diff --git a/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.html b/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.html
index decb0e96e..7c2c3aae9 100644
--- a/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.html
+++ b/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.html
@@ -65,9 +65,16 @@
           #{networks}#
             <option>#[network]#</option>
           #{/networks}#
-        </select>
+        </select> <a href="#" onclick="document.getElementById('networkDefinitionURLfield').style.display = ''; return false;" style="font-style: italic;">Enter custom URL...</a>
         
         </dd>
+        <span id="networkDefinitionURLfield" style="display: none;">
+        <dt>Remote Network Definition URL</dt>
+        <dd>
+        <input type="text" id="networkDefinitionURL" name="networkDefinitionURL" value="" size="100">
+        </select>        
+        </dd>
+        </span>
         <dt>Network Nick</dt>
         <dd>#[network.unit.name]#</dd>
         <dt>Long Description</dt>
diff --git a/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.java b/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.java
index 9046a33fc..6b4633305 100644
--- a/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.java
+++ b/htroot/ConfigNetwork_p.java
@@ -67,8 +67,13 @@ public class ConfigNetwork_p
                 "network settings");
 
             if ( post.containsKey("changeNetwork") ) {
-                final String networkDefinition =
+                String networkDefinition =
                     post.get("networkDefinition", "defaults/yacy.network.freeworld.unit");
+                final String networkDefinitionURL =
+                        post.get("networkDefinitionURL", "");
+                if ( !networkDefinitionURL.equals("")) {
+                	networkDefinition = networkDefinitionURL;
+                }
                 if ( networkDefinition.equals(sb.getConfig("network.unit.definition", "")) ) {
                     // no change
                     commit = 3;