diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
index dc9b2fd..d06089e 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/data/Application.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: Application.java,v 1.19 2004/07/26 23:27:46 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Application.java,v 1.20 2004/07/29 17:57:45 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.getdown.data;
 
@@ -358,8 +358,16 @@ public class Application
             cpbuf.append(rsrc.getLocal().getAbsolutePath());
         }
 
+        String proxyHost, proxyPort = null;
+        int pargs = 0;
+        if ((proxyHost = System.getProperty("http.proxyHost")) != null) {
+            pargs = 2;
+            proxyPort = System.getProperty("http.proxyPort");
+        }
+
         // we'll need the JVM, classpath, JVM args, class name and app args
-        String[] args = new String[4 + _jvmargs.size() + _appargs.size()];
+        String[] args = new String[
+            4 + _jvmargs.size() + pargs + _appargs.size()];
         int idx = 0;
 
         // reconstruct the path to the JVM
@@ -370,6 +378,12 @@ public class Application
         args[idx++] = "-classpath";
         args[idx++] = cpbuf.toString();
 
+        // if we have a proxy configuration, add those
+        if (proxyHost != null) {
+            args[idx++] = "-Dhttp.proxyHost=" + proxyHost;
+            args[idx++] = "-Dhttp.proxyPort=" + proxyPort;
+        }
+
         // add the JVM arguments
         for (Iterator iter = _jvmargs.iterator(); iter.hasNext(); ) {
             args[idx++] = processArg((String)iter.next());
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
index dde165d..dffd51d 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/launcher/Getdown.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: Getdown.java,v 1.21 2004/07/28 08:05:44 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: Getdown.java,v 1.22 2004/07/29 17:57:45 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.getdown.launcher;
 
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.PrintStream;
 
+import java.net.URL;
 import java.text.MessageFormat;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ import com.threerings.getdown.data.Application;
 import com.threerings.getdown.data.Resource;
 import com.threerings.getdown.tools.Patcher;
 import com.threerings.getdown.util.ProgressObserver;
+import com.threerings.getdown.util.ProxyUtil;
 
 /**
  * Manages the main control for the Getdown application updater and
@@ -354,6 +356,21 @@ public class Getdown extends Thread
             Log.warning("Unable to redirect output to '" + log + "': " + ioe);
         }
 
+        // attempt to obtain our proxy information; it may be specified
+        // via system properties or we can autodetect it
+        if (System.getProperty("http.proxyHost") == null) {
+            try {
+                URL sample = new URL("http://www.threerings.net/");
+                if (ProxyUtil.detectProxy(sample)) {
+                    String host = ProxyUtil.getProxyIP();
+                    String port = ProxyUtil.getProxyPort();
+                    ProxyUtil.configureProxy(host, port);
+                }
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                Log.warning("Failed to detect proxy: " + e);
+            }
+        }
+
         try {
             Getdown app = new Getdown(appDir);
             app.start();
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/util/ProxyUtil.java b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/util/ProxyUtil.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9f55fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/getdown/util/ProxyUtil.java
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+//
+// $Id: ProxyUtil.java,v 1.1 2004/07/29 17:57:45 mdb Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.getdown.util;
+
+import java.net.URL;
+
+import com.threerings.getdown.Log;
+
+/**
+ * Code to detect a user's proxy settings.
+ */
+public class ProxyUtil
+{
+    /**
+     * Detects whether or not there are proxy settings that should be used
+     * by this JVM.
+     *
+     * @return true if there are such settings, false if not.
+     */
+    public static boolean detectProxy (URL sampleURL)
+    {
+        try {
+            //  Look around for the 1.4.X plugin proxy detection
+            //  class... Without it, cannot autodetect...
+            Class t = Class.forName("com.sun.java.browser.net.ProxyService");
+            com.sun.java.browser.net.ProxyInfo[] pi =
+                com.sun.java.browser.net.ProxyService.getProxyInfo(sampleURL);
+            if (pi == null || pi.length == 0) {
+                Log.info("1.4.X reported NULL proxy (no proxy assumed).");
+                return false;
+
+            } else {
+                Log.info("1.4.X Proxy info getProxy: " + pi[0].getHost() +
+                         " getPort: " + pi[0].getPort() +
+                         " isSocks: " + pi[0].isSocks());
+                _proxyIP = pi[0].getHost();
+                _proxyPort = "" + pi[0].getPort();
+                Log.info("Detected proxy " + _proxyIP + " port " + _proxyPort);
+                return true;
+            }
+
+        } catch (Exception ee) {
+            Log.info("Sun Plugin 1.4.X proxy detection class not " +
+                     "found: " + ee + ". Trying failover detection...");
+        }
+
+        try {
+            String key = "javaplugin.proxy.config.list";
+            String proxyList = (String)
+                System.getProperties().getProperty(key);
+            proxyList = proxyList.toUpperCase();
+            Log.info("Plugin proxy config list: " + proxyList);
+
+            //  Using HTTP proxy as proxy for HTTP proxy tunnelled SSL
+            //  socket (should be listed FIRST)....
+            if (proxyList != null) {
+                // 6.0.0 1/14/03 1.3.1_06 appears to omit HTTP portion of
+                // 6.0.reported proxy list... Mod to accomodate this...
+
+                // Expecting proxyList of "HTTP=XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:Port"
+                // OR "XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:Port" & assuming HTTP...
+                if (proxyList.indexOf("HTTP=") > -1) {
+                    _proxyIP = proxyList.substring(
+                        proxyList.indexOf("HTTP=") + 5,
+                        proxyList.indexOf(":"));
+                } else {
+                    _proxyIP = proxyList.substring(
+                        0, proxyList.indexOf(":"));
+                }
+                int endOfPort = proxyList.indexOf(",");
+                if (endOfPort < 1) {
+                    endOfPort = proxyList.length();
+                }
+                _proxyPort = proxyList.substring(proxyList.indexOf(":") + 1,
+                                                 endOfPort);
+                Log.info("Detected proxy " + _proxyIP + " port " + _proxyPort);
+                return true;
+            }
+
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Log.warning("Exception during failover auto proxy detect: " + e);
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the IP of the detected proxy. This is only valid after a
+     * call to {@link #detectProxy} that returns true.
+     */
+    public static String getProxyIP ()
+    {
+        return _proxyIP;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the port of the detected proxy. This is only valid after a
+     * call to {@link #detectProxy} that returns true.
+     */
+    public static String getProxyPort ()
+    {
+        return _proxyPort;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the necessary system properties to enact the use of this proxy
+     * host and port.
+     */
+    public static void configureProxy (String host, String port)
+    { 
+        System.setProperty("http.proxyHost", host);
+        System.setProperty("http.proxyPort", port);
+   }
+
+    protected static String _proxyIP;
+    protected static String _proxyPort = "80";
+    protected static boolean _useProxy = false;
+}