diff --git a/release/sysinstall/http.c b/release/sysinstall/http.c
index 1dfcbf50fcff..dc9d687a2444 100644
--- a/release/sysinstall/http.c
+++ b/release/sysinstall/http.c
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
  */
 
     int rv, s, af;
-    bool el;		    /* end of header line */
-    char *cp, buf[PATH_MAX], req[BUFSIZ];
+    bool el, found=FALSE;		    /* end of header line */
+    char *cp, *rel, buf[PATH_MAX], req[BUFSIZ];
     struct addrinfo hints, *res, *res0;
 
     af = variable_cmp(VAR_IPV6_ENABLE, "YES") ? AF_INET : AF_UNSPEC;
@@ -48,8 +48,23 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
 		    variable_get(VAR_HTTP_HOST),variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PORT));
 	return FALSE;
     }
+    /* If the release is specified as "__RELEASE" or "any", then just
+     * assume that the path the user gave is ok.
+     */
+    rel = variable_get(VAR_RELNAME);
+    /*
+    msgConfirm("rel: -%s-", rel);
+    */
+    if (strcmp(rel, "__RELEASE") && strcmp(rel, "any"))  {
+    	sprintf(req, "%s/pub/FreeBSD/releases/"MACHINE"/%s",
+	  variable_get(VAR_FTP_PATH), rel);
+	variable_set2(VAR_HTTP_PATH, req, 0);
+    } else {
+	variable_set2(VAR_HTTP_PATH, variable_get(VAR_FTP_PATH), 0);
+    }
 
-    sprintf(req,"GET / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
+    msgNotify("Checking access to\n %s", variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH));
+    sprintf(req,"HEAD %s/ HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n", variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH));
     write(s,req,strlen(req));
 /*
  *  scan the headers of the response
@@ -63,6 +78,12 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
     while (rv>0) {
 	if ((*cp == '\012') && el) { 
 	    /* reached end of a header line */
+	    if (!strncmp(buf,"HTTP",4)) {
+		if (strtol((char *)(buf+9),0,0) == 200) {
+		    found = TRUE;
+		}
+	    }
+
 	    if (!strncmp(buf,"Server: ",8)) {
 		if (!strncmp(buf,"Server: Squid",13)) {
 		    variable_set2(VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE,";type=i",0);
@@ -85,7 +106,10 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
 	}
     }
     close(s);
-    return TRUE;
+    if (!found) 
+    	msgConfirm("No such directory: %s\n"
+		   "please check the URL and try again.", variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH));
+    return found;
 } 
 
 
@@ -125,9 +149,8 @@ mediaGetHTTP(Device *dev, char *file, Boolean probe)
 	return NULL;
     }
 						   
-    sprintf(req,"GET %s/%s/%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
-	    variable_get(VAR_FTP_PATH), variable_get(VAR_RELNAME),
-	    file, variable_get(VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE));
+    sprintf(req,"GET %s/%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
+	    variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH), file, variable_get(VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE));
 
     if (isDebug()) {
 	msgDebug("sending http request: %s",req);
diff --git a/release/sysinstall/media.c b/release/sysinstall/media.c
index 305fb79754a7..91996e14491e 100644
--- a/release/sysinstall/media.c
+++ b/release/sysinstall/media.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include <resolv.h>
 
 static Boolean got_intr = FALSE;
+static Boolean ftp_skip_resolve = FALSE;
 
 /* timeout handler */
 static void
@@ -392,7 +393,7 @@ mediaSetFTP(dialogMenuItem *self)
 	msgDebug("dir = `%s'\n", dir ? dir : "/");
 	msgDebug("port # = `%d'\n", FtpPort);
     }
-    if (variable_get(VAR_NAMESERVER)) {
+    if (!ftp_skip_resolve && variable_get(VAR_NAMESERVER)) {
 	msgNotify("Looking up host %s.", hostname);
     	if (isDebug())
 	    msgDebug("Starting DNS.\n");
@@ -452,22 +453,22 @@ mediaSetFTPPassive(dialogMenuItem *self)
 
 int mediaSetHTTP(dialogMenuItem *self)
 {
+    Boolean tmp;
     int result;
-    char *cp, *idx, hbuf[MAXHOSTNAMELEN], *hostname, *var_hostname;
+    char *cp, *idx, hbuf[MAXHOSTNAMELEN], *hostname;
     int HttpPort;
     int what = DITEM_RESTORE;
 
 
-    var_hostname = variable_get(VAR_NAMESERVER);
-    variable_unset(VAR_NAMESERVER);
+    tmp = ftp_skip_resolve;
+    ftp_skip_resolve = TRUE;
     result = mediaSetFTP(self);
-    if (var_hostname)
-	variable_set2(VAR_NAMESERVER, var_hostname, 0);
+    ftp_skip_resolve = tmp;
 
     if (DITEM_STATUS(result) != DITEM_SUCCESS)
 	return result;
  
-    cp = variable_get_value(VAR_HTTP_PATH,
+    cp = variable_get_value(VAR_HTTP_PROXY,
 	"Please enter the address of the HTTP proxy in this format:\n"
 	" hostname:port (the ':port' is optional, default is 3128)",0);
     if (!cp)
diff --git a/release/sysinstall/sysinstall.h b/release/sysinstall/sysinstall.h
index 5049470806c0..ba9f7b99faca 100644
--- a/release/sysinstall/sysinstall.h
+++ b/release/sysinstall/sysinstall.h
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@
 #define VAR_FTP_USER			"ftpUser"
 #define VAR_FTP_HOST			"ftpHost"
 #define VAR_HTTP_PATH			"_httpPath"
+#define VAR_HTTP_PROXY			"httpProxy"
 #define VAR_HTTP_PORT			"httpPort"
 #define VAR_HTTP_HOST			"httpHost"
 #define VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE		"httpFtpMode"
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sade/sade.h b/usr.sbin/sade/sade.h
index 5049470806c0..ba9f7b99faca 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sade/sade.h
+++ b/usr.sbin/sade/sade.h
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@
 #define VAR_FTP_USER			"ftpUser"
 #define VAR_FTP_HOST			"ftpHost"
 #define VAR_HTTP_PATH			"_httpPath"
+#define VAR_HTTP_PROXY			"httpProxy"
 #define VAR_HTTP_PORT			"httpPort"
 #define VAR_HTTP_HOST			"httpHost"
 #define VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE		"httpFtpMode"
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/http.c b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/http.c
index 1dfcbf50fcff..dc9d687a2444 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/http.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/http.c
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
  */
 
     int rv, s, af;
-    bool el;		    /* end of header line */
-    char *cp, buf[PATH_MAX], req[BUFSIZ];
+    bool el, found=FALSE;		    /* end of header line */
+    char *cp, *rel, buf[PATH_MAX], req[BUFSIZ];
     struct addrinfo hints, *res, *res0;
 
     af = variable_cmp(VAR_IPV6_ENABLE, "YES") ? AF_INET : AF_UNSPEC;
@@ -48,8 +48,23 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
 		    variable_get(VAR_HTTP_HOST),variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PORT));
 	return FALSE;
     }
+    /* If the release is specified as "__RELEASE" or "any", then just
+     * assume that the path the user gave is ok.
+     */
+    rel = variable_get(VAR_RELNAME);
+    /*
+    msgConfirm("rel: -%s-", rel);
+    */
+    if (strcmp(rel, "__RELEASE") && strcmp(rel, "any"))  {
+    	sprintf(req, "%s/pub/FreeBSD/releases/"MACHINE"/%s",
+	  variable_get(VAR_FTP_PATH), rel);
+	variable_set2(VAR_HTTP_PATH, req, 0);
+    } else {
+	variable_set2(VAR_HTTP_PATH, variable_get(VAR_FTP_PATH), 0);
+    }
 
-    sprintf(req,"GET / HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
+    msgNotify("Checking access to\n %s", variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH));
+    sprintf(req,"HEAD %s/ HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n", variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH));
     write(s,req,strlen(req));
 /*
  *  scan the headers of the response
@@ -63,6 +78,12 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
     while (rv>0) {
 	if ((*cp == '\012') && el) { 
 	    /* reached end of a header line */
+	    if (!strncmp(buf,"HTTP",4)) {
+		if (strtol((char *)(buf+9),0,0) == 200) {
+		    found = TRUE;
+		}
+	    }
+
 	    if (!strncmp(buf,"Server: ",8)) {
 		if (!strncmp(buf,"Server: Squid",13)) {
 		    variable_set2(VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE,";type=i",0);
@@ -85,7 +106,10 @@ mediaInitHTTP(Device *dev)
 	}
     }
     close(s);
-    return TRUE;
+    if (!found) 
+    	msgConfirm("No such directory: %s\n"
+		   "please check the URL and try again.", variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH));
+    return found;
 } 
 
 
@@ -125,9 +149,8 @@ mediaGetHTTP(Device *dev, char *file, Boolean probe)
 	return NULL;
     }
 						   
-    sprintf(req,"GET %s/%s/%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
-	    variable_get(VAR_FTP_PATH), variable_get(VAR_RELNAME),
-	    file, variable_get(VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE));
+    sprintf(req,"GET %s/%s%s HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n",
+	    variable_get(VAR_HTTP_PATH), file, variable_get(VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE));
 
     if (isDebug()) {
 	msgDebug("sending http request: %s",req);
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c
index 305fb79754a7..91996e14491e 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include <resolv.h>
 
 static Boolean got_intr = FALSE;
+static Boolean ftp_skip_resolve = FALSE;
 
 /* timeout handler */
 static void
@@ -392,7 +393,7 @@ mediaSetFTP(dialogMenuItem *self)
 	msgDebug("dir = `%s'\n", dir ? dir : "/");
 	msgDebug("port # = `%d'\n", FtpPort);
     }
-    if (variable_get(VAR_NAMESERVER)) {
+    if (!ftp_skip_resolve && variable_get(VAR_NAMESERVER)) {
 	msgNotify("Looking up host %s.", hostname);
     	if (isDebug())
 	    msgDebug("Starting DNS.\n");
@@ -452,22 +453,22 @@ mediaSetFTPPassive(dialogMenuItem *self)
 
 int mediaSetHTTP(dialogMenuItem *self)
 {
+    Boolean tmp;
     int result;
-    char *cp, *idx, hbuf[MAXHOSTNAMELEN], *hostname, *var_hostname;
+    char *cp, *idx, hbuf[MAXHOSTNAMELEN], *hostname;
     int HttpPort;
     int what = DITEM_RESTORE;
 
 
-    var_hostname = variable_get(VAR_NAMESERVER);
-    variable_unset(VAR_NAMESERVER);
+    tmp = ftp_skip_resolve;
+    ftp_skip_resolve = TRUE;
     result = mediaSetFTP(self);
-    if (var_hostname)
-	variable_set2(VAR_NAMESERVER, var_hostname, 0);
+    ftp_skip_resolve = tmp;
 
     if (DITEM_STATUS(result) != DITEM_SUCCESS)
 	return result;
  
-    cp = variable_get_value(VAR_HTTP_PATH,
+    cp = variable_get_value(VAR_HTTP_PROXY,
 	"Please enter the address of the HTTP proxy in this format:\n"
 	" hostname:port (the ':port' is optional, default is 3128)",0);
     if (!cp)
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/sysinstall.h b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/sysinstall.h
index 5049470806c0..ba9f7b99faca 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/sysinstall.h
+++ b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/sysinstall.h
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@
 #define VAR_FTP_USER			"ftpUser"
 #define VAR_FTP_HOST			"ftpHost"
 #define VAR_HTTP_PATH			"_httpPath"
+#define VAR_HTTP_PROXY			"httpProxy"
 #define VAR_HTTP_PORT			"httpPort"
 #define VAR_HTTP_HOST			"httpHost"
 #define VAR_HTTP_FTP_MODE		"httpFtpMode"