diff --git a/backends/alpm/pk-backend-alpm.c b/backends/alpm/pk-backend-alpm.c
index ba993f0..4cc9af2 100644
--- a/backends/alpm/pk-backend-alpm.c
+++ b/backends/alpm/pk-backend-alpm.c
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@
  */
 
 #include <config.h>
+#include <locale.h>
 #include <glib/gstdio.h>
 #include <sys/utsname.h>
+#include <pk-backend-spawn.h>
 
 #include "pk-backend-alpm.h"
 #include "pk-backend-databases.h"
@@ -194,6 +196,66 @@ pk_backend_logcb (pmloglevel_t level, const gchar *format, va_list args)
 	g_free (output);
 }
 
+static void
+pk_backend_initialize_environment (PkBackend *self)
+{
+	gchar *value;
+
+	g_return_if_fail (self != NULL);
+
+	value = pk_backend_get_locale (self);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		setlocale (LC_ALL, value);
+		g_free (value);
+	}
+
+	value = pk_backend_get_proxy_http (self);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		gchar *uri = pk_backend_spawn_convert_uri (value);
+		g_setenv ("http_proxy", uri, TRUE);
+		g_free (uri);
+		g_free (value);
+	}
+
+	value = pk_backend_get_proxy_https (self);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		gchar *uri = pk_backend_spawn_convert_uri (value);
+		g_setenv ("https_proxy", uri, TRUE);
+		g_free (uri);
+		g_free (value);
+	}
+
+	value = pk_backend_get_proxy_ftp (self);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		gchar *uri = pk_backend_spawn_convert_uri (value);
+		g_setenv ("ftp_proxy", uri, TRUE);
+		g_free (uri);
+		g_free (value);
+	}
+
+	value = pk_backend_get_proxy_socks (self);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		gchar *uri = pk_backend_spawn_convert_uri (value);
+		g_setenv ("socks_proxy", uri, TRUE);
+		g_free (uri);
+		g_free (value);
+	}
+
+	value = pk_backend_get_no_proxy (self);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		g_setenv ("no_proxy", value, TRUE);
+		g_free (value);
+	}
+
+	value = pk_backend_get_pac (self);
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		gchar *uri = pk_backend_spawn_convert_uri (value);
+		g_setenv ("pac", uri, TRUE);
+		g_free (uri);
+		g_free (value);
+	}
+}
+
 static gboolean
 pk_backend_initialize_alpm (PkBackend *self, GError **error)
 {
@@ -260,6 +322,8 @@ pk_backend_initialize (PkBackend *self)
 
 	g_return_if_fail (self != NULL);
 
+	pk_backend_initialize_environment (self);
+
 	if (!pk_backend_initialize_alpm (self, &error) ||
 	    !pk_backend_initialize_databases (self, &error) ||
 	    !pk_backend_initialize_groups (self, &error)) {
@@ -380,3 +444,11 @@ pk_backend_finish (PkBackend *self, GError *error)
 	pk_backend_thread_finished (self);
 	return (error == NULL);
 }
+
+void
+pk_backend_transaction_start (PkBackend *self)
+{
+	g_return_if_fail (self != NULL);
+
+	pk_backend_initialize_environment (self);
+}
diff --git a/backends/alpm/pk-backend-transaction.c b/backends/alpm/pk-backend-transaction.c
index fdb840e..a4a712f 100644
--- a/backends/alpm/pk-backend-transaction.c
+++ b/backends/alpm/pk-backend-transaction.c
@@ -280,8 +280,8 @@ pk_backend_install_ignorepkg (PkBackend *self, pmpkg_t *pkg, gint *result)
 }
 
 static void
-pk_backend_select_provider (PkBackend *self, pmdepend_t *dep,
-			    const alpm_list_t *providers)
+pk_backend_select_provider (PkBackend *self, const alpm_list_t *providers,
+			    pmdepend_t *dep)
 {
 	gchar *output;