diff --git a/internal/httpfetcher/dial_context_internal_test.go b/internal/httpfetcher/dial_context_internal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4553799
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/httpfetcher/dial_context_internal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package httpfetcher
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// TestNewUsesCheckedDialerWithoutDialContext checks that a fetcher built
+// without DialContext, as pixa builds it, refuses to connect to a local
+// server.
+func TestNewUsesCheckedDialerWithoutDialContext(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	srv := startUpstream(t)
+	transport := transportOf(t, New(DefaultConfig()))
+
+	addr := srv.Listener.Addr().String()
+
+	_, err := transport.DialContext(testContext(t), "tcp", addr)
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrSSRFBlocked) {
+		t.Fatalf("DialContext(%s) error = %v, want ErrSSRFBlocked", addr, err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestDialContextReplacesOnlyTheDialer checks that a fetcher built with
+// DialContext connects through it, while the URL check still refuses a
+// loopback URL and the redirect check a redirect to a link-local address.
+func TestDialContextReplacesOnlyTheDialer(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	srv := startUpstream(t)
+	dialer := &recordingDialer{target: srv.Listener.Addr().String()}
+
+	cfg := DefaultConfig()
+	cfg.AllowHTTP = true
+	cfg.DialContext = dialer.dialContext
+	f := New(cfg)
+
+	if body := fetchBody(t, f, "/image"); body != imagePayload {
+		t.Errorf("body = %q, want %q", body, imagePayload)
+	}
+
+	_, err := f.Fetch(testContext(t), "http://127.0.0.1/image")
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrSSRFBlocked) {
+		t.Errorf("Fetch(loopback URL) error = %v, want ErrSSRFBlocked", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err = f.Fetch(testContext(t), upstreamURL("/redirect/private"))
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrSSRFBlocked) {
+		t.Errorf("Fetch(/redirect/private) error = %v, want ErrSSRFBlocked", err)
+	}
+
+	// The upstream server is reached through DialContext, and nothing else
+	// is asked of it.
+	dialed := dialer.dialedAddrs()
+	if len(dialed) == 0 {
+		t.Error("DialContext was never called")
+	}
+
+	for _, addr := range dialed {
+		if addr != net.JoinHostPort(testPublicHost, "80") {
+			t.Errorf("DialContext was asked to connect to %s", addr)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/httpfetcher/httpfetcher.go b/internal/httpfetcher/httpfetcher.go
index f76e8b1..d4ce17f 100644
--- a/internal/httpfetcher/httpfetcher.go
+++ b/internal/httpfetcher/httpfetcher.go
@@ -137,6 +137,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	// BlockedNetworks are operator-supplied CIDR ranges refused by the
 	// dialer, in addition to the always-enforced built-in ranges.
 	BlockedNetworks []netip.Prefix
+	// DialContext, when set, makes the fetcher's connections in place of
+	// the dialer that refuses internal addresses; the URL and redirect
+	// checks still run. Only tests set it, to reach a local server; the
+	// config file and the environment cannot.
+	DialContext func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error)
 }
 
 // DefaultConfig returns a Config with sensible defaults.
@@ -193,10 +198,15 @@ func New(config *Config) *HTTPFetcher {
 	// Create transport with SSRF-safe dialer. The dialer re-resolves and
 	// re-checks at connect time (closing the DNS-rebinding window) against
 	// both the built-in ranges and the operator-supplied blocklist.
-	transport := &http.Transport{
-		DialContext: func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
+	dialContext := config.DialContext
+	if dialContext == nil {
+		dialContext = func(ctx context.Context, network, addr string) (net.Conn, error) {
 			return dialSSRFSafe(ctx, network, addr, config.BlockedNetworks)
-		},
+		}
+	}
+
+	transport := &http.Transport{
+		DialContext:         dialContext,
 		TLSHandshakeTimeout: DefaultTLSTimeout,
 		MaxIdleConns:        DefaultMaxIdleConns,
 		IdleConnTimeout:     DefaultIdleConnTimeout,