diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -142,6 +142,8 @@
                        # >= 1 && < 1.1
 STM_VER="2.4.3";       STM_VER_REGEXP="2\."
                        # == 2.*
+NETWORK_URI_VER="2.6.0.1" NETWORK_URI_VER_REGEXP="2\.[6-9]\."
+                       # >= 2.6
 
 HACKAGE_URL="https://hackage.haskell.org/package"
 
@@ -256,6 +258,25 @@
   fi
 }
 
+# Replicate the flag selection logic for network-uri in the .cabal file.
+do_network_uri_pkg () {
+  # Refresh installed package list.
+  ${GHC_PKG} list --global ${SCOPE_OF_INSTALLATION} > ghc-pkg-stage2.list \
+    || die "running '${GHC_PKG} list' failed"
+
+  NETWORK_URI_DUMMY_VER="2.5.0.0"; NETWORK_URI_DUMMY_VER_REGEXP="2\.5\." # < 2.6
+  if egrep " network-2\.[6-9]\." ghc-pkg-stage2.list > /dev/null 2>&1
+  then
+    # Use network >= 2.6 && network-uri >= 2.6
+    info_pkg "network-uri" ${NETWORK_URI_VER} ${NETWORK_URI_VER_REGEXP}
+    do_pkg   "network-uri" ${NETWORK_URI_VER} ${NETWORK_URI_VER_REGEXP}
+  else
+    # Use network < 2.6 && network-uri < 2.6
+    info_pkg "network-uri" ${NETWORK_URI_DUMMY_VER} ${NETWORK_URI_DUMMY_VER_REGEXP}
+    do_pkg   "network-uri" ${NETWORK_URI_DUMMY_VER} ${NETWORK_URI_DUMMY_VER_REGEXP}
+  fi
+}
+
 # Actually do something!
 
 info_pkg "deepseq"      ${DEEPSEQ_VER} ${DEEPSEQ_VER_REGEXP}
@@ -283,6 +304,9 @@
 do_pkg   "zlib"         ${ZLIB_VER}    ${ZLIB_VER_REGEXP}
 do_pkg   "random"       ${RANDOM_VER}  ${RANDOM_VER_REGEXP}
 do_pkg   "stm"          ${STM_VER}     ${STM_VER_REGEXP}
+
+# We conditionally install network-uri, depending on the network version.
+do_network_uri_pkg
 
 install_pkg "cabal-install"
 
diff --git a/cabal-install.cabal b/cabal-install.cabal
--- a/cabal-install.cabal
+++ b/cabal-install.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:               cabal-install
-Version:            1.20.0.4
+Version:            1.20.0.5
 Synopsis:           The command-line interface for Cabal and Hackage.
 Description:
     The \'cabal\' command-line program simplifies the process of managing
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
         mtl        >= 2.0      && < 3,
         network    >= 2.0      && < 2.7,
         pretty     >= 1        && < 1.2,
-        random     >= 1        && < 1.1,
+        random     >= 1        && < 1.2,
         stm        >= 2.0      && < 3,
         time       >= 1.1      && < 1.5,
         zlib       >= 0.5.3    && < 0.6
@@ -179,14 +179,12 @@
         Cabal,
         containers,
         mtl,
-        network,
         pretty,
         process,
         directory,
         filepath,
         stm,
         time,
-        network,
         HTTP,
         zlib,
 
@@ -198,6 +196,11 @@
 
   if flag(old-directory)
     build-depends: old-time
+
+  if flag(network-uri)
+    build-depends: network-uri >= 2.6, network >= 2.6
+  else
+    build-depends: network-uri < 2.6, network < 2.6
 
   if os(windows)
     build-depends: Win32