diff --git a/src/agent-base.js b/src/agent-base.js
index e20b0dfb..af94779e 100644
--- a/src/agent-base.js
+++ b/src/agent-base.js
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-function Agent() {
-  this._defaults = [];
-}
-
-for (const fn of [
+const defaults = [
   'use',
   'on',
   'once',
@@ -25,7 +21,21 @@ for (const fn of [
   'pfx',
   'cert',
   'disableTLSCerts'
-]) {
+]
+
+class Agent {
+  constructor () {
+    this._defaults = [];
+  }
+
+  _setDefaults (request) {
+    for (const def of this._defaults) {
+      request[def.fn](...def.args);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+for (const fn of defaults) {
   // Default setting for all requests from this agent
   Agent.prototype[fn] = function (...args) {
     this._defaults.push({ fn, args });
@@ -33,10 +43,5 @@ for (const fn of [
   };
 }
 
-Agent.prototype._setDefaults = function (request) {
-  for (const def of this._defaults) {
-    request[def.fn](...def.args);
-  }
-};
 
 module.exports = Agent;
diff --git a/src/node/agent.js b/src/node/agent.js
index 0761dc68..8b556765 100644
--- a/src/node/agent.js
+++ b/src/node/agent.js
@@ -10,84 +10,73 @@ const methods = require('methods');
 const request = require('../..');
 const AgentBase = require('../agent-base');
 
-/**
- * Expose `Agent`.
- */
-
-module.exports = Agent;
-
 /**
  * Initialize a new `Agent`.
  *
  * @api public
  */
 
-function Agent(options) {
-  if (!(this instanceof Agent)) {
-    return new Agent(options);
-  }
+class Agent extends AgentBase {
+  constructor (options) {
+    super();
 
-  AgentBase.call(this);
-  this.jar = new CookieJar();
+    this.jar = new CookieJar();
 
-  if (options) {
-    if (options.ca) {
-      this.ca(options.ca);
-    }
+    if (options) {
+      if (options.ca) {
+        this.ca(options.ca);
+      }
 
-    if (options.key) {
-      this.key(options.key);
-    }
+      if (options.key) {
+        this.key(options.key);
+      }
 
-    if (options.pfx) {
-      this.pfx(options.pfx);
-    }
+      if (options.pfx) {
+        this.pfx(options.pfx);
+      }
 
-    if (options.cert) {
-      this.cert(options.cert);
-    }
+      if (options.cert) {
+        this.cert(options.cert);
+      }
 
-    if (options.rejectUnauthorized === false) {
-      this.disableTLSCerts();
+      if (options.rejectUnauthorized === false) {
+        this.disableTLSCerts();
+      }
     }
   }
-}
 
-Agent.prototype = Object.create(AgentBase.prototype);
-
-/**
- * Save the cookies in the given `res` to
- * the agent's cookie jar for persistence.
- *
- * @param {Response} res
- * @api private
- */
-
-Agent.prototype._saveCookies = function (res) {
-  const cookies = res.headers['set-cookie'];
-  if (cookies) {
-    const url = parse(res.request?.url || '')
-    this.jar.setCookies(cookies, url.hostname, url.pathname);
+  /**
+   * Save the cookies in the given `res` to
+   * the agent's cookie jar for persistence.
+   *
+   * @param {Response} res
+   * @api private
+   */
+  _saveCookies (res) {
+    const cookies = res.headers['set-cookie'];
+    if (cookies) {
+      const url = parse(res.request?.url || '');
+      this.jar.setCookies(cookies, url.hostname, url.pathname);
+    }
   }
-};
-
-/**
- * Attach cookies when available to the given `req`.
- *
- * @param {Request} req
- * @api private
- */
 
-Agent.prototype._attachCookies = function (request_) {
-  const url = parse(request_.url);
-  const access = new CookieAccessInfo(
-    url.hostname,
-    url.pathname,
-    url.protocol === 'https:'
-  );
-  const cookies = this.jar.getCookies(access).toValueString();
-  request_.cookies = cookies;
-};
+  /**
+   * Attach cookies when available to the given `req`.
+   *
+   * @param {Request} req
+   * @api private
+   */
+  _attachCookies (request_) {
+    const url = parse(request_.url);
+    const access = new CookieAccessInfo(
+      url.hostname,
+      url.pathname,
+      url.protocol === 'https:'
+    );
+    const cookies = this.jar.getCookies(access).toValueString();
+    request_.cookies = cookies;
+  }
+}
 
 for (const name of methods) {
   const method = name.toUpperCase();
@@ -109,3 +98,13 @@ for (const name of methods) {
 }
 
 Agent.prototype.del = Agent.prototype.delete;
+
+// create a Proxy that can instantiate a new Agent without using `new` keyword
+// (for backward compatibility and chaining)
+const proxyAgent = new Proxy(Agent, {
+  apply (target, thisArg, argumentsList) {
+    return new target(...argumentsList);
+  }
+});
+
+module.exports = proxyAgent;