diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/get.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/get.html
index 775ea7728..1b9929c8c 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/get.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/get.html
@@ -40,12 +40,16 @@ if  the JVM is Java1.2 or later.
 NB: This timestamp facility only works on downloads using the HTTP protocol. 
 <p>
 A username and password can be specified, in which case basic 'slightly encoded
-plain text' authentication is used. This is only a secure authentication
-mechanism over an HTTPS link.
+plain text' authentication is used. This is only secure over an HTTPS link.
+</p>
 <p>
-If you need to go through a firewall, use
-<a href="../OptionalTasks/setproxy.html">&lt;setproxy&gt;</a>
-to set up the proxy first. 
+<b>Proxies</b>. Since Ant1.7, Ant running on Java1.5 or later defaults to 
+    <a href="../proxy.html">using
+    the proxy settings of the operating system</a>. There is also the  
+ <a href="../OptionalTasks/setproxy.html">&lt;setproxy&gt;</a> task for
+    earlier Java versions. With proxies turned on, <code>&lt;get&gt;</code> requests against
+    localhost may not work as expected, if the request is relayed to the proxy.
+    The <code>-noproxy</code> option can be used to turn this feature off.
 </p>
  
 <h3>Parameters</h3>
diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
index 9c58dc1a2..b550b750b 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/sql.html
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@ The possible values are: <b>continue</b> execution, only show the error;
 <b>stop</b> execution and commit transaction;
 and <b>abort</b> execution and transaction and fail task.</p>
 
+<p>
+<b>Proxies</b>. Some JDBC drivers (including the Oracle thin driver), 
+    use the JVM's proxy settings to route their JDBC operations to the database.
+    Since Ant1.7, Ant running on Java1.5 or later defaults to 
+    <a href="../proxy.html">using
+    the proxy settings of the operating system</a>. 
+    Accordingly, the OS proxy settings need to be valid, or Ant's proxy
+    support disabled with <code>-noproxy</code> option.
+</p>
+
 <h3>Parameters</h3>
 <table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">
 <tr>