diff --git a/base/pkg.jl b/base/pkg.jl
index 5bf1124bb7f48..43188cc0a2afd 100644
--- a/base/pkg.jl
+++ b/base/pkg.jl
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 module Pkg
 
-export Git, Dir, Types, Reqs, Cache, Read, Query, Resolve, Write, Entry, Git
+export Dir, Types, Reqs, Cache, Read, Query, Resolve, Write, Entry, Git
 export dir, init, rm, add, available, installed, status, clone, checkout,
-       update, resolve, test, build, free, pin, PkgError
+       update, resolve, test, build, free, pin, PkgError, setprotocol!
 
 const DEFAULT_META = "https://github.com/JuliaLang/METADATA.jl"
 const META_BRANCH = "metadata-v2"
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ test(pkgs::AbstractString...; coverage::Bool=false) = cd(Entry.test,AbstractStri
 
 dependents(packagename::AbstractString) = Reqs.dependents(packagename)
 
+setprotocol!(proto::AbstractString) = Cache.setprotocol!(proto)
+
 
 # point users to PkgDev
 register(args...) =
diff --git a/base/pkg/cache.jl b/base/pkg/cache.jl
index 5ad11cf503c15..f4b33db198326 100644
--- a/base/pkg/cache.jl
+++ b/base/pkg/cache.jl
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ module Cache
 import ...LibGit2, ..Dir, ...Pkg.PkgError
 using ..Types
 
+rewrite_url_to = "https"
+
+const GITHUB_REGEX =
+    r"^(?:git@|git://|https://(?:[\w\.\+\-]+@)?)github.com[:/](([^/].+)/(.+?))(?:\.git)?$"i
+
 path(pkg::AbstractString) = abspath(".cache", pkg)
 
 function mkcachedir()
@@ -30,23 +35,24 @@ end
 
 function prefetch(pkg::AbstractString, url::AbstractString, sha1s::Vector)
     isdir(".cache") || mkcachedir()
-    #TODO: force switch to https
-    #url = LibGit2.normalize_url(url)
+
     cache = path(pkg)
+    normalized_url = normalize_url(url)
+
     repo = if isdir(cache)
         LibGit2.GitRepo(cache) # open repo, free it at the end
     else
-        info("Cloning cache of $pkg from $url")
+        info("Cloning cache of $pkg from $normalized_url")
         try
             # clone repo, free it at the end
-            LibGit2.clone(url, cache, isbare = true, remote_cb = LibGit2.mirror_cb())
+            LibGit2.clone(normalized_url, cache, isbare = true, remote_cb = LibGit2.mirror_cb())
         catch err
             isdir(cache) && rm(cache, recursive=true)
-            throw(PkgError("Cannot clone $pkg from $url. $(err.msg)"))
+            throw(PkgError("Cannot clone $pkg from $normalized_url. $(err.msg)"))
         end
     end
     try
-        LibGit2.set_remote_url(repo, url)
+        LibGit2.set_remote_url(repo, normalized_url)
         in_cache = BitArray(map(sha1->LibGit2.iscommit(sha1, repo), sha1s))
         if !all(in_cache)
             info("Updating cache of $pkg...")
@@ -61,4 +67,23 @@ end
 prefetch(pkg::AbstractString, url::AbstractString, sha1::AbstractString...) =
     prefetch(pkg, url, AbstractString[sha1...])
 
+function setprotocol!(proto::AbstractString)
+    global rewrite_url_to
+
+    if length(proto) == 0
+        rewrite_url_to = nothing
+    else
+        rewrite_url_to = proto
+    end
+end
+
+function normalize_url(url::AbstractString)
+    global rewrite_url_to
+
+    m = match(GITHUB_REGEX,url)
+    (m === nothing || rewrite_url_to === nothing) ?
+        url : "$rewrite_url_to://github.com/$(m.captures[1]).git"
+
+end
+
 end # module
diff --git a/base/pkg/write.jl b/base/pkg/write.jl
index 706d28b883432..ff9d9d9ed15e6 100644
--- a/base/pkg/write.jl
+++ b/base/pkg/write.jl
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function fetch(repo::GitRepo, pkg::AbstractString, sha1::AbstractString)
 end
 
 function checkout(repo::GitRepo, pkg::AbstractString, sha1::AbstractString)
-    LibGit2.set_remote_url(repo, Read.url(pkg))
+    LibGit2.set_remote_url(repo, Cache.normalize_url(Read.url(pkg)))
     LibGit2.checkout!(repo, sha1)
 end