[Privoxy-users] Privoxy sending "Connection: close" after CONNECT method causes some upstream proxies to drop the connection.

[Marc Thomas]

Hello All,

We have a web application at a number of sites which connects home via a
private Privoxy instance at each site. In some cases there is also an
upstream HTTP proxy which Privoxy forwards onto. The web application
uses the HTTP CONNECT method to create a tunnel which is then secured
with TLS.

What I have found at two sites with upstream proxies is the tunnel
cannot be established. It would seem (from a trace) that Privoxy is
adding "Connection: close" after the "CONNECT", and the upstream proxy
then closes the connection instead of going into tunnel mode.

If I telnet to the port of the upstream proxy and issue the CONNECT
manually, it does not immediately close the connection unless I also add
"Connection: close".

So, is there a way to prevent Privoxy sending "Connection: close" when
forwarding a CONNECT method to an upstream proxy?

The environment is Privoxy 3.0.21 running on SLES11p3. I'm happy to
re-compile Privoxy if required, but I don't know what the original build
options were.

Thanks & Kind Regards,
Marc