During November 2025, Valkone enhanced the grpc/grpc-java repository by adding support for custom HTTP headers in HTTP CONNECT proxy connections. This feature enables users to specify additional headers when establishing proxy connections, addressing advanced corporate proxy requirements. Valkone extended the existing API in a backward-compatible manner, introducing an optional headers field to the HttpConnectProxiedSocketAddress and integrating it into Netty’s protocol negotiator. The implementation involved converting Java Map structures to Netty HttpHeaders within the negotiation layer, ensuring seamless header-based proxy flows. Valkone updated tests and documentation to reflect these changes, demonstrating depth in Java, API development, and backend engineering.