diff --git a/router/config.go b/router/config.go
index 7f2d9c9d5..ab9045900 100644
--- a/router/config.go
+++ b/router/config.go
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ type Config struct {
 			InitialDelay time.Duration
 		}
 	}
+	Proxy   *transport.ProxyConfiguration
 	Plugins []string
 	src     map[interface{}]interface{}
 	path    string
@@ -712,6 +713,18 @@ func LoadConfig(path string) (*Config, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if value, found := cfgmap[transport.KeyProxy]; found {
+		if proxyMap, ok := value.(map[interface{}]interface{}); ok {
+			proxyConfig, err := transport.LoadProxyConfiguration(proxyMap)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			cfg.Proxy = proxyConfig
+		} else {
+			pfxlog.Logger().Warn("invalid proxy configuration, must be map")
+		}
+	}
+
 	return cfg, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/router/router.go b/router/router.go
index 877b70924..57f0a5e0a 100644
--- a/router/router.go
+++ b/router/router.go
@@ -389,7 +389,15 @@ func (self *Router) registerComponents() error {
 		self.metricsRegistry,
 		self.xlinkRegistry,
 	)
-	self.xlinkFactories["transport"] = xlink_transport.NewFactory(xlinkAccepter, xlinkChAccepter, self.config.Transport, self.xlinkRegistry, self.metricsRegistry)
+
+	linkTransportConfig := map[interface{}]interface{}{}
+	for k, v := range self.config.Transport {
+		linkTransportConfig[k] = v
+	}
+	linkTransportConfig[transport.KeyCachedProxyConfiguration] = self.config.Proxy
+	linkTransportConfig[transport.KeyProtocol] = append(transport.Configuration(self.config.Transport).Protocols(), "ziti-link")
+
+	self.xlinkFactories["transport"] = xlink_transport.NewFactory(xlinkAccepter, xlinkChAccepter, linkTransportConfig, self.xlinkRegistry, self.metricsRegistry)
 
 	xgress.GlobalRegistry().Register("proxy", xgress_proxy.NewFactory(self.config.Id, self.ctrls, self.config.Transport))
 	xgress.GlobalRegistry().Register("proxy_udp", xgress_proxy_udp.NewFactory(self.ctrls))
@@ -462,7 +470,7 @@ func (self *Router) startXlinkListeners() {
 		}
 
 		if factory, found := self.xlinkFactories[binding]; found {
-			lmap["protocol"] = "ziti-link"
+			lmap[transport.KeyProtocol] = "ziti-link"
 			listener, err := factory.CreateListener(self.config.Id, self.forwarder, lmap)
 			if err != nil {
 				logrus.Fatalf("error creating Xlink listener (%v)", err)
@@ -602,7 +610,10 @@ func (self *Router) connectToController(addr transport.Address, bindHandler chan
 	dialer := channel.NewReconnectingDialerWithHandlerAndLocalBinding(self.config.Id, addr, self.config.Ctrl.LocalBinding, attributes, reconnectHandler)
 
 	bindHandler = channel.BindHandlers(bindHandler, self.ctrlBindhandler)
-	tcfg := transport.Configuration{"protocol": "ziti-ctrl"}
+	tcfg := transport.Configuration{
+		transport.KeyProtocol:                 "ziti-ctrl",
+		transport.KeyCachedProxyConfiguration: self.config.Proxy,
+	}
 	ch, err := channel.NewChannelWithTransportConfiguration("ctrl", dialer, bindHandler, self.config.Ctrl.Options, tcfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error connecting ctrl (%v)", err)
diff --git a/router/xlink_transport/factory.go b/router/xlink_transport/factory.go
index 8f3ccecf1..3a793d6f8 100644
--- a/router/xlink_transport/factory.go
+++ b/router/xlink_transport/factory.go
@@ -50,21 +50,14 @@ func (self channelType) String() string {
 
 func NewFactory(accepter xlink.Acceptor,
 	bindHandlerFactory BindHandlerFactory,
-	c transport.Configuration,
+	tcfg transport.Configuration,
 	xlinkRegistry xlink.Registry,
 	metricsRegistry metrics.Registry) xlink.Factory {
 
-	cfg := make(transport.Configuration)
-	for k, v := range c {
-		cfg[k] = v
-	}
-
-	cfg["protocol"] = append(c.Protocols(), "ziti-link")
-
 	return &factory{
 		acceptor:           accepter,
 		bindHandlerFactory: bindHandlerFactory,
-		transportConfig:    cfg,
+		transportConfig:    tcfg,
 		xlinkRegistry:      xlinkRegistry,
 		metricsRegistry:    metricsRegistry,
 	}