diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Downloader.java b/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Downloader.java
index d05b82454..d27571e45 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Downloader.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Downloader.java
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileOutputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
+import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
+import java.net.Proxy;
+import java.net.SocketAddress;
 import java.net.URL;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
@@ -59,14 +63,42 @@ public class Downloader {
      * @throws DownloadFailedException is thrown if there is an error downloading the file.
      */
     public static void fetchFile(URL url, File outputPath) throws DownloadFailedException {
+        HttpURLConnection conn = null;
+        Proxy proxy = null;
+        String proxyUrl = Settings.getString(Settings.KEYS.PROXY_URL);
+        
         try {
-            url.openConnection();
+            if (proxyUrl != null) {
+                int proxyPort = Settings.getInt(Settings.KEYS.PROXY_PORT);
+                SocketAddress addr = new InetSocketAddress(proxyUrl, proxyPort);
+                proxy = new Proxy(Proxy.Type.HTTP, addr);
+                conn = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection(proxy);
+            } else {
+                conn = (HttpURLConnection) url.openConnection();
+            }
+            if (Settings.getString(Settings.KEYS.CONNECTION_TIMEOUT) != null) {
+                int timeout = Settings.getInt(Settings.KEYS.CONNECTION_TIMEOUT);
+                conn.setConnectTimeout(timeout);
+            }
+        
+            conn.connect();
         } catch (IOException ex) {
+            try {
+                if (conn!=null) {
+                    conn.disconnect();
+                }
+            } finally {
+                conn = null;
+            }
             throw new DownloadFailedException("Error downloading file.", ex);
         }
+        
         BufferedOutputStream writer = null;
         try {
-            InputStream reader = url.openStream();
+            //the following times out on some systems because the CPE is big.
+            //InputStream reader = url.openStream();
+            InputStream reader = conn.getInputStream();
+            
             writer = new BufferedOutputStream(new FileOutputStream(outputPath));
             byte[] buffer = new byte[4096];
             int bytesRead = 0;
@@ -83,6 +115,11 @@ public class Downloader {
                 Logger.getLogger(Downloader.class.getName()).log(Level.FINEST,
                         "Error closing the writter in Downloader.", ex);
             }
+            try {
+                conn.disconnect();
+            } finally {
+                conn = null;
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Settings.java b/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Settings.java
index a53ddba99..15e6e90df 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Settings.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/Settings.java
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ public class Settings {
          * The properties key prefix for the analyzer assocations.
          */
         public static final String FILE_EXTENSION_ANALYZER_ASSOCIATION_PREFIX = "file.extension.analyzer.association.";
+        public static final String PROXY_URL = "proxy.url";
+        public static final String PROXY_PORT = "proxy.port";
+        public static final String CONNECTION_TIMEOUT = "connection.timeout";
     }
     private static final String PROPERTIES_FILE = "dependencycheck.properties";
     private static Settings instance = new Settings();
@@ -100,6 +103,15 @@ public class Settings {
         return str;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets a property value.
+     * @param key the key for the property.
+     * @param value the value for the property.
+     */
+    public static void setString(String key, String value) {
+        instance.props.setProperty(key, value);
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Returns a value from the properties file. If the value was specified as a
      * system property or passed in via the -Dprop=value argument - this method
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/DownloaderTest.java b/src/test/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/DownloaderTest.java
index 4ed3910f8..4a067a8ef 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/DownloaderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/codesecure/dependencycheck/utils/DownloaderTest.java
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ public class DownloaderTest {
 //    @Test
 //    public void testFetchFile_URL_String() throws Exception {
 //        System.out.println("fetchFile");
+//        
+////        Settings.setString(Settings.KEYS.PROXY_URL, "test");
+////        Settings.setString(Settings.KEYS.PROXY_PORT, "80");
+////        Settings.setString(Settings.KEYS.CONNECTION_TIMEOUT, "1000");
+//        
 //        URL url = new URL(Settings.getString(Settings.KEYS.CPE_URL));
 //        String outputPath = "target\\downloaded_cpe.xml";
 //        Downloader.fetchFile(url, outputPath);