diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3556250..2fb1b55 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ java_set_javahome: false
 
 # install JCE?
 java_install_jce: false
+
+# use internal proxy url for instances behind a firewall
+java_use_proxy: true
+
+# url to use when proxy is true, usually a nexus proxy
+java_proxy_url: 
 ```
 
 For other configurable internals, read `tasks/set-role-variables.yml` file; for example, supported `java_version`/`java_subversion` combinations.
@@ -72,7 +78,7 @@ If you want to install a Java release which is not supported out-of-the-box, you
 
 ### Customized variables, if absolutely necessary
 
-If you have a pre-downloaded `jdk_tarball_file` whose filename cannot be inferred successfully by `tasks/set-role-variables.yml`, you may specify it explicitly: 
+If you have a pre-downloaded `jdk_tarball_file` whose filename cannot be inferred successfully by `tasks/set-role-variables.yml`, you may specify it explicitly:
 
 ```yaml
 # Specify the pre-fetch filename (without tailing .tar.gz or .rpm or .dmg);
diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index c0da713..ac0b2ac 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -19,3 +19,6 @@ java_remove_download: true
 java_install_jce: false
 
 java_set_javahome: false
+java_use_proxy: false 
+java_remote_url: "http://download.oracle.com/otn-pub"
+java_proxy_url:
diff --git a/tasks/set-role-variables.yml b/tasks/set-role-variables.yml
index 9105e02..826cc09 100644
--- a/tasks/set-role-variables.yml
+++ b/tasks/set-role-variables.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,15 @@
   set_fact:
     jdk_version: "1.{{ java_version }}.0_{{ java_subversion }}"
 
+- name: set remote java url
+  set_fact:
+    java_url: "{{java_remote_url}}"
+  when: "{{java_use_proxy}} == false"
 
+- name: set proxy java url
+  set_fact:
+    java_url: "{{java_proxy_url}}"
+  when: "{{java_use_proxy}} == true"
 #
 # platform-specific variables
 #
@@ -129,7 +137,7 @@
 
 - name: compose url for downloading file, if necessary
   set_fact:
-    jdk_tarball_url:  "http://download.oracle.com/otn-pub/java/jdk/{{ jdk_version_detail }}/{{ jdk_tarball_file }}"
+    jdk_tarball_url:  "{{ java_url }}/java/jdk/{{ jdk_version_detail }}/{{ jdk_tarball_file }}"
   when: jdk_version_detail is defined
 
 
@@ -151,8 +159,7 @@
 
 - name: set JCE download file
   set_fact:
-    jce_zip_url: "http://download.oracle.com/otn-pub/java/jce/{{ java_version }}/{{ jce_zip_file }}"
-
+    jce_zip_url: "{{java_url}}/java/jce/{{ java_version }}/{{ jce_zip_file }}"
 
 #
 # directories