diff --git a/cake/libs/http/basic_authentication.php b/cake/libs/http/basic_authentication.php
index 393f4a867..111246210 100644
--- a/cake/libs/http/basic_authentication.php
+++ b/cake/libs/http/basic_authentication.php
@@ -44,12 +44,13 @@ class BasicAuthentication {
  * Proxy Authentication
  *
  * @param HttpSocket $http
+ * @param array $proxyInfo
  * @return void
  * @see http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2617.txt
  */
-	public static function proxyAuthentication(HttpSocket $http) {
-		if (isset($http->request['proxy']['user'], $http->request['proxy']['pass'])) {
-			$http->request['header']['Proxy-Authorization'] = self::_generateHeader($http->request['proxy']['user'], $http->request['proxy']['pass']);
+	public static function proxyAuthentication(HttpSocket $http, &$proxyInfo) {
+		if (isset($proxyInfo['user'], $proxyInfo['pass'])) {
+			$http->request['header']['Proxy-Authorization'] = self::_generateHeader($proxyInfo['user'], $proxyInfo['pass']);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/cake/libs/http_socket.php b/cake/libs/http_socket.php
index d5ed518ad..06df4ad1f 100644
--- a/cake/libs/http_socket.php
+++ b/cake/libs/http_socket.php
@@ -59,13 +59,6 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 			'query' => null,
 			'fragment' => null
 		),
-		'proxy' => array(
-			'method' => 'Basic',
-			'host' => null,
-			'port' => 3128,
-			'user' => null,
-			'pass' => null
-		),
 		'version' => '1.1',
 		'body' => '',
 		'line' => null,
@@ -118,13 +111,6 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 				'host' => 'localhost',
 				'port' => 80
 			),
-			'proxy' => array(
-				'method' => 'Basic',
-				'host' => null,
-				'port' => 3128,
-				'user' => null,
-				'pass' => null
-			),
 			'cookies' => array()
 		)
 	);
@@ -145,6 +131,14 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
  */
 	protected $_auth = array();
 
+/**
+ * Proxy settings
+ *
+ * @var array
+ * @access protected
+ */
+	protected $_proxy = array();
+
 /**
  * Build an HTTP Socket using the specified configuration.
  *
@@ -182,7 +176,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 /**
  * Set authentication settings
  *
- * @param string $method Authentication method (ex. Basic, Digest). If empty, disable authentication
+ * @param string $method Authentication method (ie. Basic, Digest). If empty, disable authentication
  * @param mixed $user Username for authentication. Can be an array with settings to authentication class
  * @param string $pass Password for authentication
  * @return void
@@ -199,6 +193,28 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 		$this->_auth = array($method => compact('user', 'pass'));
 	}
 
+/**
+ * Set proxy settings
+ *
+ * @param mixed $host Proxy host. Can be an array with settings to authentication class
+ * @param integer $port Port. Default 3128.
+ * @param string $method Proxy method (ie, Basic, Digest). If empty, disable proxy authentication
+ * @param string $user Username if your proxy need authentication
+ * @param string $pass Password to proxy authentication
+ * @return void
+ */
+	public function setProxyConfig($host, $port = 3128, $method = null, $user = null, $pass = null) {
+		if (empty($host)) {
+			$this->_proxy = array();
+			return;
+		}
+		if (is_array($host)) {
+			$this->_proxy = $host + array('host' => null);
+			return;
+		}
+		$this->_proxy = compact('host', 'port', 'method', 'user', 'pass');
+	}
+
 /**
  * Issue the specified request. HttpSocket::get() and HttpSocket::post() wrap this
  * method and provide a more granular interface.
@@ -490,23 +506,23 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
  * @return void
  */
 	protected function _setProxyConfig() {
-		if (empty($this->request['proxy']['host'])) {
+		if (empty($this->_proxy) || !isset($this->_proxy['host'], $this->_proxy['port'])) {
 			return;
 		}
-		$this->config['host'] = $this->request['proxy']['host'];
-		$this->config['port'] = $this->request['proxy']['port'];
+		$this->config['host'] = $this->_proxy['host'];
+		$this->config['port'] = $this->_proxy['port'];
 
-		if (empty($this->request['proxy']['method']) || !isset($this->request['proxy']['user'], $this->request['proxy']['pass'])) {
+		if (empty($this->_proxy['method']) || !isset($this->_proxy['user'], $this->_proxy['pass'])) {
 			return;
 		}
-		$authClass = Inflector::camelize($this->request['proxy']['method']) . 'Authentication';
+		$authClass = Inflector::camelize($this->_proxy['method']) . 'Authentication';
 		if (!App::import('Lib', 'http/' . $authClass)) {
 			throw new Exception(__('Unknown authentication method for proxy.'));
 		}
 		if (!method_exists($authClass, 'proxyAuthentication')) {
 			throw new Exception(sprintf(__('The %s do not support proxy authentication.'), $authClass));
 		}
-		call_user_func("$authClass::proxyAuthentication", $this);
+		call_user_func("$authClass::proxyAuthentication", $this, &$this->_proxy);
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -882,7 +898,7 @@ class HttpSocket extends CakeSocket {
 
 		$request['uri']	= $this->_parseUri($request['uri']);
 		$request = array_merge(array('method' => 'GET'), $request);
-		if (!empty($request['proxy']['host'])) {
+		if (!empty($this->_proxy['host'])) {
 			$request['uri'] = $this->_buildUri($request['uri'], '%scheme://%host:%port/%path?%query');
 		} else {
 			$request['uri'] = $this->_buildUri($request['uri'], '/%path?%query');
diff --git a/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php b/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
index 06b055928..834237934 100644
--- a/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
+++ b/cake/tests/cases/libs/http_socket.test.php
@@ -42,10 +42,11 @@ class TestAuthentication {
  * proxyAuthentication method
  *
  * @param HttpSocket $http
+ * @param array $proxyInfo
  * @return void
  */
-	public static function proxyAuthentication(HttpSocket $http) {
-		$http->request['header']['Proxy-Authorization'] = 'Test ' . $http->request['proxy']['user'] . '.' . $http->request['proxy']['pass'];
+	public static function proxyAuthentication(HttpSocket $http, &$proxyInfo) {
+		$http->request['header']['Proxy-Authorization'] = 'Test ' . $proxyInfo['user'] . '.' . $proxyInfo['pass'];
 	}
 
 }
@@ -287,13 +288,6 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends CakeTestCase {
 					, 'host' => 'www.cakephp.org'
 					, 'port' => 23
 				),
-				'proxy' => array(
-					'method' => 'Basic',
-					'host' => null,
-					'port' => 3128,
-					'user' => null,
-					'pass' => null
-				),
 				'cookies' => array(),
 			)
 		);
@@ -318,13 +312,6 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends CakeTestCase {
 					, 'host' => 'www.foo.com'
 					, 'port' => 80
 				),
-				'proxy' => array(
-					'method' => 'Basic',
-					'host' => null,
-					'port' => 3128,
-					'user' => null,
-					'pass' => null
-				),
 				'cookies' => array()
 			)
 		);
@@ -366,13 +353,6 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends CakeTestCase {
 								, 'host' => 'www.cakephp.org'
 								, 'port' => 80,
 							),
-							'proxy' => array(
-								'method' => 'Basic',
-								'host' => null,
-								'port' => 3128,
-								'user' => null,
-								'pass' => null
-							),
 							'cookies' => array(),
 						),
 					)
@@ -387,13 +367,6 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends CakeTestCase {
 							, 'path' => '/'
 							, 'query' => array('foo' => 'bar')
 							, 'fragment' => null
-						),
-						'proxy' => array(
-							'method' => 'Basic',
-							'host' => null,
-							'port' => 3128,
-							'user' => null,
-							'pass' => null
 						)
 						, 'version' => '1.1'
 						, 'body' => ''
@@ -636,31 +609,24 @@ class HttpSocketTest extends CakeTestCase {
 		$this->Socket->reset();
 		$this->Socket->expects($this->any())->method('connect')->will($this->returnValue(true));
 		$this->Socket->expects($this->any())->method('read')->will($this->returnValue(false));
-		$request = array(
-			'uri' => 'http://www.cakephp.org/',
-			'proxy' => array(
-				'host' => 'proxy.server',
-				'port' => 123
-			)
-		);
+
+		$this->Socket->setProxyConfig('proxy.server', 123);
 		$expected = "GET http://www.cakephp.org/ HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: www.cakephp.org\r\nConnection: close\r\nUser-Agent: CakePHP\r\n\r\n";
-		$this->Socket->request($request);
+		$this->Socket->request('http://www.cakephp.org/');
 		$this->assertEqual($this->Socket->request['raw'], $expected);
 		$this->assertEqual($this->Socket->config['host'], 'proxy.server');
 		$this->assertEqual($this->Socket->config['port'], 123);
 
-		$request['proxy']['method'] = 'Test';
-		$request['proxy']['user'] = 'mark';
-		$request['proxy']['pass'] = 'secret';
 		$expected = "GET http://www.cakephp.org/ HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: www.cakephp.org\r\nConnection: close\r\nUser-Agent: CakePHP\r\nProxy-Authorization: Test mark.secret\r\n\r\n";
-		$this->Socket->request($request);
+		$this->Socket->setProxyConfig('proxy.server', 123, 'Test', 'mark', 'secret');
+		$this->Socket->request('http://www.cakephp.org/');
 		$this->assertEqual($this->Socket->request['raw'], $expected);
 		$this->assertEqual($this->Socket->config['host'], 'proxy.server');
 		$this->assertEqual($this->Socket->config['port'], 123);
 
 		$this->Socket->setAuthConfig('Test', 'login', 'passwd');
 		$expected = "GET http://www.cakephp.org/ HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: www.cakephp.org\r\nConnection: close\r\nUser-Agent: CakePHP\r\nAuthorization: Test login.passwd\r\nProxy-Authorization: Test mark.secret\r\n\r\n";
-		$this->Socket->request($request);
+		$this->Socket->request('http://www.cakephp.org/');
 		$this->assertEqual($this->Socket->request['raw'], $expected);
 	}