);
 
   if (helperOptions.timeout !== undefined && typeof helperOptions.timeout !== 'number') {
     throw new TypeError('"timeout" http request option must be a number');
   }
 
   if (helperOptions.agent !== undefined && typeof helperOptions.agent !== 'number') {
-    if (!(agent instanceof HttpsAgent) && !(agent instanceof HttpAgent)) {
-      throw new TypeError('"agent" http request option must be an instance of https.Agent or http.Agent depending on the protocol used');
-    }
-    helperOptions.agent = { [options.url.protocol]: helperOptions.agent };
+    helperOptions.agent = { [options.url.protocol.slice(0, -1)]: helperOptions.agent };
   }
 
   if (helperOptions.lookup !== undefined && typeof helperOptions.lookup !== 'function') {
-    throw new TypeError('"agent" http request option must be a function');
+    throw new TypeError('"lookup" http request option must be a function');
   }
 
   return got({