diff --git a/config/config.example.yml b/config/config.example.yml
index 8d3e6212..6a2a71f8 100644
--- a/config/config.example.yml
+++ b/config/config.example.yml
@@ -75,17 +75,25 @@ db:
 ## If you are using a reverse proxy then you will probably need to
 ## configure the public_url to be the same as the domain used for Invidious.
 ## Also apply when used from an external IP address (without a domain).
-## Examples: https://MYINVIDIOUSDOMAIN or http://192.168.1.100:8282
+## Examples: https://MYINVIDIOUSDOMAIN/companion or http://192.168.1.100:8282/companion
 ##
 ## Both parameter can have identical URL when Invidious is hosted in
 ## an internal network or at home or locally (localhost).
 ##
+## NOTE: If public_url is omitted, Invidious will use its built-in proxy
+## to route companion requests through /companion, which is useful for
+## simple setups where companion runs on the same network. When using
+## the built-in proxy, CSP headers are not modified since requests
+## stay within the same domain.
+##
 ## Accepted values: "http(s)://<IP-HOSTNAME>:<Port>"
 ## Default: <none>
 ##
 #invidious_companion:
-#  - private_url: "http://localhost:8282"
-#    public_url: "http://localhost:8282"
+#  - private_url: "http://localhost:8282/companion"
+#    public_url: "http://localhost:8282/companion"
+#  # Example with built-in proxy (omit public_url):
+#  # - private_url: "http://localhost:8282/companion"
 
 ##
 ## API key for Invidious companion, used for securing the communication
diff --git a/src/invidious/config.cr b/src/invidious/config.cr
index 4d69854c..e47e405c 100644
--- a/src/invidious/config.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/config.cr
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ class Config
 
     @[YAML::Field(converter: Preferences::URIConverter)]
     property public_url : URI = URI.parse("")
+
+    # Indicates if this companion instance uses the built-in proxy
+    property builtin_proxy : Bool = false
   end
 
   # Number of threads to use for crawling videos from channels (for updating subscriptions)
@@ -271,6 +274,14 @@ class Config
         puts "Config: The value of 'invidious_companion_key' needs to be a size of 16 characters."
         exit(1)
       end
+
+      # Set public_url to built-in proxy path when omitted
+      config.invidious_companion.each do |companion|
+        if companion.public_url.to_s.empty?
+          companion.public_url = URI.parse("/companion")
+          companion.builtin_proxy = true
+        end
+      end
     elsif config.signature_server
       puts("WARNING: inv-sig-helper is deprecated. Please switch to Invidious companion: https://docs.invidious.io/companion-installation/")
     else
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr b/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr
index b5269668..63b935ec 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/before_all.cr
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ module Invidious::Routes::BeforeAll
                 "/videoplayback",
                 "/latest_version",
                 "/download",
+                "/companion/",
               }.any? { |r| env.request.resource.starts_with? r }
 
     if env.request.cookies.has_key? "SID"
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/companion.cr b/src/invidious/routes/companion.cr
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bcfbad6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/companion.cr
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+module Invidious::Routes::Companion
+  # /companion
+  def self.get_companion(env)
+    url = env.request.path
+    if env.request.query
+      url += "?#{env.request.query}"
+    end
+
+    begin
+      COMPANION_POOL.client do |wrapper|
+        puts env.request.headers
+        wrapper.client.get(url, env.request.headers) do |resp|
+          return self.proxy_companion(env, resp)
+        end
+      end
+    rescue ex
+    end
+  end
+
+  def self.options_companion(env)
+    url = env.request.path
+    if env.request.query
+      url += "?#{env.request.query}"
+    end
+
+    begin
+      COMPANION_POOL.client do |wrapper|
+        wrapper.client.options(url, env.request.headers) do |resp|
+          return self.proxy_companion(env, resp)
+        end
+      end
+    rescue ex
+    end
+  end
+
+  private def self.proxy_companion(env, response)
+    env.response.status_code = response.status_code
+    response.headers.each do |key, value|
+      env.response.headers[key] = value
+    end
+
+    return IO.copy response.body_io, env.response
+  end
+end
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/embed.cr b/src/invidious/routes/embed.cr
index 930e4915..f04302a2 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routes/embed.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/embed.cr
@@ -209,10 +209,17 @@ module Invidious::Routes::Embed
 
     if CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?
       invidious_companion = CONFIG.invidious_companion.sample
-      env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"] =
-        env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"]
-          .gsub("media-src", "media-src #{invidious_companion.public_url}")
-          .gsub("connect-src", "connect-src #{invidious_companion.public_url}")
+      invidious_companion_urls = CONFIG.invidious_companion.reject(&.builtin_proxy).map do |companion|
+        uri =
+          "#{companion.public_url.scheme}://#{companion.public_url.host}#{companion.public_url.port ? ":#{companion.public_url.port}" : ""}"
+      end.join(" ")
+
+      if !invidious_companion_urls.empty?
+        env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"] =
+          env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"]
+            .gsub("media-src", "media-src #{invidious_companion_urls}")
+            .gsub("connect-src", "connect-src #{invidious_companion_urls}")
+      end
     end
 
     rendered "embed"
diff --git a/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr b/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr
index e777b3f1..8a4fa246 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routes/watch.cr
@@ -194,10 +194,17 @@ module Invidious::Routes::Watch
 
     if CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?
       invidious_companion = CONFIG.invidious_companion.sample
-      env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"] =
-        env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"]
-          .gsub("media-src", "media-src #{invidious_companion.public_url}")
-          .gsub("connect-src", "connect-src #{invidious_companion.public_url}")
+      invidious_companion_urls = CONFIG.invidious_companion.reject(&.builtin_proxy).map do |companion|
+        uri =
+          "#{companion.public_url.scheme}://#{companion.public_url.host}#{companion.public_url.port ? ":#{companion.public_url.port}" : ""}"
+      end.join(" ")
+
+      if !invidious_companion_urls.empty?
+        env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"] =
+          env.response.headers["Content-Security-Policy"]
+            .gsub("media-src", "media-src #{invidious_companion_urls}")
+            .gsub("connect-src", "connect-src #{invidious_companion_urls}")
+      end
     end
 
     templated "watch"
diff --git a/src/invidious/routing.cr b/src/invidious/routing.cr
index 46b71f1f..a51bb4b6 100644
--- a/src/invidious/routing.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/routing.cr
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ module Invidious::Routing
     self.register_api_v1_routes
     self.register_api_manifest_routes
     self.register_video_playback_routes
+    self.register_companion_routes
   end
 
   # -------------------
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ module Invidious::Routing
   end
 
   # -------------------
-  #  Media proxy routes
+  #  Proxy routes
   # -------------------
 
   def register_api_manifest_routes
@@ -223,6 +224,13 @@ module Invidious::Routing
     get "/vi/:id/:name", Routes::Images, :thumbnails
   end
 
+  def register_companion_routes
+    if CONFIG.invidious_companion.present?
+      get "/companion/*", Routes::Companion, :get_companion
+      options "/companion/*", Routes::Companion, :options_companion
+    end
+  end
+
   # -------------------
   #  API routes
   # -------------------
diff --git a/src/invidious/yt_backend/connection_pool.cr b/src/invidious/yt_backend/connection_pool.cr
index 0daed46c..42241d15 100644
--- a/src/invidious/yt_backend/connection_pool.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/yt_backend/connection_pool.cr
@@ -46,8 +46,27 @@ struct YoutubeConnectionPool
   end
 end
 
+# Packages a `HTTP::Client` to an Invidious companion instance alongside the configuration for that instance.
+#
+# This is used as the resource for the `CompanionPool` as to allow the ability to
+# proxy the requests to Invidious companion from Invidious directly.
+# Instead of setting up routes in a reverse proxy.
+struct CompanionWrapper
+  property client : HTTP::Client
+  property companion : Config::CompanionConfig
+
+  def initialize(companion : Config::CompanionConfig)
+    @companion = companion
+    @client = make_client(companion.private_url, use_http_proxy: false)
+  end
+
+  def close
+    @client.close
+  end
+end
+
 struct CompanionConnectionPool
-  property pool : DB::Pool(HTTP::Client)
+  property pool : DB::Pool(CompanionWrapper)
 
   def initialize(capacity = 5, timeout = 5.0)
     options = DB::Pool::Options.new(
@@ -57,26 +76,28 @@ struct CompanionConnectionPool
       checkout_timeout: timeout
     )
 
-    @pool = DB::Pool(HTTP::Client).new(options) do
+    @pool = DB::Pool(CompanionWrapper).new(options) do
       companion = CONFIG.invidious_companion.sample
-      next make_client(companion.private_url, use_http_proxy: false)
+      make_client(companion.private_url, use_http_proxy: false)
+      CompanionWrapper.new(companion: companion)
     end
   end
 
   def client(&)
-    conn = pool.checkout
+    wrapper = pool.checkout
 
     begin
-      response = yield conn
+      response = yield wrapper
     rescue ex
-      conn.close
+      wrapper.close
 
       companion = CONFIG.invidious_companion.sample
-      conn = make_client(companion.private_url, use_http_proxy: false)
+      make_client(companion.private_url, use_http_proxy: false)
+      wrapper = CompanionWrapper.new(companion: companion)
 
-      response = yield conn
+      response = yield wrapper
     ensure
-      pool.release(conn)
+      pool.release(wrapper)
     end
 
     response
diff --git a/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr b/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
index b40092a1..44861c37 100644
--- a/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
+++ b/src/invidious/yt_backend/youtube_api.cr
@@ -695,22 +695,20 @@ module YoutubeAPI
     # Send the POST request
 
     begin
-      response = COMPANION_POOL.client &.post(endpoint, headers: headers, body: data.to_json)
-      body = response.body
-      if (response.status_code != 200)
-        raise Exception.new(
-          "Error while communicating with Invidious companion: \
-          status code: #{response.status_code} and body: #{body.dump}"
-        )
+      response_body = Hash(String, JSON::Any).new
+
+      COMPANION_POOL.client do |wrapper|
+        companion_base_url = wrapper.companion.private_url.path
+
+        wrapper.client.post("#{companion_base_url}#{endpoint}", headers: headers, body: data.to_json) do |response|
+          response_body = JSON.parse(response.body_io).as_h
+        end
       end
+
+      return response_body
     rescue ex
       raise InfoException.new("Error while communicating with Invidious companion: " + (ex.message || "no extra info found"))
     end
-
-    # Convert result to Hash
-    initial_data = JSON.parse(body).as_h
-
-    return initial_data
   end
 
   ####################################################################