diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4865872..877965e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,6 +19,47 @@ $ git push --set-upstream ipld:// master
 Note: Some features like remote tracking are still missing, though the plugin is
 quite usable. IPNS helper is WIP and doesn't yet do what it should
 
+## Custom API URL
+
+It is possible to pass the API URL of the running ipfs daemon for cases where the
+daemon is running as another user, in a container, in another machine, or
+behind a proxy. One can either specify the API URL through the `IPFS_API_URL`
+environment variable:
+
+```
+$ export IPFS_API_URL=http://localhost:5001
+
+other git commands...
+```
+
+Or through the remote URL itself:
+
+```
+Clone an example repository:
+$ git clone ipld://localhost:5001/2347e110c29742a1783134ef45f5bff58b29e40e
+
+Pull a commit:
+$ git pull ipld://localhost:5001/2347e110c29742a1783134ef45f5bff58b29e40e
+
+Push (remember to end with slash if there is no previous hash):
+$ git push --set-upstream ipld://localhost:5001/ master
+```
+
+If the API URL is **behind an https proxy**, then one can set `IPFS_API_URL` with the proper https URL. It is also possible to use the `ipld+https://` schema on the git command itself:
+
+```
+Clone an example repository:
+$ git clone ipld+https://my.ipfs.domain/my_api/2347e110c29742a1783134ef45f5bff58b29e40e
+
+Pull a commit:
+$ git pull ipld+https://my.ipfs.domain/my_api/2347e110c29742a1783134ef45f5bff58b29e40e
+
+Push (remember to end with slash if there is no previous hash):
+$ git push --set-upstream ipld+https://my.ipfs.domain/my_api/ master
+```
+
+**Note:** The link `git-remote-ipld+https` must be created manually for this to work.
+
 ## Installation
 1. `go get github.com/ipfs-shipyard/git-remote-ipld`
 2. `make install`
@@ -32,6 +73,9 @@ quite usable. IPNS helper is WIP and doesn't yet do what it should
 * `fetch: manifest has unsupported version: 2 (we support 3)` on any command
   - This usually means that tracker data format has changed
   - Simply do `rm -rf .git/ipld`
+* Invalid hash when pushing to a new remote while specifying a custom API URL
+  - The remote URL **must** end with a forward slash if there is no hash specified:
+  - `git push --set-upstream ipld://127.0.0.1:5001/ master`
 
 ## License
 MIT
diff --git a/cmd/git-remote-ipld/ipld.go b/cmd/git-remote-ipld/ipld.go
index 1bf3c14..d29f282 100644
--- a/cmd/git-remote-ipld/ipld.go
+++ b/cmd/git-remote-ipld/ipld.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ type refPath struct {
 type IpnsHandler struct {
 	api *ipfs.Shell
 
+	apiURL      string
 	remoteName  string
 	currentHash string
 
@@ -44,7 +45,11 @@ type IpnsHandler struct {
 }
 
 func (h *IpnsHandler) Initialize(remote *core.Remote) error {
-	h.api = ipfs.NewLocalShell()
+	if len(h.apiURL) == 0 {
+		h.api = ipfs.NewLocalShell()
+	} else {
+		h.api = ipfs.NewShell(h.apiURL)
+	}
 	h.currentHash = h.remoteName
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/git-remote-ipld/main.go b/cmd/git-remote-ipld/main.go
index 8284ca3..b19e660 100644
--- a/cmd/git-remote-ipld/main.go
+++ b/cmd/git-remote-ipld/main.go
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	IPLD_PREFIX = "ipld://"
-	IPFS_PREFIX = "ipfs://"
+	PREFIX_SEP = "://"
+
+	IPLD_PREFIX = "ipld" + PREFIX_SEP
+	IPFS_PREFIX = "ipfs" + PREFIX_SEP
 
 	EMPTY_REPO = "QmUNLLsPACCz1vLxQVkXqqLX5R1X345qqfHbsf67hvA3Nn"
 )
@@ -23,15 +25,55 @@ func Main(args []string, reader io.Reader, writer io.Writer, logger *log.Logger)
 	}
 
 	remoteName := args[2]
-	if strings.HasPrefix(remoteName, IPLD_PREFIX) || strings.HasPrefix(remoteName, IPFS_PREFIX) {
-		remoteName = remoteName[len(IPLD_PREFIX):]
+
+	sepIdx := strings.Index(remoteName, PREFIX_SEP)
+	prefix := ""
+	if sepIdx > 0 {
+		prefix = remoteName[:sepIdx + len(PREFIX_SEP)]
+		remoteName = remoteName[len(prefix):]
+	} else {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Invalid URL: %s", remoteName)
+	}
+
+	apiPrefixIdx := strings.Index(prefix, "+")
+	apiPrefix := ""
+	if apiPrefixIdx == 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Invalid URL prefix: %s", prefix)
+	} else if apiPrefixIdx > 0 {
+		apiPrefix = prefix[apiPrefixIdx+1:]
+		prefix = prefix[:apiPrefixIdx] + PREFIX_SEP
+	}
+
+	if prefix != IPLD_PREFIX && prefix != IPFS_PREFIX {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Unknown URL prefix: %s", prefix)
+	}
+
+	slashIdx := strings.LastIndex(remoteName, "/")
+
+	apiURL := os.Getenv("IPFS_API_URL")
+	if slashIdx < 0 {
+		if len(apiPrefix) != 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Prefix has been provided for the API, but not an API URL")
+		}
+	} else {
+		apiURL = apiPrefix + remoteName[:slashIdx+1]
+	}
+
+	// Quirk: The go-ipfs-api throws unexpected redirect if the API URL ends with /
+	if strings.HasSuffix(apiURL, "/") {
+		apiURL = apiURL[:len(apiURL)-1]
+	}
+
+	if len(apiURL) > 0 {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Using API URL: %s\n", apiURL)
 	}
 
+	remoteName = remoteName[slashIdx+1:]
 	if remoteName == "" {
 		remoteName = EMPTY_REPO
 	}
 
-	remote, err := core.NewRemote(&IpnsHandler{remoteName: remoteName}, reader, writer, logger)
+	remote, err := core.NewRemote(&IpnsHandler{apiURL: apiURL, remoteName: remoteName}, reader, writer, logger, apiURL)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/core/fetch.go b/core/fetch.go
index a034205..fe67772 100644
--- a/core/fetch.go
+++ b/core/fetch.go
@@ -42,7 +42,13 @@ type Fetch struct {
 	api      *ipfs.Shell
 }
 
-func NewFetch(gitDir string, tracker *Tracker, provider ObjectProvider) *Fetch {
+func NewFetch(gitDir string, tracker *Tracker, provider ObjectProvider, apiURL string) *Fetch {
+	var api *ipfs.Shell
+	if len(apiURL) == 0 {
+		api = ipfs.NewLocalShell()
+	} else {
+		api = ipfs.NewShell(apiURL)
+	}
 	return &Fetch{
 		objectDir: path.Join(gitDir, "objects"),
 		gitDir:    gitDir,
@@ -60,7 +66,7 @@ func NewFetch(gitDir string, tracker *Tracker, provider ObjectProvider) *Fetch {
 		doneCh: make(chan []byte),
 
 		provider: provider,
-		api:      ipfs.NewLocalShell(),
+		api:      api,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/core/push.go b/core/push.go
index f81ee11..0fb674d 100644
--- a/core/push.go
+++ b/core/push.go
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 type Push struct {
 	objectDir string
 	gitDir    string
+	apiURL    string
 
 	done    uint64
 	todoc   uint64
@@ -40,10 +41,11 @@ type Push struct {
 	NewNode func(hash cid.Cid, data []byte) error
 }
 
-func NewPush(gitDir string, tracker *Tracker, repo *git.Repository) *Push {
+func NewPush(gitDir string, tracker *Tracker, repo *git.Repository, apiURL string) *Push {
 	return &Push{
 		objectDir: path.Join(gitDir, "objects"),
 		gitDir:    gitDir,
+		apiURL:    apiURL,
 
 		todo:    list.New(),
 		log:     log.New(os.Stderr, "push: ", 0),
@@ -67,7 +69,12 @@ func (p *Push) PushHash(hash string) error {
 func (p *Push) doWork() error {
 	defer p.wg.Wait()
 
-	api := ipfs.NewLocalShell()
+	var api *ipfs.Shell
+	if len(p.apiURL) == 0 {
+		api = ipfs.NewLocalShell()
+	} else {
+		api = ipfs.NewShell(p.apiURL)
+	}
 
 	intch := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
 	signal.Notify(intch, os.Interrupt)
diff --git a/core/remote.go b/core/remote.go
index 85a38f0..087c68c 100644
--- a/core/remote.go
+++ b/core/remote.go
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ type Remote struct {
 	Logger   *log.Logger
 	localDir string
 
+	apiURL string
+
 	Repo    *git.Repository
 	Tracker *Tracker
 
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ type Remote struct {
 	todo []func() (string, error)
 }
 
-func NewRemote(handler RemoteHandler, reader io.Reader, writer io.Writer, logger *log.Logger) (*Remote, error) {
+func NewRemote(handler RemoteHandler, reader io.Reader, writer io.Writer, logger *log.Logger, apiURL string) (*Remote, error) {
 	localDir, err := GetLocalDir()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -87,11 +89,11 @@ func (r *Remote) Printf(format string, a ...interface{}) (n int, err error) {
 }
 
 func (r *Remote) NewPush() *Push {
-	return NewPush(r.localDir, r.Tracker, r.Repo)
+	return NewPush(r.localDir, r.Tracker, r.Repo, r.apiURL)
 }
 
 func (r *Remote) NewFetch() *Fetch {
-	return NewFetch(r.localDir, r.Tracker, r.Handler.ProvideBlock)
+	return NewFetch(r.localDir, r.Tracker, r.Handler.ProvideBlock, r.apiURL)
 }
 
 func (r *Remote) Close() error {