diff --git src/allmydata/node.py src/allmydata/node.py
index 7f5bf61..f55ba3f 100644
--- src/allmydata/node.py
+++ src/allmydata/node.py
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ class Node(service.MultiService):
             # N.B.: this is in seconds, so use "1800" to get 30min
             self.tub.setOption("disconnectTimeout", int(disconnect_timeout_s))
 
+        http_proxy = self.get_config("node", "http_proxy", "")
+        if http_proxy:
+            self.tub.setOption("http-proxy", http_proxy)
+
         self.nodeid = b32decode(self.tub.tubID.upper()) # binary format
         self.write_config("my_nodeid", b32encode(self.nodeid).lower() + "\n")
         self.short_nodeid = b32encode(self.nodeid).lower()[:8] # ready for printing
diff --git src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py
index 928add1..ff514d5 100644
--- src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py
+++ src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ def write_node_config(c, config):
         webport = ""
     c.write("web.port = %s\n" % (webport.encode('utf-8'),))
     c.write("web.static = public_html\n")
+    c.write("#http_proxy =\n")
     c.write("#tub.port =\n")
     c.write("#tub.location = \n")
     c.write("#log_gatherer.furl =\n")
diff --git src/allmydata/test/test_node.py src/allmydata/test/test_node.py
index 24ec571..08593ef 100644
--- src/allmydata/test/test_node.py
+++ src/allmydata/test/test_node.py
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@ class TestCase(testutil.SignalMixin, unittest.TestCase):
         d.addCallback(flushEventualQueue)
         return d
 
+    def test_http_proxy(self):
+        basedir = "test_node/test_http_proxy"
+        fileutil.make_dirs(basedir)
+        f = open(os.path.join(basedir, 'tahoe.cfg'), 'wt')
+        f.write("[node]\n")
+        f.write("http_proxy = 127.0.0.1:8888\n")
+        f.close()
+
+        n = TestNode(basedir)
+        self.failUnlessEqual(n.tub.options['http-proxy'], "127.0.0.1:8888")
+
     def test_location(self):
         basedir = "test_node/test_location"
         fileutil.make_dirs(basedir)