diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9d729c7..28ff510 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 Babashka [http-client](https://github.com/babashka/http-client): HTTP client for Clojure and babashka built on java.net.http
 
+## Unreleased
+
+- [#80](https://github.com/babashka/http-client/issues/80): add idiomatic proxy configuration functionality
+
 ## 0.4.23 (2025-06-06)
 
 - [#75](https://github.com/babashka/http-client/issues/75): override existing content type header in multipart request
diff --git a/src/babashka/http_client.clj b/src/babashka/http_client.clj
index 36dbb84..53b5380 100644
--- a/src/babashka/http_client.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/http_client.clj
@@ -7,12 +7,30 @@
   i/default-client-opts)
 
 (defn ->ProxySelector
-  "Constructs a `java.net.ProxySelector`.
+  "Constructs a `java.net.ProxySelector`. Can either take a map of `:host` and `:port` actions, or a proxy
+  creation function that takes a java.net.URI and returns a proxy configuration for ->Proxy.
+
+  Options:
+  * `:host` - string
+  * `:port` - long
+  Proxy function:
+  * `fn`: A one-argument function receiving a java.net.URI argument and returning a proxy configuration for ->Proxy or nil
+          (meaning don't use a proxy)."
+  [opts-or-fn]
+  (cond
+    (instance? java.net.ProxySelector opts-or-fn) opts-or-fn
+    (map? opts-or-fn) (i/->ProxySelector opts-or-fn)
+    :else (i/fn->ProxySelector opts-or-fn)))
+
+(defn ->Proxy
+  "Constructs a `java.net.Proxy`.
+
   Options:
   * `:host` - string
-  * `:port` - long"
+  * `:port` - long
+  * `:type` - One of `:direct` (no proxy), `:socks` (socks proxy) or `:http` (application level proxy)."
   [opts]
-  (i/->ProxySelector opts))
+  (i/->Proxy opts))
 
 (defn ->SSLContext
   "Constructs a `javax.net.ssl.SSLContext`.
diff --git a/src/babashka/http_client/internal.clj b/src/babashka/http_client/internal.clj
index dea6807..889921b 100644
--- a/src/babashka/http_client/internal.clj
+++ b/src/babashka/http_client/internal.clj
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@
     :never HttpClient$Redirect/NEVER
     :normal HttpClient$Redirect/NORMAL))
 
+(defn- ->proxy-type [type]
+  (case type
+    :direct java.net.Proxy$Type/DIRECT
+    :socks java.net.Proxy$Type/SOCKS
+    :http java.net.Proxy$Type/HTTP))
+
 (defn- version-keyword->version-enum [version]
   (case version
     :http1.1 HttpClient$Version/HTTP_1_1
@@ -105,6 +111,27 @@
       (cond (and host port)
             (java.net.ProxySelector/of (java.net.InetSocketAddress. ^String host ^long port))))))
 
+(defn ->Proxy
+  [opts]
+  (if (instance? java.net.Proxy opts)
+    opts
+    (let [{:keys [host port type]} opts]
+      (cond
+        (= type :direct)
+        java.net.Proxy/NO_PROXY
+        (and host port type)
+        (java.net.Proxy. (->proxy-type type) (java.net.InetSocketAddress. ^String host ^long port))))))
+
+(defn fn->ProxySelector [proxy-fn]
+  (proxy [java.net.ProxySelector] []
+    (connectFailed [_ _ _])
+    (select [^URI uri]
+      ;; Only allow the proxy function to return a single proxy.
+      ;; I don't really see the use case for multiple.
+      [(if-let [proxy-opts (proxy-fn uri)]
+        (->Proxy proxy-opts)
+        java.net.Proxy/NO_PROXY)])))
+
 (defn ->Authenticator
   [v]
   (if (instance? Authenticator v)
diff --git a/test/babashka/http_client/internal/helpers_test.clj b/test/babashka/http_client/internal/helpers_test.clj
index ef03e82..6562c5b 100644
--- a/test/babashka/http_client/internal/helpers_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/http_client/internal/helpers_test.clj
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
    [clojure.test :as t]))
 
 (t/deftest ->uri-tests
-  (let [uri (h/->uri {:scheme "https" :host "example.com" :path "/foo"})]
+  (let [^java.net.URI uri (h/->uri {:scheme "https" :host "example.com" :path "/foo"})]
     (t/is (= (.getPort uri) -1))))
diff --git a/test/babashka/http_client_test.clj b/test/babashka/http_client_test.clj
index 9a6a924..1807486 100644
--- a/test/babashka/http_client_test.clj
+++ b/test/babashka/http_client_test.clj
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
    [babashka.fs :as fs]
    [babashka.http-client :as http]
    [babashka.http-client.interceptors :as i]
+   [babashka.http-client.internal :as internal]
    [babashka.http-client.internal.version :as iv]
    [borkdude.deflet :refer [deflet]]
    [cheshire.core :as json]
@@ -473,7 +474,23 @@
 (deftest proxy-selector
   (is (instance? java.net.ProxySelector
                  (http/->ProxySelector {:host "https://clojure.org"
-                                        :port 1337}))))
+                                        :port 1337})))
+  ;; Check passthrough behavior.
+  (is (instance? java.net.ProxySelector
+                 (http/->ProxySelector
+                  (http/->ProxySelector {:host "https://clojure.org"
+                                         :port 1337}))))
+  (let [^java.net.ProxySelector complex-proxy-selector (http/->ProxySelector (fn [^java.net.URI uri]
+                                                       (when (= (.getScheme uri) "http")
+                                                         {:host "http://www.example.org"
+                                                          :port 128
+                                                          :type :http})))]
+    (is (instance? java.net.ProxySelector complex-proxy-selector))
+    (let [proxies-for-http (.select complex-proxy-selector (java.net.URI. "http://www.example.org"))
+          proxies-for-https (.select complex-proxy-selector (java.net.URI. "https://www.example.org"))]
+      (is (= (count proxies-for-http) (count proxies-for-https) 1))
+      (is (= (.type (get proxies-for-http 0)) java.net.Proxy$Type/HTTP))
+      (is (= (.type (get proxies-for-https 0)) java.net.Proxy$Type/DIRECT)))))
 
 (deftest cookie-handler-test
   (testing "nil passthrough"