diff --git a/cmd/azure.go b/cmd/azure.go
index 1217556bd..bc34102b0 100644
--- a/cmd/azure.go
+++ b/cmd/azure.go
@@ -123,9 +123,11 @@ func azureToObjectError(err error, params ...string) error {
 }
 
 // Inits azure blob storage client and returns AzureObjects.
-func newAzureLayer(account, key string) (GatewayLayer, error) {
-	useHTTPS := true
-	c, err := storage.NewClient(account, key, storage.DefaultBaseURL, globalAzureAPIVersion, useHTTPS)
+func newAzureLayer(endPoint string, account, key string, secure bool) (GatewayLayer, error) {
+	if endPoint == "" {
+		endPoint = storage.DefaultBaseURL
+	}
+	c, err := storage.NewClient(account, key, endPoint, globalAzureAPIVersion, secure)
 	if err != nil {
 		return AzureObjects{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/gateway-main.go b/cmd/gateway-main.go
index 3d21efba1..5465b35e4 100644
--- a/cmd/gateway-main.go
+++ b/cmd/gateway-main.go
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 	"github.com/minio/cli"
@@ -83,11 +85,11 @@ func mustGetGatewayCredsFromEnv() (accessKey, secretKey string) {
 //
 // - Azure Blob Storage.
 // - Add your favorite backend here.
-func newGatewayLayer(backendType, accessKey, secretKey string) (GatewayLayer, error) {
+func newGatewayLayer(backendType, endPoint, accessKey, secretKey string, secure bool) (GatewayLayer, error) {
 	if gatewayBackend(backendType) != azureBackend {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unrecognized backend type %s", backendType)
 	}
-	return newAzureLayer(accessKey, secretKey)
+	return newAzureLayer(endPoint, accessKey, secretKey, secure)
 }
 
 // Initialize a new gateway config.
@@ -117,6 +119,28 @@ func newGatewayConfig(accessKey, secretKey, region string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// Return endpoint.
+func parseGatewayEndpoint(arg string) (endPoint string, secure bool, err error) {
+	schemeSpecified := len(strings.Split(arg, "://")) > 1
+	if !schemeSpecified {
+		// Default connection will be "secure".
+		arg = "https://" + arg
+	}
+	u, err := url.Parse(arg)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", false, err
+	}
+
+	switch u.Scheme {
+	case "http":
+		return u.Host, false, nil
+	case "https":
+		return u.Host, true, nil
+	default:
+		return "", false, fmt.Errorf("Unrecognized scheme %s", u.Scheme)
+	}
+}
+
 // Handler for 'minio gateway'.
 func gatewayMain(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	if !ctx.Args().Present() || ctx.Args().First() == "help" {
@@ -142,10 +166,15 @@ func gatewayMain(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	// First argument is selected backend type.
 	backendType := ctx.Args().First()
 
+	// Second argument is endpoint.	If no endpoint is specified then the
+	// gateway implementation should use a default setting.
+	endPoint, secure, err := parseGatewayEndpoint(ctx.Args().Get(1))
+	fatalIf(err, "Unable to parse endpoint")
+
 	// Create certs path for SSL configuration.
 	fatalIf(createConfigDir(), "Unable to create configuration directory")
 
-	newObject, err := newGatewayLayer(backendType, accessKey, secretKey)
+	newObject, err := newGatewayLayer(backendType, endPoint, accessKey, secretKey, secure)
 	fatalIf(err, "Unable to initialize gateway layer")
 
 	initNSLock(false) // Enable local namespace lock.
diff --git a/cmd/gateway-main_test.go b/cmd/gateway-main_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dc1b986d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/gateway-main_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/*
+ * Minio Cloud Storage, (C) 2017 Minio, Inc.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package cmd
+
+import "testing"
+
+// Test parseGatewayEndpoint
+func TestParseGatewayEndpoint(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		arg         string
+		endPoint    string
+		secure      bool
+		errReturned bool
+	}{
+		{"http://127.0.0.1:9000", "127.0.0.1:9000", false, false},
+		{"https://127.0.0.1:9000", "127.0.0.1:9000", true, false},
+		{"http://play.minio.io:9000", "play.minio.io:9000", false, false},
+		{"https://play.minio.io:9000", "play.minio.io:9000", true, false},
+		{"ftp://127.0.0.1:9000", "", false, true},
+		{"ftp://play.minio.io:9000", "", false, true},
+		{"play.minio.io:9000", "play.minio.io:9000", true, false},
+	}
+
+	for i, test := range testCases {
+		endPoint, secure, err := parseGatewayEndpoint(test.arg)
+		errReturned := err != nil
+
+		if endPoint != test.endPoint ||
+			secure != test.secure ||
+			errReturned != test.errReturned {
+			t.Errorf("Test %d: expected %s,%t,%t got %s,%t,%t",
+				i+1, test.endPoint, test.secure, test.errReturned,
+				endPoint, secure, errReturned)
+		}
+	}
+}