diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java
index 9204863fe7..110d74732d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java
@@ -145,6 +145,14 @@ public interface Constants {
     */
    public static final String PROPERTY_PROXY_PASSWORD = "jclouds.proxy-password";
 
+   /**
+    * Boolean property. Default true.
+    * <p/>
+    * If a proxy server is configured, it will be used for all types of schemes.
+    * Set to false to not use a proxy server for sockets (such as ssh access).
+    */
+   public static final String PROPERTY_PROXY_FOR_SOCKETS = "jclouds.proxy-for-sockets";
+
    /**
     * Integer property.
     * <p/>
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/proxy/ProxyForURI.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/proxy/ProxyForURI.java
index 09e046429d..e2e4220233 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/proxy/ProxyForURI.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/proxy/ProxyForURI.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ package org.jclouds.proxy;
 
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
 import static com.google.common.collect.Iterables.getLast;
+import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_FOR_SOCKETS;
 
 import java.net.Authenticator;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ import java.net.ProxySelector;
 import java.net.SocketAddress;
 import java.net.URI;
 
+import javax.inject.Named;
 import javax.inject.Singleton;
 
 import org.jclouds.domain.Credentials;
@@ -45,6 +47,10 @@ import com.google.inject.Inject;
 public class ProxyForURI implements Function<URI, Proxy> {
    private final ProxyConfig config;
 
+   @Inject(optional = true)
+   @Named(PROPERTY_PROXY_FOR_SOCKETS)
+   private boolean useProxyForSockets = true;
+
    @VisibleForTesting
    @Inject
    ProxyForURI(ProxyConfig config) {
@@ -62,7 +68,9 @@ public class ProxyForURI implements Function<URI, Proxy> {
     */
    @Override
    public Proxy apply(URI endpoint) {
-      if (config.useSystem()) {
+      if (!useProxyForSockets && "socket".equals(endpoint.getScheme())) {
+         return Proxy.NO_PROXY;
+      } else if (config.useSystem()) {
          System.setProperty("java.net.useSystemProxies", "true");
          Iterable<Proxy> proxies = ProxySelector.getDefault().select(endpoint);
          return getLast(proxies);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/proxy/ProxyForURITest.java b/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/proxy/ProxyForURITest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f6a0218615
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/jclouds/proxy/ProxyForURITest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+/**
+ * Licensed to jclouds, Inc. (jclouds) under one or more
+ * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+ * distributed with this work for additional information
+ * regarding copyright ownership.  jclouds licenses this file
+ * to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+ * "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+ * with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+package org.jclouds.proxy;
+
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.testng.Assert.assertNotNull;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
+import java.net.Proxy;
+import java.net.Proxy.Type;
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.net.URISyntaxException;
+
+import org.jclouds.domain.Credentials;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+import com.google.common.base.Optional;
+import com.google.common.net.HostAndPort;
+
+public class ProxyForURITest {
+
+   private Optional<HostAndPort> noHostAndPort = Optional.absent();
+   private Optional<Credentials> noCreds = Optional.absent();
+   private Optional<HostAndPort> hostAndPort = Optional.of(HostAndPort.fromParts("proxy.example.com", 8080));
+   private Optional<Credentials> creds = Optional.of(new Credentials("user", "pwd"));
+
+   private class MyProxyConfig implements ProxyConfig {
+      private boolean useSystem;
+      private Type type;
+      private Optional<HostAndPort> proxy;
+      private Optional<Credentials> credentials;
+
+      MyProxyConfig(boolean useSystem, Type type, Optional<HostAndPort> proxy, Optional<Credentials> credentials) {
+         this.useSystem = useSystem;
+         this.type = type;
+         this.proxy = proxy;
+         this.credentials = credentials;
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public boolean useSystem() {
+         return useSystem;
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public Type getType() {
+         return type;
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public Optional<HostAndPort> getProxy() {
+         return proxy;
+      }
+
+      @Override
+      public Optional<Credentials> getCredentials() {
+         return credentials;
+      }
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testDontUseProxyForSockets() throws Exception {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.HTTP, hostAndPort, creds);
+      ProxyForURI proxy = new ProxyForURI(config);
+      Field useProxyForSockets = proxy.getClass().getDeclaredField("useProxyForSockets");
+      useProxyForSockets.setAccessible(true);
+      useProxyForSockets.setBoolean(proxy, false);
+      URI uri = new URI("socket://ssh.example.com:22");
+      assertEquals(proxy.apply(uri), Proxy.NO_PROXY);
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testUseProxyForSockets() throws Exception {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.HTTP, hostAndPort, creds);
+      ProxyForURI proxy = new ProxyForURI(config);
+      URI uri = new URI("socket://ssh.example.com:22");
+      assertEquals(proxy.apply(uri), new Proxy(Proxy.Type.HTTP, new InetSocketAddress("proxy.example.com", 8080)));
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testUseProxyForSocketsSettingShouldntAffectHTTP() throws Exception {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.HTTP, hostAndPort, creds);
+      ProxyForURI proxy = new ProxyForURI(config);
+      Field useProxyForSockets = proxy.getClass().getDeclaredField("useProxyForSockets");
+      useProxyForSockets.setAccessible(true);
+      useProxyForSockets.setBoolean(proxy, false);
+      URI uri = new URI("http://example.com/file");
+      assertEquals(proxy.apply(uri), new Proxy(Proxy.Type.HTTP, new InetSocketAddress("proxy.example.com", 8080)));
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testHTTPDirect() throws URISyntaxException {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.DIRECT, noHostAndPort, noCreds);
+      URI uri = new URI("http://example.com/file");
+      assertEquals(new ProxyForURI(config).apply(uri), Proxy.NO_PROXY);
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testHTTPSDirect() throws URISyntaxException {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.DIRECT, noHostAndPort, noCreds);
+      URI uri = new URI("https://example.com/file");
+      assertEquals(new ProxyForURI(config).apply(uri), Proxy.NO_PROXY);
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testFTPDirect() throws URISyntaxException {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.DIRECT, noHostAndPort, noCreds);
+      URI uri = new URI("ftp://ftp.example.com/file");
+      assertEquals(new ProxyForURI(config).apply(uri), Proxy.NO_PROXY);
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testSocketDirect() throws URISyntaxException {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.DIRECT, noHostAndPort, noCreds);
+      URI uri = new URI("socket://ssh.example.com:22");
+      assertEquals(new ProxyForURI(config).apply(uri), Proxy.NO_PROXY);
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testHTTPThroughHTTPProxy() throws URISyntaxException {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(false, Proxy.Type.HTTP, hostAndPort, creds);
+      URI uri = new URI("http://example.com/file");
+      assertEquals(new ProxyForURI(config).apply(uri), new Proxy(Proxy.Type.HTTP, new InetSocketAddress(
+            "proxy.example.com", 8080)));
+   }
+
+   @Test
+   public void testHTTPThroughSystemProxy() throws URISyntaxException {
+      ProxyConfig config = new MyProxyConfig(true, Proxy.Type.DIRECT, noHostAndPort, noCreds);
+      URI uri = new URI("http://example.com/file");
+      // could return a proxy, could return NO_PROXY, depends on the tester's
+      // environment
+      assertNotNull(new ProxyForURI(config).apply(uri));
+   }
+
+}