diff --git a/tests/unit/http/test_async_http_client.py b/tests/unit/http/test_async_http_client.py
index 23df35dc0..e6718732c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/http/test_async_http_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/http/test_async_http_client.py
@@ -49,10 +49,23 @@ async def test_request_called_with_basic_auth(self):
         )
 
         self.session_mock.request.assert_called()
-        auth = self.session_mock.request.call_args.kwargs["auth"]
-        self.assertIsNotNone(auth)
-        self.assertEqual(auth.login, "account_sid")
-        self.assertEqual(auth.password, "auth_token")
+        kwargs = self.session_mock.request.call_args.kwargs
+        try:
+            from aiohttp import encode_basic_auth
+        except ImportError:
+            encode_basic_auth = None
+
+        if encode_basic_auth is not None:
+            self.assertEqual(
+                kwargs["headers"]["Authorization"],
+                encode_basic_auth("account_sid", "auth_token"),
+            )
+            self.assertIsNone(kwargs["auth"])
+        else:
+            auth = kwargs["auth"]
+            self.assertIsNotNone(auth)
+            self.assertEqual(auth.login, "account_sid")
+            self.assertEqual(auth.password, "auth_token")
 
     async def test_invalid_request_timeout_raises_exception(self):
         with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
diff --git a/twilio/http/async_http_client.py b/twilio/http/async_http_client.py
index ecd5d4de9..f30a75bca 100644
--- a/twilio/http/async_http_client.py
+++ b/twilio/http/async_http_client.py
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
 import logging
 from typing import Dict, Optional, Tuple
 
-from aiohttp import BasicAuth, ClientSession
+from aiohttp import ClientSession
 from aiohttp_retry import ExponentialRetry, RetryClient
 
+try:
+    from aiohttp import encode_basic_auth
+except ImportError:
+    encode_basic_auth = None  # type: ignore[misc, assignment]
+
+if encode_basic_auth is None:
+    from aiohttp import BasicAuth
+
 from twilio.http import AsyncHttpClient
 from twilio.http.request import Request as TwilioRequest
 from twilio.http.response import Response
@@ -79,16 +87,24 @@ async def request(
         if timeout is not None and timeout <= 0:
             raise ValueError(timeout)
 
+        request_headers = dict(headers) if headers is not None else None
         basic_auth = None
         if auth is not None:
-            basic_auth = BasicAuth(login=auth[0], password=auth[1])
+            if encode_basic_auth is not None:
+                if request_headers is None:
+                    request_headers = {}
+                request_headers["Authorization"] = encode_basic_auth(
+                    auth[0], auth[1]
+                )
+            else:
+                basic_auth = BasicAuth(login=auth[0], password=auth[1])
 
         kwargs = {
             "method": method.upper(),
             "url": url,
             "params": params,
             "data": data,
-            "headers": headers,
+            "headers": request_headers,
             "auth": basic_auth,
             "timeout": timeout,
             "allow_redirects": allow_redirects,