diff --git a/src/dfx/src/commands/start.rs b/src/dfx/src/commands/start.rs
index 6b03ad3b5c..03bae10656 100644
--- a/src/dfx/src/commands/start.rs
+++ b/src/dfx/src/commands/start.rs
@@ -113,12 +113,22 @@ pub fn exec(env: &dyn Environment, args: &ArgMatches<'_>) -> DfxResult {
             )
         })?;
 
+    let provider: String = match config
+        .get_config()
+        .get_defaults()
+        .get_start()
+        .provider
+        .clone()
+    {
+        Some(provider) => provider,
+        None => IC_CLIENT_BIND_ADDR.to_owned(),
+    };
     let bootstrap_dir = env
         .get_cache()
         .get_binary_command_path("js-user-library/dist/bootstrap")?;
     let frontend_watchdog = webserver(
         address_and_port,
-        url::Url::parse(IC_CLIENT_BIND_ADDR).unwrap(),
+        url::Url::parse(&provider).unwrap(),
         &bootstrap_dir,
         give_actix,
     );
diff --git a/src/dfx/src/config/dfinity.rs b/src/dfx/src/config/dfinity.rs
index e9f1c2e906..0ef33019b9 100644
--- a/src/dfx/src/config/dfinity.rs
+++ b/src/dfx/src/config/dfinity.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const EMPTY_CONFIG_DEFAULTS_START: ConfigDefaultsStart = ConfigDefaultsStart {
     port: None,
     nodes: None,
     serve_root: None,
+    provider: None,
 };
 const EMPTY_CONFIG_DEFAULTS_BUILD: ConfigDefaultsBuild = ConfigDefaultsBuild { output: None };
 
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ pub struct ConfigDefaultsStart {
     pub nodes: Option<u64>,
     pub port: Option<u16>,
     pub serve_root: Option<String>,
+    pub provider: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]