diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonClientConfiguration.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonClientConfiguration.java
index 4c32cf29e..9a0e173b0 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonClientConfiguration.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-core/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/ribbon/RibbonClientConfiguration.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.condition.ConditionalOnMissingBean
 import org.springframework.boot.context.properties.EnableConfigurationProperties;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Lazy;
 
 import com.netflix.client.config.DefaultClientConfigImpl;
 import com.netflix.client.config.IClientConfig;
@@ -87,7 +88,17 @@ public class RibbonClientConfiguration {
 		return serverList;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Create a Netflix {@link RestClient} integrated with Ribbon if none already exists in the
+	 * application context. It is not required for Ribbon to work properly and is therefore  
+	 * created lazily if ever another component requires it.
+	 * 
+	 * @param config the configuration to use by the underlying Ribbon instance
+	 * @param loadBalancer the load balancer to use by the underlying Ribbon instance
+	 * @return a {@link RestClient} instances backed by Ribbon
+	 */
 	@Bean
+	@Lazy
 	@ConditionalOnMissingBean
 	public RestClient ribbonRestClient(IClientConfig config, ILoadBalancer loadBalancer) {
 		RestClient client = new OverrideRestClient(config);