diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.c b/lib/libwebsockets.c
index 7f9d20eb0..b81a1902a 100644
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.c
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.c
@@ -1915,7 +1915,6 @@ LWS_VISIBLE struct libwebsocket_context *
 libwebsocket_create_context(struct lws_context_creation_info *info)
 {
 	struct libwebsocket_context *context = NULL;
-	char *p;
 	int n;
 #ifndef LWS_NO_SERVER
 	int opt = 1;
@@ -2075,20 +2074,12 @@ libwebsocket_create_context(struct lws_context_creation_info *info)
 
 	/* split the proxy ads:port if given */
 
-	p = getenv("http_proxy");
-	if (p) {
-		strncpy(context->http_proxy_address, p,
+	if (info->http_proxy_address) {
+		strncpy(context->http_proxy_address, info->http_proxy_address,
 				      sizeof(context->http_proxy_address) - 1);
 		context->http_proxy_address[
 				sizeof(context->http_proxy_address) - 1] = '\0';
-
-		p = strchr(context->http_proxy_address, ':');
-		if (p == NULL) {
-			lwsl_err("http_proxy needs to be ads:port\n");
-			goto bail;
-		}
-		*p = '\0';
-		context->http_proxy_port = atoi(p + 1);
+		context->http_proxy_port = info->http_proxy_port;
 
 		lwsl_notice(" Proxy %s:%u\n",
 				context->http_proxy_address,
diff --git a/lib/libwebsockets.h b/lib/libwebsockets.h
index 24856a499..a7c07aaa0 100644
--- a/lib/libwebsockets.h
+++ b/lib/libwebsockets.h
@@ -938,6 +938,8 @@ struct lws_context_creation_info {
 	const char *ssl_private_key_filepath;
 	const char *ssl_ca_filepath;
 	const char *ssl_cipher_list;
+	const char *http_proxy_address;
+	unsigned int http_proxy_port;
 	int gid;
 	int uid;
 	unsigned int options;