diff --git a/lib/libfetch/fetch.c b/lib/libfetch/fetch.c
index cb09efcfeac4..3eb8075fc780 100644
--- a/lib/libfetch/fetch.c
+++ b/lib/libfetch/fetch.c
@@ -80,9 +80,6 @@ fetchXGet(struct url *URL, struct url_stat *us, char *flags)
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "http") == 0)
 	return fetchXGetHTTP(URL, us, flags);
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "ftp") == 0) {
-	if (!direct &&
-	    getenv("FTP_PROXY") == NULL && getenv("HTTP_PROXY") != NULL)
-	    return fetchXGetHTTP(URL, us, flags);
 	return fetchXGetFTP(URL, us, flags);
     } else {
 	_url_seterr(URL_BAD_SCHEME);
@@ -115,9 +112,6 @@ fetchPut(struct url *URL, char *flags)
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "http") == 0)
 	return fetchPutHTTP(URL, flags);
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "ftp") == 0) {
-	if (!direct &&
-	    getenv("FTP_PROXY") == NULL && getenv("HTTP_PROXY") != NULL)
-	    return fetchPutHTTP(URL, flags);
 	return fetchPutFTP(URL, flags);
     } else {
 	_url_seterr(URL_BAD_SCHEME);
@@ -140,9 +134,6 @@ fetchStat(struct url *URL, struct url_stat *us, char *flags)
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "http") == 0)
 	return fetchStatHTTP(URL, us, flags);
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "ftp") == 0) {
-	if (!direct &&
-	    getenv("FTP_PROXY") == NULL && getenv("HTTP_PROXY") != NULL)
-	    return fetchStatHTTP(URL, us, flags);
 	return fetchStatFTP(URL, us, flags);
     } else {
 	_url_seterr(URL_BAD_SCHEME);
@@ -165,9 +156,6 @@ fetchList(struct url *URL, char *flags)
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "http") == 0)
 	return fetchListHTTP(URL, flags);
     else if (strcasecmp(URL->scheme, "ftp") == 0) {
-	if (!direct &&
-	    getenv("FTP_PROXY") == NULL && getenv("HTTP_PROXY") != NULL)
-	    return fetchListHTTP(URL, flags);
 	return fetchListFTP(URL, flags);
     } else {
 	_url_seterr(URL_BAD_SCHEME);
diff --git a/lib/libfetch/ftp.c b/lib/libfetch/ftp.c
index de7d2d8db1b0..a5eb1d351734 100644
--- a/lib/libfetch/ftp.c
+++ b/lib/libfetch/ftp.c
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ _ftp_connect(char *host, int port, char *user, char *pwd, char *flags)
 	af = AF_INET6;
 
     /* check for proxy */
-    if (!direct && (p = getenv("FTP_PROXY")) != NULL) {
+    if (!direct && (p = getenv("FTP_PROXY")) != NULL && *p) {
 	char c = 0;
 
 #ifdef INET6
@@ -762,6 +762,17 @@ _ftp_cached_connect(struct url *url, char *flags)
     return cd;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Check to see if we should use an HTTP proxy instead
+ */
+static int
+_ftp_use_http_proxy(void)
+{
+    char *p;
+
+    return ((p = getenv("HTTP_PROXY")) && *p && !getenv("FTP_PROXY"));
+}
+
 /*
  * Get and stat file
  */
@@ -769,6 +780,9 @@ FILE *
 fetchXGetFTP(struct url *url, struct url_stat *us, char *flags)
 {
     int cd;
+
+    if (_ftp_use_http_proxy())
+	return fetchXGetHTTP(url, us, flags);
     
     /* connect to server */
     if ((cd = _ftp_cached_connect(url, flags)) == NULL)
@@ -804,6 +818,9 @@ fetchPutFTP(struct url *url, char *flags)
 {
     int cd;
 
+    if (_ftp_use_http_proxy())
+	return fetchPutHTTP(url, flags);
+    
     /* connect to server */
     if ((cd = _ftp_cached_connect(url, flags)) == NULL)
 	return NULL;
@@ -825,6 +842,9 @@ fetchStatFTP(struct url *url, struct url_stat *us, char *flags)
 {
     int cd;
 
+    if (_ftp_use_http_proxy())
+	return fetchStatHTTP(url, us, flags);
+    
     us->size = -1;
     us->atime = us->mtime = 0;
     
@@ -847,6 +867,9 @@ extern void warnx(char *, ...);
 struct url_ent *
 fetchListFTP(struct url *url, char *flags)
 {
+    if (_ftp_use_http_proxy())
+	return fetchListHTTP(url, flags);
+    
     warnx("fetchListFTP(): not implemented");
     return NULL;
 }