diff --git a/src/rebar3.erl b/src/rebar3.erl
index 1f9a041aa..1c0f3684a 100644
--- a/src/rebar3.erl
+++ b/src/rebar3.erl
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ run_aux(State, RawArgs) ->
     %% Maybe change the default hex CDN
     HexCDN = case os:getenv("HEX_CDN") of
                  false -> ?DEFAULT_CDN;
+                 [] -> ?DEFAULT_CDN;
                  CDN -> CDN
              end,
     State2 = rebar_state:set(State1, rebar_packages_cdn, HexCDN),
diff --git a/src/rebar_hex_repos.erl b/src/rebar_hex_repos.erl
index f7a9dabba..7f1da5c48 100644
--- a/src/rebar_hex_repos.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_hex_repos.erl
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ from_state(BaseConfig, State) ->
     %% add base config entries that are specific to use by rebar3 and not overridable
     Repos1 = merge_with_base_and_auth(Repos, BaseConfig, Auth),
     %% merge organizations parent repo options into each oraganization repo
-    update_organizations(Repos1).
+    update_organizations(maybe_override_default_repo_url(Repos1, State)).
 
 -spec get_repo_config(unicode:unicode_binary(), rebar_state:t() | [repo()])
                      -> {ok, repo()} | error.
@@ -105,6 +105,15 @@ update_organizations(Repos) ->
                       Repo
               end, Repos).
 
+maybe_override_default_repo_url(Repos, State) ->
+    lists:map(fun(Repo=#{repo_name := ?PUBLIC_HEX_REPO}) ->
+                      Repo#{repo_url => rebar_state:default_hex_repo_url_override(State)};
+                 (Repo=#{name := ?PUBLIC_HEX_REPO}) ->
+                      Repo#{repo_url => rebar_state:default_hex_repo_url_override(State)};
+                 (Repo) ->
+                      Repo
+              end, Repos).
+
 update_repo_list(R=#{name := N}, [H=#{name := HN} | Rest]) when N =:= HN ->
     [maps:merge(R, H) | Rest];
 update_repo_list(R, [H | Rest]) ->
diff --git a/src/rebar_packages.erl b/src/rebar_packages.erl
index 34d410418..ec2239cc6 100644
--- a/src/rebar_packages.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_packages.erl
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@ parse_checksum(Checksum) ->
 
 update_package(Name, RepoConfig=#{name := Repo}, State) ->
     ?MODULE:verify_table(State),
+    ?DEBUG("Getting definition for package ~ts from repo ~ts via repo_url ~ts",
+           [Name, maps:get(name, RepoConfig, undefined), maps:get(repo_url, RepoConfig, undefined)]),
     try r3_hex_repo:get_package(get_package_repo_config(RepoConfig), Name) of
         {ok, {200, _Headers, Releases}} ->
             _ = insert_releases(Name, Releases, Repo, ?PACKAGE_TABLE),
diff --git a/src/rebar_pkg_resource.erl b/src/rebar_pkg_resource.erl
index cbad74eed..97bb6e928 100644
--- a/src/rebar_pkg_resource.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_pkg_resource.erl
@@ -210,15 +210,16 @@ store_etag_in_cache(Path, ETag) ->
       UpdateETag :: boolean(),
       Res :: ok | {unexpected_hash, integer(), integer()} | {fetch_fail, binary(), binary()}
            | {bad_registry_checksum, integer(), integer()} | {error, _}.
-cached_download(TmpDir, CachePath, Pkg={pkg, Name, Vsn, _OldHash, _Hash, RepoConfig}, State, ETag,
+cached_download(TmpDir, CachePath, Pkg={pkg, Name, Vsn, _OldHash, _Hash, RepoConfig}, _State, ETag,
                 ETagPath, UpdateETag) ->
-    CDN = maybe_default_cdn(State),
-    case request(RepoConfig#{repo_url => CDN}, Name, Vsn, ETag) of
+    ?DEBUG("Making request to get package ~ts tarball from repo ~ts via repo_url ~ts",
+           [Name, maps:get(name, RepoConfig, undefined), maps:get(repo_url, RepoConfig, undefined)]),
+    case request(RepoConfig, Name, Vsn, ETag) of
         {ok, cached} ->
             ?DEBUG("Version cached at ~ts is up to date, reusing it", [CachePath]),
             serve_from_cache(TmpDir, CachePath, Pkg);
         {ok, Body, NewETag} ->
-            ?DEBUG("Downloaded package from repo ~ts, caching at ~ts", [CDN, CachePath]),
+            ?DEBUG("Downloaded package ~ts, caching at ~ts", [Name, CachePath]),
             maybe_store_etag_in_cache(UpdateETag, ETagPath, NewETag),
             serve_from_download(TmpDir, CachePath, Pkg, Body);
         error when ETag =/= <<>> ->
@@ -229,10 +230,6 @@ cached_download(TmpDir, CachePath, Pkg={pkg, Name, Vsn, _OldHash, _Hash, RepoCon
             {fetch_fail, Name, Vsn}
     end.
 
-maybe_default_cdn(State) ->
-    CDN = rebar_state:get(State, rebar_packages_cdn, ?DEFAULT_CDN),
-    rebar_utils:to_binary(CDN).
-
 -spec serve_from_cache(TmpDir, CachePath, Pkg) -> Res when
       TmpDir :: file:name(),
       CachePath :: file:name(),
diff --git a/src/rebar_state.erl b/src/rebar_state.erl
index c8b3c8ae0..b2234c75a 100644
--- a/src/rebar_state.erl
+++ b/src/rebar_state.erl
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@
          all_checkout_deps/1,
          namespace/1, namespace/2,
 
+         default_hex_repo_url_override/1,
+
          deps_names/1,
 
          to_list/1,
@@ -492,6 +494,11 @@ add_provider(State=#state_t{providers=Providers, allow_provider_overrides=false}
             State#state_t{providers=[Provider | Providers]}
     end.
 
+-spec default_hex_repo_url_override(t()) -> binary().
+default_hex_repo_url_override(State) ->
+    CDN = rebar_state:get(State, rebar_packages_cdn, ?DEFAULT_CDN),
+    rebar_utils:to_binary(CDN).
+
 -dialyzer({no_match, create_logic_providers/2}). % we want to be permissive with providers:new/2
 create_logic_providers(ProviderModules, State0) ->
     try