diff --git src/allmydata/node.py src/allmydata/node.py
index 7f5bf61..f55ba3f 100644
--- src/allmydata/node.py
+++ src/allmydata/node.py
@@ -155,6 +155,10 @@ class Node(service.MultiService):
             # N.B.: this is in seconds, so use "1800" to get 30min
             self.tub.setOption("disconnectTimeout", int(disconnect_timeout_s))
 
+        http_proxy = self.get_config("node", "http_proxy", "")
+        if http_proxy:
+            self.tub.setOption("http-proxy", http_proxy)
+
         self.nodeid = b32decode(self.tub.tubID.upper()) # binary format
         self.write_config("my_nodeid", b32encode(self.nodeid).lower() + "\n")
         self.short_nodeid = b32encode(self.nodeid).lower()[:8] # ready for printing
diff --git src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py
index 928add1..ff514d5 100644
--- src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py
+++ src/allmydata/scripts/create_node.py
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ def write_node_config(c, config):
         webport = ""
     c.write("web.port = %s\n" % (webport.encode('utf-8'),))
     c.write("web.static = public_html\n")
+    c.write("#http_proxy =\n")
     c.write("#tub.port =\n")
     c.write("#tub.location = \n")
     c.write("#log_gatherer.furl =\n")
diff --git src/allmydata/node.py src/allmydata/node.py
index 7f5bf61..04a1035 100644
--- src/allmydata/node.py
+++ src/allmydata/node.py
@@ -258,7 +258,11 @@ class Node(service.MultiService):
 
         service.MultiService.startService(self)
         d = defer.succeed(None)
-        d.addCallback(lambda res: iputil.get_local_addresses_async())
+        location = self.get_config("node", "tub.location", None)
+        if location == "":
+            d.addCallback(lambda res: ['127.0.0.1'])
+        else:
+            d.addCallback(lambda res: iputil.get_local_addresses_async())
         d.addCallback(self._setup_tub)
         def _ready(res):
             self.log("%s running" % self.NODETYPE)
@@ -333,6 +337,8 @@ class Node(service.MultiService):
         base_location = ",".join([ "%s:%d" % (addr, portnum)
                                    for addr in local_addresses ])
         location = self.get_config("node", "tub.location", base_location)
+        if location == "":
+            location = base_location
         self.log("Tub location set to %s" % location)
         self.tub.setLocation(location)