diff --git a/lib/shared/get-blacklist.js b/lib/shared/get-blacklist.js
index ca4006b1..a9f39eac 100644
--- a/lib/shared/get-blacklist.js
+++ b/lib/shared/get-blacklist.js
@@ -4,8 +4,20 @@ var https = require('https');
 
 var concat = require('concat-stream');
 
+var HttpsProxyAgent = require('https-proxy-agent');
+
+// HTTP or HTTPS proxy to use
+var proxyUri = process.env.http_proxy || process.env.https_proxy;
+
 var url = 'https://gulpjs.com/plugins/blackList.json';
 
+var options = {
+  method: 'GET',
+  host: 'gulpjs.com',
+  path: url,
+  agent: proxyUri !== undefined ? new HttpsProxyAgent(proxyUri) : undefined,
+};
+
 function collect(stream, cb) {
   stream.on('error', cb);
   stream.pipe(concat(onSuccess));
@@ -25,7 +37,10 @@ function parse(str, cb) {
 
 // TODO: Test this impl
 function getBlacklist(cb) {
-  https.get(url, onRequest);
+  https.get(options, onRequest)
+    .on('error', function(error) {
+      cb(error);
+    });
 
   function onRequest(res) {
     if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9740b39a..039379a3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,11 +34,12 @@
     "ansi-colors": "^1.0.1",
     "archy": "^1.0.0",
     "array-sort": "^1.0.0",
-    "concat-stream": "^1.6.0",
     "color-support": "^1.1.3",
+    "concat-stream": "^1.6.0",
     "copy-props": "^2.0.1",
     "fancy-log": "^1.3.2",
     "gulplog": "^1.0.0",
+    "https-proxy-agent": "^2.2.1",
     "interpret": "^1.1.0",
     "isobject": "^3.0.1",
     "liftoff": "^2.5.0",
diff --git a/test/flags-verify.js b/test/flags-verify.js
index e296b1ff..ff073623 100644
--- a/test/flags-verify.js
+++ b/test/flags-verify.js
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ var expect = require('expect');
 var runner = require('gulp-test-tools').gulpRunner;
 var eraseTime = require('gulp-test-tools').eraseTime;
 var path = require('path');
+var http = require('http');
+var net = require('net');
+var assert = require('assert');
 
 describe('flag: --verify', function() {
 
@@ -68,4 +71,81 @@ describe('flag: --verify', function() {
     }
   });
 
+  it('proxy: dependencies with valid dependency', function(done) {
+    var proxyServer = createProxyServer(8881);
+    proxyServer.on('listening', function (servers) {
+      testProxyImplementation(function (err, stdout, stderr) {
+        proxyServer.close();
+
+        expect(err).toEqual(null);
+        expect(stderr).toEqual('');
+        stdout = eraseTime(stdout);
+        expect(stdout).toEqual(
+          'Verifying plugins in ' +
+            path.resolve('./test/fixtures/packages/valid-package.json') +
+            '\n' +
+          'There are no blacklisted plugins in this project\n' +
+          ''
+        );
+        done();
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('proxy: proxy server not reachable', function(done) {
+    testProxyImplementation(function (err, stdout, stderr) {
+      expect(err).toNotEqual(null);
+      stderr = eraseTime(stderr);
+      expect(stderr).toEqual(
+          'Error: failed to retrieve plugins black-list\n' +
+          'connect ECONNREFUSED 127.0.0.1:8881\n',
+          'testing stderr'
+        );
+      stdout = eraseTime(stdout);
+      expect(stdout).toEqual(
+        'Verifying plugins in ' +
+          path.resolve('./test/fixtures/packages/valid-package.json') +
+          '\n', 'testing stdout'
+      );
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  function testProxyImplementation(cb) {
+    process.env.http_proxy = 'http://localhost:8881';
+    runner({ verbose: false })
+      .gulp('--verify valid-package.json', '--cwd ./test/fixtures/packages/')
+      .run(cb);
+  }
+
+  function createProxyServer(proxyPort) {
+    var proxy = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
+      assert.fail('could not start proxy server');
+    });
+
+    proxy.on('connect', onConnect);
+    proxy.on('error', onError);
+
+    function onConnect(req, clientSocket, head) {
+
+      expect(req.method).toBe('CONNECT');
+      expect(req.url).toEqual('gulpjs.com:443');
+
+      var serverSocket = net.connect(443, 'gulpjs.com', function() {
+        clientSocket.write('HTTP/1.1 200 Connection established\r\n\r\n');
+        clientSocket.pipe(serverSocket);
+        serverSocket.write(head);
+        serverSocket.pipe(clientSocket);
+      });
+    }
+
+    function onError(error) {
+      assert.fail('could not start proxy server (' + JSON.stringify(error) + ')');
+    }
+
+    proxy.listen(proxyPort);
+
+    return proxy;
+  }
+
 });