diff --git a/kioslave/pop3/CMakeLists.txt b/kioslave/pop3/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/kioslave/pop3/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kioslave/pop3/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 add_library(kio_pop3 MODULE ${kio_pop3_PART_SRCS})
 
 
-target_link_libraries(kio_pop3 KF5::KIOCore KF5::I18n Sasl2::Sasl2)
+target_link_libraries(kio_pop3 KF5::KIOCore KF5::I18n Qt5::Network Sasl2::Sasl2)
 set_target_properties(kio_pop3 PROPERTIES OUTPUT_NAME "pop3")
 
 install(TARGETS kio_pop3  DESTINATION ${KDE_INSTALL_PLUGINDIR}/kf5/kio/ )
diff --git a/kioslave/pop3/pop3.cpp b/kioslave/pop3/pop3.cpp
--- a/kioslave/pop3/pop3.cpp
+++ b/kioslave/pop3/pop3.cpp
@@ -40,8 +40,10 @@
 #include <qdebug.h>
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 #include <QCryptographicHash>
+#include <QNetworkProxy>
 
 #include <kio/slaveinterface.h>
+#include <ktcpsocket.h>
 
 #define GREETING_BUF_LEN 1024
 #define MAX_RESPONSE_LEN 512
@@ -613,6 +615,21 @@
         qCDebug(POP3_LOG) << "Reusing old connection";
         return true;
     }
+
+    if (!hasMetaData(QStringLiteral("useProxy"))
+        || metaData(QStringLiteral("useProxy")) != QLatin1String("on")) {
+        qCDebug(POP3_LOG) << "requested to use no proxy";
+
+        KTcpSocket *sock = qobject_cast<KTcpSocket *>(socket());
+        if (sock) {
+            QNetworkProxy proxy;
+            proxy.setType(QNetworkProxy::NoProxy);
+            sock->setProxy(proxy);
+        } else {
+            qCWarning(POP3_LOG) << "no socket, cannot set no proxy";
+        }
+    }
+
     do {
         closeConnection();
 
diff --git a/resources/pop3/jobs.cpp b/resources/pop3/jobs.cpp
--- a/resources/pop3/jobs.cpp
+++ b/resources/pop3/jobs.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
     m.insert(QStringLiteral("progress"), QStringLiteral("off"));
     m.insert(QStringLiteral("tls"), Settings::self()->useTLS() ? QStringLiteral("on") : QStringLiteral("off"));
     m.insert(QStringLiteral("pipelining"), (Settings::self()->pipelining()) ? QStringLiteral("on") : QStringLiteral("off"));
+    m.insert(QStringLiteral("useProxy"), Settings::self()->useProxy() ? QStringLiteral("on") : QStringLiteral("off"));
     int type = Settings::self()->authenticationMethod();
     switch (type) {
     case MailTransport::Transport::EnumAuthenticationType::PLAIN:
@@ -98,6 +99,7 @@
         m.insert(QStringLiteral("auth"), authenticationToString(type));
         break;
     }
+
     return m;
 }
 
diff --git a/resources/pop3/settings.kcfg b/resources/pop3/settings.kcfg
--- a/resources/pop3/settings.kcfg
+++ b/resources/pop3/settings.kcfg
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@
       <label></label>
       <default>false</default>
     </entry>
+    <entry name="useProxy" type="Bool">
+      <label></label>
+      <default>false</default>
+    </entry>
     <entry name="leaveOnServer" type="Bool">
       <label></label>
       <default>false</default>