diff --git a/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/install.ts b/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/install.ts
index bd426a04a9..0aea618c40 100644
--- a/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/install.ts
+++ b/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/install.ts
@@ -107,6 +107,35 @@ set -v
 `;
 }
 
+// if installHttpsProxy runs, it has to be after installNode
+// TODO: A problem with this is for some reason it fails to run below,
+// it won't be reported.  Also, maybe this should be in some sort
+// of official systemd daemon.
+// Todo: maybe also nail down the version or tag better.  I suspect
+// the proxy will get very stable soon.
+// This could also just merge with the @cocalc/compute-server package.
+export function installHttpsProxy({
+  IMAGES,
+  image,
+}: {
+  IMAGES: Images;
+  image: string;
+}) {
+  const proxy = IMAGES[image]?.proxy;
+  if (proxy === false) {
+    return "";
+  }
+
+  return `
+set +v
+NVM_DIR=/cocalc/nvm source /cocalc/nvm/nvm.sh
+set -v
+
+DEBUG=proxy:* PROXY_CONFIG=/cocalc/conf/proxy.json PROXY_AUTH_TOKEN_FILE=/cocalc/conf/auth_token npx -y @cocalc/compute-server-proxy@latest > /var/log/cocalc-proxy.log 2> /var/log/cocalc-proxy.err &
+
+`;
+}
+
 export function installMicroK8s({
   image,
   IMAGES,
diff --git a/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/startup-script.ts b/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/startup-script.ts
index cf60566f98..14752ee1a1 100644
--- a/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/startup-script.ts
+++ b/src/packages/server/compute/cloud/startup-script.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   installDocker,
   installNode,
   installCoCalc,
+  installHttpsProxy,
   installConf,
   installMicroK8s,
   installUser,
@@ -122,6 +123,9 @@ if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    exit 1
 fi
 
+setState install install-proxy '' 60 55
+${installHttpsProxy({ IMAGES, image })}
+
 setState install install-user '' 60 60
 ${doInstallUser ? installUser() : ""}
 if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
diff --git a/src/packages/util/db-schema/compute-servers.ts b/src/packages/util/db-schema/compute-servers.ts
index 68e578d4d9..9b80a44144 100644
--- a/src/packages/util/db-schema/compute-servers.ts
+++ b/src/packages/util/db-schema/compute-servers.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,18 @@ export interface Image {
   disabled?: boolean;
   // priority -- optional integer used for sorting options to display to user. The bigger the higher.
   priority?: number;
+  // proxy: if false, do NOT run https proxy server on host VM
+  //        if nothing given, runs proxy server with no default config (so does nothing)
+  //        if given, is array of proxy config.
+  proxy?:
+    | false
+    | {
+        path: string;
+        target: string;
+        ws?: boolean;
+        options?: any;
+        wsOptions?: any;
+      }[];
 }
 
 export type Images = { [name: string]: Image };