diff --git a/youtube_transcript_api/_cli.py b/youtube_transcript_api/_cli.py
index d49684b..bc35c21 100644
--- a/youtube_transcript_api/_cli.py
+++ b/youtube_transcript_api/_cli.py
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ class YouTubeTranscriptCli():
     def run(self):
         parsed_args = self._parse_args()
 
-        proxies = {"http": parsed_args.http_proxy, "https": parsed_args.https_proxy}
+        proxies = None
+        if parsed_args.http_proxy != '' or parsed_args.https_proxy != '':
+            proxies = {"http": parsed_args.http_proxy, "https": parsed_args.https_proxy}
 
         transcripts, _ = YouTubeTranscriptApi.get_transcripts(
             parsed_args.video_ids,
diff --git a/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_api.py b/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_api.py
index a21a02f..a912d69 100644
--- a/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_api.py
+++ b/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_api.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import os
 
 import httpretty
 
-from youtube_transcript_api._api import YouTubeTranscriptApi
+from youtube_transcript_api._api import YouTubeTranscriptApi, _TranscriptFetcher
 
 
 def load_asset(filename):
@@ -103,8 +103,9 @@ class TestYouTubeTranscriptApi(TestCase):
         YouTubeTranscriptApi.get_transcript.assert_any_call(video_id_2, None, None)
 
     def test_get_transcript__with_proxies(self):
+        proxies = {'http': '', 'https:': ''}
         transcript = YouTubeTranscriptApi.get_transcript(
-            'GJLlxj_dtq8', proxies={'http': '', 'https:': ''}
+            'GJLlxj_dtq8', proxies=proxies
         )
 
         self.assertEqual(
@@ -115,3 +116,6 @@ class TestYouTubeTranscriptApi(TestCase):
                 {'text': 'just something shorter, I made up for testing', 'start': 5.7, 'duration': 3.239}
             ]
         )
+        YouTubeTranscriptApi.get_transcript = MagicMock()
+        YouTubeTranscriptApi.get_transcripts(['GJLlxj_dtq8'], proxies=proxies)
+        YouTubeTranscriptApi.get_transcript.assert_any_call('GJLlxj_dtq8', None, proxies)
diff --git a/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_cli.py b/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_cli.py
index f525e66..11fdf29 100644
--- a/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_cli.py
+++ b/youtube_transcript_api/test/test_cli.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class TestYouTubeTranscriptCli(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(parsed_args.json, True)
         self.assertEqual(parsed_args.languages, ['de', 'en'])
         self.assertEqual(parsed_args.http_proxy, 'http://user:pass@domain:port')
+        self.assertEqual(parsed_args.https_proxy, '')
 
         parsed_args = YouTubeTranscriptCli(
             'v1 v2 --languages de en --json --https-proxy https://user:pass@domain:port'.split()
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ class TestYouTubeTranscriptCli(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(parsed_args.json, True)
         self.assertEqual(parsed_args.languages, ['de', 'en'])
         self.assertEqual(parsed_args.https_proxy, 'https://user:pass@domain:port')
+        self.assertEqual(parsed_args.http_proxy, '')
 
     def test_argument_parsing__only_video_ids(self):
         parsed_args = YouTubeTranscriptCli('v1 v2'.split())._parse_args()
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ class TestYouTubeTranscriptCli(TestCase):
             ['v1', 'v2'],
             languages=['de', 'en'],
             continue_after_error=True,
-            proxies={"http": "", "https": ""}
+            proxies=None
         )
 
     def test_run__json_output(self):