diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 664b8b475..da528e1a2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -50,3 +50,12 @@ Logs can be watched by using `journalctl -fu pleroma.service`
 
 ### Standalone/run by other means
 Run `mix phx.server` in repository's root, it will output log into stdout/stderr
+
+### Using an upstream proxy for federation
+
+Add the following to your `dev.secret.exs` or `prod.secret.exs` if you want to proxify all http requests that pleroma makes to an upstream proxy server:
+
+    config :pleroma, :http,
+      proxy_url: "127.0.0.1:8123"
+
+This is useful for running pleroma inside Tor or i2p.
diff --git a/config/config.exs b/config/config.exs
index 503ce8d64..e71d5e5a0 100644
--- a/config/config.exs
+++ b/config/config.exs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 config :pleroma, :websub, Pleroma.Web.Websub
 config :pleroma, :ostatus, Pleroma.Web.OStatus
-config :pleroma, :httpoison, HTTPoison
+config :pleroma, :httpoison, Pleroma.HTTP
 
 version = with {version, 0} <- System.cmd("git", ["rev-parse", "HEAD"]) do
             "Pleroma #{String.trim(version)}"
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@
             _ -> "Pleroma dev"
           end
 
+# Configures http settings, upstream proxy etc.
+config :pleroma, :http,
+  proxy_url: nil
+
 config :pleroma, :instance,
   version: version,
   name: "Pleroma",
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/http/http.ex b/lib/pleroma/http/http.ex
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b8a82353
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/pleroma/http/http.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+
+defmodule Pleroma.HTTP do
+  use HTTPoison.Base
+
+  def process_request_options(options) do
+    config = Application.get_env(:pleroma, :http, [])
+    proxy = Keyword.get(config, :proxy_url, nil)
+    case proxy do
+      nil -> options
+      _ -> options ++ [proxy: proxy]
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/media_proxy/controller.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/media_proxy/controller.ex
index 560a65353..9327e7253 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/media_proxy/controller.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/media_proxy/controller.ex
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.MediaProxy.MediaProxyController do
   use Pleroma.Web, :controller
   require Logger
 
+  @httpoison Application.get_env(:pleroma, :httpoison)
+  
   @max_body_length 25 * 1048576
 
   @cache_control %{
@@ -29,7 +31,7 @@ def remote(conn, %{"sig" => sig, "url" => url}) do
 
   defp proxy_request(link) do
     headers = [{"user-agent", "Pleroma/MediaProxy; #{Pleroma.Web.base_url()} <#{Application.get_env(:pleroma, :instance)[:email]}>"}]
-    options = [:insecure, {:follow_redirect, true}]
+    options = @httpoison.process_request_options([:insecure, {:follow_redirect, true}])
     with \
       {:ok, 200, headers, client} <- :hackney.request(:get, link, headers, "", options),
       headers = Enum.into(headers, Map.new),