diff --git a/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx b/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx
index dd131dd4a2..e2c9850c77 100644
--- a/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/downloader/downloader.cxx
@@ -85,6 +85,74 @@ Downloader::
     cleanup();
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: Downloader::connect_to_server_by_proxy
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description:
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+int Downloader::
+connect_to_server_by_proxy(const string &proxy_name, uint proxy_port,
+			   const string &server_name, uint server_port) {
+  if (connect_to_server(proxy_name, proxy_port) != EU_success)
+    downloader_cat.error()
+      << "Downloader::connect_to_server_by_proxy() - could not connect to: "
+      << proxy_name << endl;	
+    return EU_error_abort;
+
+  // Send an HTTP request asking the proxy to connect to the server
+  string request = "CONNECT ";
+  request += server_name;
+  request += ":";
+  stringstream port_stream;
+  port_stream << server_port;
+  request += port_stream.str();
+  request += " HTTP/1.1\012\012";
+  int outlen = request.size();
+  if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+    downloader_cat.debug()
+      << "Downloader::proxy() - Sending request:\n" << request << endl;
+  int send_ret = safe_send(_socket, request.c_str(), outlen,
+                        (long)downloader_timeout);
+  if (send_ret < 0)
+    return send_ret;
+
+  uint fret;
+
+  _current_status = new DownloadStatus(_buffer->_buffer, 0, 0, 0, false);
+  for (int i = 0; i <= 100; i++) {
+    fret = fast_receive(_socket, _current_status, MAX_RECEIVE_BYTES);
+    if (fret == EU_eof || fret < 0) {
+      break;
+    } else if (fret == EU_success) {
+      _got_any_data = true;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (fret == EU_eof) {
+    if (_got_any_data == true) {
+      if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+        downloader_cat.debug()
+          << "Downloader::proxy() - Got eof" << endl;
+      // parse proxy message here
+      uint ret = parse_proxy_response(_current_status);
+      cleanup();
+      return ret;
+    } else {
+      if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+        downloader_cat.debug()
+          << "Downloader::proxy() - Got 0 bytes" << endl;
+      return EU_error_abort;
+    }
+  } else if (fret == EU_network_no_data) {
+    if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+      downloader_cat.debug()
+        << "Downloader::proxy() - No data" << endl;
+      return EU_error_abort;
+  } else if (fret < 0) {
+    return fret;
+  }
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: Downloader::connect_to_server
 //       Access: Public
@@ -763,6 +831,81 @@ parse_http_response(const string &resp) {
   return EU_error_abort;
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: Downloader::parse_proxy_response
+//       Access: Private
+//  Description: Looks for a valid proxy response. 
+//               Function returns false
+//               on an error condition, otherwise true.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+int Downloader::
+parse_proxy_response(DownloadStatus *status) {
+  nassertr(status != NULL, EU_error_abort);
+
+  if (status->_bytes_in_buffer == 0) {
+    downloader_cat.error()
+      << "Downloader::parse_proxy_response() - Empty buffer!" << endl;
+    return EU_error_abort;
+  }
+
+  string bufstr((char *)status->_start, status->_bytes_in_buffer);
+  size_t p  = 0;
+  while (p < bufstr.length()) {
+    // Server sends out CR LF (\r\n) as newline delimiter
+    size_t nl = bufstr.find("\015\012", p);
+    if (nl == string::npos) {
+      downloader_cat.error()
+        << "Downloader::parse_proxy_response() - No newlines in buffer of "
+        << "length: " << status->_bytes_in_buffer << endl;
+      return EU_error_abort;
+    } else if (p == 0 && nl == p) {
+      downloader_cat.error()
+        << "Downloader::parse_proxy_response() - Buffer begins with newline!"
+        << endl;
+        return EU_error_abort;
+    }
+
+    string component = bufstr.substr(p, nl - p);
+
+    // The first line of the response should say whether
+    // got an error or not
+    if (status->_first_line_complete == false) {
+      status->_first_line_complete = true;
+      int parse_ret = parse_http_response(component);
+      if (parse_ret == EU_success) {
+        if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+          downloader_cat.debug()
+            << "Downloader::parse_proxy_response() - valid proxy: "
+            << component << endl;
+      } else {
+        return parse_ret;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Look for proxy agent
+    size_t cpos = component.find(":");
+    string tline = component.substr(0, cpos);
+    if (tline == "Proxy-agent") {
+      if (downloader_cat.debug())
+	downloader_cat.debug()
+	  << "Downloader::parse_proxy_response() - proxy agent: %s"
+	  << component << endl;
+    }
+
+    // Two consecutive (CR LF)s indicates end of HTTP response
+    if (nl == p) {
+      if (downloader_cat.is_debug())
+        downloader_cat.debug()
+          << "Downloader::parse_proxy_response() - complete" << endl;
+      return EU_success;
+    }
+
+    p = nl + 2;
+  }
+
+  return EU_error_abort;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: Downloader::parse_header
 //       Access: Private
diff --git a/panda/src/downloader/downloader.h b/panda/src/downloader/downloader.h
index 5b104542a2..fce00a737e 100644
--- a/panda/src/downloader/downloader.h
+++ b/panda/src/downloader/downloader.h
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ PUBLISHED:
   Downloader(void);
   virtual ~Downloader(void);
 
+  int connect_to_server_by_proxy(const string &proxy_name, uint proxy_port,
+		const string &server_name, uint server_port=80);
   int connect_to_server(const string &name, uint port=80);
   void disconnect_from_server(void);
 
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ private:
   int fast_receive(int socket, DownloadStatus *status, int rec_size);
   int parse_http_response(const string &resp);
   int parse_header(DownloadStatus *status);
+  int parse_proxy_response(DownloadStatus *status);
   int write_to_disk(DownloadStatus *status);
   int run_to_ram(void);
   int write_to_ram(DownloadStatus *status);