diff --git a/depends/packages.md b/depends/packages.md
index 7c80362509..7d2bd4670d 100644
--- a/depends/packages.md
+++ b/depends/packages.md
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ Each package is required to define at least these variables:
     placeholder such as 1.0 can be used.
 
     $(package)_download_path:
-    Location of the upstream source, without the file-name. Usually http or
-    ftp.
+    Location of the upstream source, without the file-name. Usually http, https
+    or ftp. Secure transmission options like https should be preferred if
+    available.
 
     $(package)_file_name:
     The upstream source filename available at the download path.
diff --git a/depends/packages/bdb.mk b/depends/packages/bdb.mk
index 263afbafc1..f11182875e 100644
--- a/depends/packages/bdb.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/bdb.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=bdb
 $(package)_version=4.8.30
-$(package)_download_path=http://download.oracle.com/berkeley-db
+$(package)_download_path=https://download.oracle.com/berkeley-db
 $(package)_file_name=db-$($(package)_version).NC.tar.gz
 $(package)_sha256_hash=12edc0df75bf9abd7f82f821795bcee50f42cb2e5f76a6a281b85732798364ef
 $(package)_build_subdir=build_unix
diff --git a/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk b/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk
index 60928643dc..5fea0c8fe2 100644
--- a/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/fontconfig.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=fontconfig
 $(package)_version=2.12.1
-$(package)_download_path=http://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/release/
+$(package)_download_path=https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/release/
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.bz2
 $(package)_sha256_hash=b449a3e10c47e1d1c7a6ec6e2016cca73d3bd68fbbd4f0ae5cc6b573f7d6c7f3
 $(package)_dependencies=freetype expat
diff --git a/depends/packages/freetype.mk b/depends/packages/freetype.mk
index 41e02e2030..a98e82ed16 100644
--- a/depends/packages/freetype.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/freetype.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=freetype
 $(package)_version=2.7.1
-$(package)_download_path=http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/$(package)
+$(package)_download_path=https://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/$(package)
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.bz2
 $(package)_sha256_hash=3a3bb2c4e15ffb433f2032f50a5b5a92558206822e22bfe8cbe339af4aa82f88
 
diff --git a/depends/packages/libXau.mk b/depends/packages/libXau.mk
index 12a219722c..a31c4a7481 100644
--- a/depends/packages/libXau.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/libXau.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=libXau
 $(package)_version=1.0.8
-$(package)_download_path=http://xorg.freedesktop.org/releases/individual/lib/
+$(package)_download_path=https://xorg.freedesktop.org/releases/individual/lib/
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.bz2
 $(package)_sha256_hash=fdd477320aeb5cdd67272838722d6b7d544887dfe7de46e1e7cc0c27c2bea4f2
 $(package)_dependencies=xproto
diff --git a/depends/packages/libxcb.mk b/depends/packages/libxcb.mk
index 2931be6774..bc3a9a0913 100644
--- a/depends/packages/libxcb.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/libxcb.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=libxcb
 $(package)_version=1.10
-$(package)_download_path=http://xcb.freedesktop.org/dist
+$(package)_download_path=https://xcb.freedesktop.org/dist
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.bz2
 $(package)_sha256_hash=98d9ab05b636dd088603b64229dd1ab2d2cc02ab807892e107d674f9c3f2d5b5
 $(package)_dependencies=xcb_proto libXau
diff --git a/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk b/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk
index e7d6829873..49a584e462 100644
--- a/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/miniupnpc.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=miniupnpc
 $(package)_version=2.0.20180203
-$(package)_download_path=https://miniupnp.tuxfamily.org/files
+$(package)_download_path=https://miniupnp.tuxfamily.org/files/
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.gz
 $(package)_sha256_hash=90dda8c7563ca6cd4a83e23b3c66dbbea89603a1675bfdb852897c2c9cc220b7
 $(package)_patches=dont_use_wingen.patch
diff --git a/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk b/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk
index 0c7c958d62..44110394bd 100644
--- a/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/xcb_proto.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=xcb_proto
 $(package)_version=1.10
-$(package)_download_path=http://xcb.freedesktop.org/dist
+$(package)_download_path=https://xcb.freedesktop.org/dist
 $(package)_file_name=xcb-proto-$($(package)_version).tar.bz2
 $(package)_sha256_hash=7ef40ddd855b750bc597d2a435da21e55e502a0fefa85b274f2c922800baaf05
 
diff --git a/depends/packages/xproto.mk b/depends/packages/xproto.mk
index 2739583541..2462f3c647 100644
--- a/depends/packages/xproto.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/xproto.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=xproto
 $(package)_version=7.0.26
-$(package)_download_path=http://xorg.freedesktop.org/releases/individual/proto
+$(package)_download_path=https://xorg.freedesktop.org/releases/individual/proto
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.bz2
 $(package)_sha256_hash=636162c1759805a5a0114a369dffdeccb8af8c859ef6e1445f26a4e6e046514f
 
diff --git a/depends/packages/zlib.mk b/depends/packages/zlib.mk
index c93c3849b9..168f85e65e 100644
--- a/depends/packages/zlib.mk
+++ b/depends/packages/zlib.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 package=zlib
 $(package)_version=1.2.11
-$(package)_download_path=http://www.zlib.net
+$(package)_download_path=https://www.zlib.net
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.gz
 $(package)_sha256_hash=c3e5e9fdd5004dcb542feda5ee4f0ff0744628baf8ed2dd5d66f8ca1197cb1a1