diff --git a/lib/url.c b/lib/url.c
index 94c9bc681..2072a61bd 100644
--- a/lib/url.c
+++ b/lib/url.c
@@ -5187,6 +5187,168 @@ static CURLcode parse_proxy_auth(struct Curl_easy *data,
                             NULL, FALSE);
   return result;
 }
+
+/* create_conn helper to parse and init proxy values. to be called after unix
+   socket init but before any proxy vars are evaluated. */
+static CURLcode create_conn_helper_init_proxy(struct connectdata *conn)
+{
+  char *proxy = NULL;
+  char *socksproxy = NULL;
+  char *no_proxy = NULL;
+  CURLcode result = CURLE_OK;
+  struct Curl_easy *data = conn->data;
+
+  /*************************************************************
+   * Extract the user and password from the authentication string
+   *************************************************************/
+  if(conn->bits.proxy_user_passwd) {
+    result = parse_proxy_auth(data, conn);
+    if(result)
+      goto out;
+  }
+
+  /*************************************************************
+   * Detect what (if any) proxy to use
+   *************************************************************/
+  if(data->set.str[STRING_PROXY]) {
+    proxy = strdup(data->set.str[STRING_PROXY]);
+    /* if global proxy is set, this is it */
+    if(NULL == proxy) {
+      failf(data, "memory shortage");
+      result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+      goto out;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if(data->set.str[STRING_PRE_PROXY]) {
+    socksproxy = strdup(data->set.str[STRING_PRE_PROXY]);
+    /* if global socks proxy is set, this is it */
+    if(NULL == socksproxy) {
+      failf(data, "memory shortage");
+      result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
+      goto out;
+    }
+  }
+
+  no_proxy = curl_getenv("no_proxy");
+  if(!no_proxy)
+    no_proxy = curl_getenv("NO_PROXY");
+
+  if(check_noproxy(conn->host.name, data->set.str[STRING_NOPROXY]) ||
+     (!data->set.str[STRING_NOPROXY] &&
+      check_noproxy(conn->host.name, no_proxy))) {
+    Curl_safefree(proxy);
+    Curl_safefree(socksproxy);
+  }
+  else if(!proxy && !socksproxy)
+#ifndef CURL_DISABLE_HTTP
+    /* if the host is not in the noproxy list, detect proxy. */
+    proxy = detect_proxy(conn);
+#else  /* !CURL_DISABLE_HTTP */
+    proxy = NULL;
+#endif /* CURL_DISABLE_HTTP */
+
+  Curl_safefree(no_proxy);
+
+#ifdef USE_UNIX_SOCKETS
+  /* For the time being do not mix proxy and unix domain sockets. See #1274 */
+  if(proxy && conn->unix_domain_socket) {
+    free(proxy);
+    proxy = NULL;
+  }
+#endif
+
+  if(proxy && (!*proxy || (conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_NONETWORK))) {
+    free(proxy);  /* Don't bother with an empty proxy string or if the
+                     protocol doesn't work with network */
+    proxy = NULL;
+  }
+  if(socksproxy && (!*socksproxy ||
+                    (conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_NONETWORK))) {
+    free(socksproxy);  /* Don't bother with an empty socks proxy string or if
+                          the protocol doesn't work with network */
+    socksproxy = NULL;
+  }
+
+  /***********************************************************************
+   * If this is supposed to use a proxy, we need to figure out the proxy host
+   * name, proxy type and port number, so that we can re-use an existing
+   * connection that may exist registered to the same proxy host.
+   ***********************************************************************/
+  if(proxy || socksproxy) {
+    if(proxy) {
+      result = parse_proxy(data, conn, proxy, conn->http_proxy.proxytype);
+      Curl_safefree(proxy); /* parse_proxy copies the proxy string */
+      if(result)
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    if(socksproxy) {
+      result = parse_proxy(data, conn, socksproxy,
+                           conn->socks_proxy.proxytype);
+      /* parse_proxy copies the socks proxy string */
+      Curl_safefree(socksproxy);
+      if(result)
+        goto out;
+    }
+
+    if(conn->http_proxy.host.rawalloc) {
+#ifdef CURL_DISABLE_HTTP
+      /* asking for a HTTP proxy is a bit funny when HTTP is disabled... */
+      result = CURLE_UNSUPPORTED_PROTOCOL;
+      goto out;
+#else
+      /* force this connection's protocol to become HTTP if not already
+         compatible - if it isn't tunneling through */
+      if(!(conn->handler->protocol & PROTO_FAMILY_HTTP) &&
+         !conn->bits.tunnel_proxy)
+        conn->handler = &Curl_handler_http;
+
+      conn->bits.httpproxy = TRUE;
+#endif
+    }
+    else {
+      conn->bits.httpproxy = FALSE; /* not a HTTP proxy */
+      conn->bits.tunnel_proxy = FALSE; /* no tunneling if not HTTP */
+    }
+
+    if(conn->socks_proxy.host.rawalloc) {
+      if(!conn->http_proxy.host.rawalloc) {
+        /* once a socks proxy */
+        if(!conn->socks_proxy.user) {
+          conn->socks_proxy.user = conn->http_proxy.user;
+          conn->http_proxy.user = NULL;
+          Curl_safefree(conn->socks_proxy.passwd);
+          conn->socks_proxy.passwd = conn->http_proxy.passwd;
+          conn->http_proxy.passwd = NULL;
+        }
+      }
+      conn->bits.socksproxy = TRUE;
+    }
+    else
+      conn->bits.socksproxy = FALSE; /* not a socks proxy */
+  }
+  else {
+    conn->bits.socksproxy = FALSE;
+    conn->bits.httpproxy = FALSE;
+  }
+  conn->bits.proxy = conn->bits.httpproxy || conn->bits.socksproxy;
+
+  if(!conn->bits.proxy) {
+    /* we aren't using the proxy after all... */
+    conn->bits.proxy = FALSE;
+    conn->bits.httpproxy = FALSE;
+    conn->bits.socksproxy = FALSE;
+    conn->bits.proxy_user_passwd = FALSE;
+    conn->bits.tunnel_proxy = FALSE;
+  }
+
+out:
+
+  free(socksproxy);
+  free(proxy);
+  return result;
+}
 #endif /* CURL_DISABLE_PROXY */
 
 /*
@@ -6110,9 +6272,6 @@ static CURLcode create_conn(struct Curl_easy *data,
   char *passwd = NULL;
   char *options = NULL;
   bool reuse;
-  char *proxy = NULL;
-  char *socksproxy = NULL;
-  char *no_proxy = NULL;
   bool prot_missing = FALSE;
   bool connections_available = TRUE;
   bool force_reuse = FALSE;
@@ -6267,154 +6426,14 @@ static CURLcode create_conn(struct Curl_easy *data,
   }
 #endif
 
+  /* After the unix socket init but before the proxy vars are used, parse and
+     initialize the proxy vars */
 #ifndef CURL_DISABLE_PROXY
-  /*************************************************************
-   * Extract the user and password from the authentication string
-   *************************************************************/
-  if(conn->bits.proxy_user_passwd) {
-    result = parse_proxy_auth(data, conn);
-    if(result)
-      goto out;
-  }
-
-  /*************************************************************
-   * Detect what (if any) proxy to use
-   *************************************************************/
-  if(data->set.str[STRING_PROXY]) {
-    proxy = strdup(data->set.str[STRING_PROXY]);
-    /* if global proxy is set, this is it */
-    if(NULL == proxy) {
-      failf(data, "memory shortage");
-      result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-      goto out;
-    }
-  }
-
-  if(data->set.str[STRING_PRE_PROXY]) {
-    socksproxy = strdup(data->set.str[STRING_PRE_PROXY]);
-    /* if global socks proxy is set, this is it */
-    if(NULL == socksproxy) {
-      failf(data, "memory shortage");
-      result = CURLE_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-      goto out;
-    }
-  }
-
-  no_proxy = curl_getenv("no_proxy");
-  if(!no_proxy)
-    no_proxy = curl_getenv("NO_PROXY");
-
-  if(check_noproxy(conn->host.name, data->set.str[STRING_NOPROXY]) ||
-     (!data->set.str[STRING_NOPROXY] &&
-      check_noproxy(conn->host.name, no_proxy))) {
-    Curl_safefree(proxy);
-    Curl_safefree(socksproxy);
-  }
-  else if(!proxy && !socksproxy)
-#ifndef CURL_DISABLE_HTTP
-    /* if the host is not in the noproxy list, detect proxy. */
-    proxy = detect_proxy(conn);
-#else  /* !CURL_DISABLE_HTTP */
-    proxy = NULL;
-#endif /* CURL_DISABLE_HTTP */
-
-  Curl_safefree(no_proxy);
-
-#ifdef USE_UNIX_SOCKETS
-  /* For the time being do not mix proxy and unix domain sockets. See #1274 */
-  if(proxy && conn->unix_domain_socket) {
-    free(proxy);
-    proxy = NULL;
-  }
+  result = create_conn_helper_init_proxy(conn);
+  if(result)
+    goto out;
 #endif
 
-  if(proxy && (!*proxy || (conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_NONETWORK))) {
-    free(proxy);  /* Don't bother with an empty proxy string or if the
-                     protocol doesn't work with network */
-    proxy = NULL;
-  }
-  if(socksproxy && (!*socksproxy ||
-                    (conn->handler->flags & PROTOPT_NONETWORK))) {
-    free(socksproxy);  /* Don't bother with an empty socks proxy string or if
-                          the protocol doesn't work with network */
-    socksproxy = NULL;
-  }
-
-  /***********************************************************************
-   * If this is supposed to use a proxy, we need to figure out the proxy host
-   * name, proxy type and port number, so that we can re-use an existing
-   * connection that may exist registered to the same proxy host.
-   ***********************************************************************/
-  if(proxy || socksproxy) {
-    if(proxy) {
-      result = parse_proxy(data, conn, proxy, conn->http_proxy.proxytype);
-      Curl_safefree(proxy); /* parse_proxy copies the proxy string */
-      if(result)
-        goto out;
-    }
-
-    if(socksproxy) {
-      result = parse_proxy(data, conn, socksproxy,
-                           conn->socks_proxy.proxytype);
-      /* parse_proxy copies the socks proxy string */
-      Curl_safefree(socksproxy);
-      if(result)
-        goto out;
-    }
-
-    if(conn->http_proxy.host.rawalloc) {
-#ifdef CURL_DISABLE_HTTP
-      /* asking for a HTTP proxy is a bit funny when HTTP is disabled... */
-      result = CURLE_UNSUPPORTED_PROTOCOL;
-      goto out;
-#else
-      /* force this connection's protocol to become HTTP if not already
-         compatible - if it isn't tunneling through */
-      if(!(conn->handler->protocol & PROTO_FAMILY_HTTP) &&
-         !conn->bits.tunnel_proxy)
-        conn->handler = &Curl_handler_http;
-
-      conn->bits.httpproxy = TRUE;
-#endif
-    }
-    else {
-      conn->bits.httpproxy = FALSE; /* not a HTTP proxy */
-      conn->bits.tunnel_proxy = FALSE; /* no tunneling if not HTTP */
-    }
-
-    if(conn->socks_proxy.host.rawalloc) {
-      if(!conn->http_proxy.host.rawalloc) {
-        /* once a socks proxy */
-        if(!conn->socks_proxy.user) {
-          conn->socks_proxy.user = conn->http_proxy.user;
-          conn->http_proxy.user = NULL;
-          Curl_safefree(conn->socks_proxy.passwd);
-          conn->socks_proxy.passwd = conn->http_proxy.passwd;
-          conn->http_proxy.passwd = NULL;
-        }
-      }
-      conn->bits.socksproxy = TRUE;
-    }
-    else
-      conn->bits.socksproxy = FALSE; /* not a socks proxy */
-  }
-  else {
-    conn->bits.socksproxy = FALSE;
-    conn->bits.httpproxy = FALSE;
-  }
-  conn->bits.proxy = conn->bits.httpproxy || conn->bits.socksproxy;
-
-  if(!conn->bits.proxy) {
-    /* we aren't using the proxy after all... */
-    conn->bits.proxy = FALSE;
-    conn->bits.httpproxy = FALSE;
-    conn->bits.socksproxy = FALSE;
-    conn->bits.proxy_user_passwd = FALSE;
-    conn->bits.tunnel_proxy = FALSE;
-  }
-
-#endif /* CURL_DISABLE_PROXY */
-
   /*************************************************************
    * If the protocol is using SSL and HTTP proxy is used, we set
    * the tunnel_proxy bit.
@@ -6775,13 +6794,11 @@ static CURLcode create_conn(struct Curl_easy *data,
    *************************************************************/
   result = resolve_server(data, conn, async);
 
-  out:
+out:
 
   free(options);
   free(passwd);
   free(user);
-  free(socksproxy);
-  free(proxy);
   return result;
 }