diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 395cbdd8..a1d15c0d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -928,6 +928,12 @@ These are the available config options for making requests. Only the `url` is re
   // This will set a `Proxy-Authorization` header, overwriting any existing
   // `Proxy-Authorization` custom headers you have set using `headers`.
   // If the proxy server uses HTTPS, then you must set the protocol to `https`.
+  // A user-supplied `Host` header in `headers` is preserved when forwarding
+  // through a proxy (case-insensitive match on `host`/`Host`/`HOST`); this
+  // lets you target a virtual host that differs from the request URL — for
+  // example, hitting `127.0.0.1:4000` while having the proxy treat the
+  // request as `example.com`. If no `Host` header is supplied, axios
+  // defaults it to the request URL's `hostname:port` as before.
   proxy: {
     protocol: 'https',
     host: '127.0.0.1',
diff --git a/lib/adapters/http.js b/lib/adapters/http.js
index 6337bf33..404dd18e 100755
--- a/lib/adapters/http.js
+++ b/lib/adapters/http.js
@@ -236,7 +236,18 @@ function setProxy(options, configProxy, location, isRedirect) {
       options.headers['Proxy-Authorization'] = 'Basic ' + base64;
     }
 
-    options.headers.host = options.hostname + (options.port ? ':' + options.port : '');
+    // Preserve a user-supplied Host header (case-insensitive) so callers can override
+    // the value forwarded to the proxy; otherwise default to the request URL's host.
+    let hasUserHostHeader = false;
+    for (const name in options.headers) {
+      if (name.toLowerCase() === 'host') {
+        hasUserHostHeader = true;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (!hasUserHostHeader) {
+      options.headers.host = options.hostname + (options.port ? ':' + options.port : '');
+    }
     const proxyHost = proxy.hostname || proxy.host;
     options.hostname = proxyHost;
     // Replace 'host' since options is not a URL object
diff --git a/tests/unit/adapters/http.test.js b/tests/unit/adapters/http.test.js
index 7d83281d..70c23bf1 100644
--- a/tests/unit/adapters/http.test.js
+++ b/tests/unit/adapters/http.test.js
@@ -2371,6 +2371,64 @@ describe('supports http with nodejs', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  describe('Host header preservation when forwarding through a proxy (#10805)', () => {
+    const proxyConfig = { hostname: '127.0.0.1', protocol: 'http:', port: 8888 };
+
+    it('defaults the Host header to the request target when the user does not set one', () => {
+      const options = {
+        headers: {},
+        beforeRedirects: {},
+        hostname: '127.0.0.1',
+        port: 4000,
+      };
+
+      __setProxy(options, proxyConfig, 'http://127.0.0.1:4000/');
+
+      assert.strictEqual(options.headers.host, '127.0.0.1:4000');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves a user-supplied lowercase host header', () => {
+      const options = {
+        headers: { host: 'example.com' },
+        beforeRedirects: {},
+        hostname: '127.0.0.1',
+        port: 4000,
+      };
+
+      __setProxy(options, proxyConfig, 'http://127.0.0.1:4000/');
+
+      assert.strictEqual(options.headers.host, 'example.com');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves a user-supplied Host header regardless of casing', () => {
+      const options = {
+        headers: { Host: 'example.com' },
+        beforeRedirects: {},
+        hostname: '127.0.0.1',
+        port: 4000,
+      };
+
+      __setProxy(options, proxyConfig, 'http://127.0.0.1:4000/');
+
+      assert.strictEqual(options.headers.Host, 'example.com');
+      assert.strictEqual(options.headers.host, undefined);
+    });
+
+    it('preserves a user-supplied Host header across a redirect re-invocation', () => {
+      const options = {
+        headers: { Host: 'example.com' },
+        beforeRedirects: {},
+        hostname: '127.0.0.1',
+        port: 4000,
+      };
+
+      __setProxy(options, proxyConfig, 'http://127.0.0.1:4000/', true);
+
+      assert.strictEqual(options.headers.Host, 'example.com');
+      assert.strictEqual(options.headers.host, undefined);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Proxy-Authorization header leak on redirect (GHSA-j5f8-grm9-p9fc)', () => {
     it('clears a stale Proxy-Authorization header when redirected request resolves to no proxy (configProxy=false)', () => {
       const options = {