diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
index baaf8867e..45bf2db47 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/transport/TransportHttp.java
@@ -504,7 +504,16 @@ final HttpURLConnection httpOpen(URL u) throws IOException {
 		return httpOpen(METHOD_GET, u);
 	}
 
-	final HttpURLConnection httpOpen(String method, URL u) throws IOException {
+	/**
+	 * Open an HTTP connection.
+	 *
+	 * @param method
+	 * @param u
+	 * @return the connection
+	 * @throws IOException
+	 */
+	protected HttpURLConnection httpOpen(String method, URL u)
+			throws IOException {
 		final Proxy proxy = HttpSupport.proxyFor(proxySelector, u);
 		HttpURLConnection conn = (HttpURLConnection) u.openConnection(proxy);