diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index aaf61b1..c55fdd9 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ func load() {
 	}
 	defer logger.Sync()
 	LOG = logger.Sugar()
+
+	if CFG.Proxy != "" {
+		LOG.Debugf("set proxy: %s", CFG.Proxy)
+		os.Setenv("HTTP_PROXY", CFG.Proxy)
+	}
 }
 
 func loadSystems(c *ctx.Ctx) []error {
@@ -85,6 +90,7 @@ func loadSystems(c *ctx.Ctx) []error {
 
 	for _, sysCfg := range c.Config.Systems {
 		c.Logger.Debugf("loading system of type %s ...", sysCfg.Type)
+		sysCfg.Config["proxy"] = CFG.Proxy
 		sys, err := system.New(sysCfg.Type, &sysCfg.Config, LOG)
 		if err != nil {
 			c.Logger.Errorf("error loading system: %s", err)
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index 9d92e77..78efbb8 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ type ThemeItemConfig struct {
 type Config struct {
 	Debug bool
 	Log   string
+	Proxy string
 
 	RenderImages bool
 
@@ -185,6 +186,7 @@ func (cfg *Config) Save() error {
 func SetDefaults(cacheDir string) {
 	viper.SetDefault("Debug", "false")
 	viper.SetDefault("Log", path.Join(cacheDir, "neonmodem.log"))
+	viper.SetDefault("Proxy", "")
 
 	viper.SetDefault("RenderImages", "true")
 
diff --git a/system/discourse/api/client.go b/system/discourse/api/client.go
index 71439e7..bdbc375 100644
--- a/system/discourse/api/client.go
+++ b/system/discourse/api/client.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-retryablehttp"
 )
@@ -74,13 +75,34 @@ type Client struct {
 
 func NewDefaultClientConfig(
 	endpoint string,
+	proxy string,
 	credentials map[string]string,
 	logger Logger,
 ) ClientConfig {
+	var httpClient *http.Client = nil
+	var httpTransport *http.Transport = nil
+
+	if proxy != "" {
+		proxyURL, err := url.Parse(proxy)
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Error(err)
+		} else {
+			logger.Debugf("setting up http proxy transport: %s\n", proxyURL.String())
+			httpTransport = &http.Transport{
+				Proxy: http.ProxyURL(proxyURL),
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	httpClient = &http.Client{
+		Transport: httpTransport,
+		Timeout:   time.Second * 10,
+	}
+
 	return ClientConfig{
 		Endpoint:    endpoint,
 		Credentials: credentials,
-		HTTPClient:  http.DefaultClient,
+		HTTPClient:  httpClient,
 		Logger:      logger,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/system/discourse/discourse.go b/system/discourse/discourse.go
index 5951c82..d148ed7 100644
--- a/system/discourse/discourse.go
+++ b/system/discourse/discourse.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package discourse
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
@@ -20,10 +19,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 type System struct {
-	ID     int
-	config map[string]interface{}
-	logger *zap.SugaredLogger
-	client *api.Client
+	ID        int
+	config    map[string]interface{}
+	logger    *zap.SugaredLogger
+	client    *api.Client
+	clientCfg api.ClientConfig
 }
 
 func (sys *System) GetID() int {
@@ -113,12 +113,13 @@ func (sys *System) Load() error {
 		credentials[k] = v.(string)
 	}
 
-	sys.client = api.NewClient(&api.ClientConfig{
-		Endpoint:    url.(string),
-		Credentials: credentials,
-		HTTPClient:  http.DefaultClient,
-		Logger:      sys.logger,
-	})
+	sys.clientCfg = api.NewDefaultClientConfig(
+		url.(string),
+		sys.config["proxy"].(string),
+		credentials,
+		sys.logger,
+	)
+	sys.client = api.NewClient(&sys.clientCfg)
 
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/system/lobsters/api/client.go b/system/lobsters/api/client.go
index f5606c3..dfc7583 100644
--- a/system/lobsters/api/client.go
+++ b/system/lobsters/api/client.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/go-retryablehttp"
 )
@@ -70,13 +71,34 @@ type Client struct {
 
 func NewDefaultClientConfig(
 	endpoint string,
+	proxy string,
 	credentials map[string]string,
 	logger Logger,
 ) ClientConfig {
+	var httpClient *http.Client = nil
+	var httpTransport *http.Transport = nil
+
+	if proxy != "" {
+		proxyURL, err := url.Parse(proxy)
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Error(err)
+		} else {
+			logger.Debugf("setting up http proxy transport: %s\n", proxyURL.String())
+			httpTransport = &http.Transport{
+				Proxy: http.ProxyURL(proxyURL),
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	httpClient = &http.Client{
+		Transport: httpTransport,
+		Timeout:   time.Second * 10,
+	}
+
 	return ClientConfig{
 		Endpoint:    endpoint,
 		Credentials: credentials,
-		HTTPClient:  http.DefaultClient,
+		HTTPClient:  httpClient,
 		Logger:      logger,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/system/lobsters/lobsters.go b/system/lobsters/lobsters.go
index 3fdae94..a2ee968 100644
--- a/system/lobsters/lobsters.go
+++ b/system/lobsters/lobsters.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package lobsters
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"time"
 
@@ -19,10 +18,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 type System struct {
-	ID     int
-	config map[string]interface{}
-	logger *zap.SugaredLogger
-	client *api.Client
+	ID        int
+	config    map[string]interface{}
+	logger    *zap.SugaredLogger
+	client    *api.Client
+	clientCfg api.ClientConfig
 }
 
 func (sys *System) GetID() int {
@@ -110,12 +110,13 @@ func (sys *System) Load() error {
 
 	credentials := make(map[string]string)
 
-	sys.client = api.NewClient(&api.ClientConfig{
-		Endpoint:    url.(string),
-		Credentials: credentials,
-		HTTPClient:  http.DefaultClient,
-		Logger:      sys.logger,
-	})
+	sys.clientCfg = api.NewDefaultClientConfig(
+		url.(string),
+		sys.config["proxy"].(string),
+		credentials,
+		sys.logger,
+	)
+	sys.client = api.NewClient(&sys.clientCfg)
 
 	return nil
 }