diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java
index 12494314aa..f4092ccd8d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/Constants.java
@@ -87,6 +87,31 @@ public interface Constants {
     * Whether or not to use the proxy setup from the underlying operating system.
     */
    public static final String PROPERTY_PROXY_SYSTEM = "jclouds.use_system_proxy";
+   /**
+    * String property.
+    * <p/>
+    *Explicitly sets the host name of a HTTP proxy server.
+    */
+   public static final String PROPERTY_PROXY_HOST = "jclouds.proxy_host";
+   /**
+    * Integer property.
+    * <p/>
+    * Explicitly sets the port number of a HTTP proxy server.
+    */
+   public static final String PROPERTY_PROXY_PORT = "jclouds.proxy_port";
+   /**
+    * String property.
+    * <p/>
+    * Explicitly sets the user name credential for proxy authentication.
+    */
+   public static final String PROPERTY_PROXY_USER = "jclouds.proxy_user";
+   /**
+    * String property.
+    * <p/>
+    * Explicitly sets the password credential for proxy authentication.
+    */
+   public static final String PROPERTY_PROXY_PASSWORD = "jclouds.proxy_password";
+
    /**
     * Integer property.
     * <p/>
@@ -125,9 +150,9 @@ public interface Constants {
     * Name of the logger that records the steps of the request signing process of the HTTP_service.
     */
    public static final String LOGGER_SIGNATURE = "jclouds.signature";
-    /**
-     * Name of the custom adapter bindings map for Gson
-     */
+   /**
+    * Name of the custom adapter bindings map for Gson
+    */
    public static final String PROPERTY_GSON_ADAPTERS = "jclouds.gson.adapters";
 
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/PropertiesBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/PropertiesBuilder.java
index b05c7cdc0c..96888da645 100755
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/PropertiesBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/PropertiesBuilder.java
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_MAX_CONNECTION_REUSE;
 import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_MAX_REDIRECTS;
 import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_MAX_RETRIES;
 import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_MAX_SESSION_FAILURES;
+import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_HOST;
+import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PASSWORD;
+import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PORT;
 import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_SYSTEM;
+import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_USER;
 import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_RELAX_HOSTNAME;
 import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_SO_TIMEOUT;
 import static org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_USER_THREADS;
@@ -59,6 +63,38 @@ public abstract class PropertiesBuilder {
       return this;
    }
 
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_HOST
+    */
+   public PropertiesBuilder withProxyHost(String proxyHost) {
+      properties.setProperty(PROPERTY_PROXY_HOST, proxyHost);
+      return this;
+   }
+
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PORT
+    */
+   public PropertiesBuilder withProxyPort(int proxyPort) {
+      properties.setProperty(PROPERTY_PROXY_PORT, Integer.toString(proxyPort));
+      return this;
+   }
+
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_USER
+    */
+   public PropertiesBuilder withProxyUser(String proxyUser) {
+      properties.setProperty(PROPERTY_PROXY_USER, proxyUser);
+      return this;
+   }
+
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PASSWORD
+    */
+   public PropertiesBuilder withProxyPassword(String proxyPassword) {
+      properties.setProperty(PROPERTY_PROXY_PASSWORD, proxyPassword);
+      return this;
+   }
+
    /**
     * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_SO_TIMEOUT
     */
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/HttpUtils.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/HttpUtils.java
index 826aaed0d9..ed54d71062 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/HttpUtils.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/HttpUtils.java
@@ -74,6 +74,18 @@ public class HttpUtils {
    private final int globalMaxConnectionsPerHost;
    private final int connectionTimeout;
    private final int soTimeout;
+   @Inject(optional = true)
+   @Named(Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_HOST)
+   private String proxyHost;
+   @Inject(optional = true)
+   @Named(Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PORT)
+   private Integer proxyPort;
+   @Inject(optional = true)
+   @Named(Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_USER)
+   private String proxyUser;
+   @Inject(optional = true)
+   @Named(Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PASSWORD)
+   private String proxyPassword;
 
    @Inject
    public HttpUtils(@Named(Constants.PROPERTY_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT) int connectionTimeout,
@@ -86,6 +98,34 @@ public class HttpUtils {
       this.globalMaxConnectionsPerHost = globalMaxConnectionsPerHost;
    }
 
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_HOST
+    */
+   public String getProxyHost() {
+      return proxyHost;
+   }
+
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PORT
+    */
+   public Integer getProxyPort() {
+      return proxyPort;
+   }
+
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_USER
+    */
+   public String getProxyUser() {
+      return proxyUser;
+   }
+
+   /**
+    * @see org.jclouds.Constants.PROPERTY_PROXY_PASSWORD
+    */
+   public String getProxyPassword() {
+      return proxyPassword;
+   }
+
    public int getSocketOpenTimeout() {
       return soTimeout;
    }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/internal/JavaUrlHttpCommandExecutorService.java b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/internal/JavaUrlHttpCommandExecutorService.java
index 44fc93e4b9..51e8a245c6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/internal/JavaUrlHttpCommandExecutorService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/jclouds/http/internal/JavaUrlHttpCommandExecutorService.java
@@ -23,9 +23,13 @@ import java.io.FilterInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
+import java.net.Authenticator;
 import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
+import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
+import java.net.PasswordAuthentication;
 import java.net.Proxy;
 import java.net.ProxySelector;
+import java.net.SocketAddress;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 
@@ -105,7 +109,6 @@ public class JavaUrlHttpCommandExecutorService extends
       response.setMessage(connection.getResponseMessage());
       return response;
    }
-   
 
    public InputStream consumeOnClose(InputStream in) {
       return new ConsumeOnCloseInputStream(in);
@@ -138,7 +141,6 @@ public class JavaUrlHttpCommandExecutorService extends
 
    }
 
-
    private InputStream bufferAndCloseStream(InputStream inputStream) throws IOException {
       InputStream in = null;
       try {
@@ -161,6 +163,17 @@ public class JavaUrlHttpCommandExecutorService extends
          Iterable<Proxy> proxies = ProxySelector.getDefault().select(request.getEndpoint());
          Proxy proxy = Iterables.getLast(proxies);
          connection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection(proxy);
+      } else if (utils.getProxyHost() != null) {
+         SocketAddress addr = new InetSocketAddress(utils.getProxyHost(), utils.getProxyPort());
+         Proxy proxy = new Proxy(Proxy.Type.HTTP, addr);
+         Authenticator authenticator = new Authenticator() {
+            public PasswordAuthentication getPasswordAuthentication() {
+               return (new PasswordAuthentication(utils.getProxyUser(), utils.getProxyPassword()
+                        .toCharArray()));
+            }
+         };
+         Authenticator.setDefault(authenticator);
+         connection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection(proxy);
       } else {
          connection = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
       }