diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/dependencies b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/dependencies
index 4111a3d15..8068dd4ee 100755
--- a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/dependencies
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/dependencies
@@ -1,32 +1,63 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 set -eo pipefail; [[ $DOKKU_TRACE ]] && set -x
 
-case "$DOKKU_DISTRO" in
-  debian)
-    export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-    apt-get install -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" --force-yes -qq -y nginx dnsutils
-    ;;
+nginx_needs_upgrade() {
+  declare desc="checks as to whether nginx needs to be installed or upgraded"
+  local MAJOR_VERSION MINOR_VERSION
+  local NEEDS_UPGRADE=true
 
-  ubuntu)
-    export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-    [[ -z "$CIRCLECI" ]] && apt-get install -qq -y software-properties-common python-software-properties
-    [[ -n "$CIRCLECI" ]] && aptitude install -q -y software-properties-common python-software-properties
+  if ! which nginx > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo $NEEDS_UPGRADE
+    return
+  fi
 
-    ubuntu_year=$(lsb_release -d | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[1]}')
-    ubuntu_month=$(lsb_release -d | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[2]}')
-    [[ "$ubuntu_year" -ge "16" ]] && exit 0
-    [[ "$ubuntu_year" -eq "15" ]] && [[ "$ubuntu_month" -eq "10" ]] && exit 0
+  MAJOR_VERSION=$(nginx -v 2>&1 | cut -d'/' -f 2 | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[1]}')
+  MINOR_VERSION=$(nginx -v 2>&1 | cut -d'/' -f 2 | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[2]}')
+  if [[ "$MAJOR_VERSION" -ge "2" ]]; then
+    NEEDS_UPGRADE=false
+  elif [[ "$MAJOR_VERSION" -ge "1" ]] && [[ "$MINOR_VERSION" -ge "8" ]]; then
+    NEEDS_UPGRADE=false
+  fi
 
-    add-apt-repository -y ppa:nginx/stable
-    apt-get update -qq > /dev/null
-    apt-get install -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" --force-yes -qq -y nginx dnsutils
-    ;;
+  echo $NEEDS_UPGRADE
+}
 
-  opensuse)
-    zypper -q in -y nginx bind-utils
-    ;;
+nginx_dependencies() {
+  declare desc="installs dependencies for the nginx-vhosts plugin"
+  case "$DOKKU_DISTRO" in
+    debian)
+      export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+      apt-get install -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" --force-yes -qq -y nginx dnsutils
+      ;;
 
-  arch)
-    pacman -S --noconfirm --noprogressbar --needed nginx bind-tools
-    ;;
-esac
+    ubuntu)
+      export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+      local NEEDS_UPGRADE=$(nginx_needs_upgrade)
+      if [[ "$NEEDS_UPGRADE" == "false" ]]; then
+        return
+      fi
+
+      [[ -z "$CIRCLECI" ]] && apt-get install -qq -y software-properties-common python-software-properties
+      [[ -n "$CIRCLECI" ]] && aptitude install -q -y software-properties-common python-software-properties
+
+      ubuntu_year=$(lsb_release -d | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[1]}')
+      ubuntu_month=$(lsb_release -d | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[2]}')
+      [[ "$ubuntu_year" -ge "16" ]] && exit 0
+      [[ "$ubuntu_year" -eq "15" ]] && [[ "$ubuntu_month" -eq "10" ]] && exit 0
+
+      add-apt-repository -y ppa:nginx/stable
+      apt-get update -qq > /dev/null
+      apt-get install -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confdef" -o Dpkg::Options::="--force-confold" --force-yes -qq -y nginx dnsutils
+      ;;
+
+    opensuse)
+      zypper -q in -y nginx bind-utils
+      ;;
+
+    arch)
+      pacman -S --noconfirm --noprogressbar --needed nginx bind-tools
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+nginx_dependencies "$@"
diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/functions b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/functions
index 2992244a1..86f027faf 100755
--- a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/functions
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/functions
@@ -120,6 +120,33 @@ get_custom_nginx_template() {
   copy_from_image "$IMAGE" "$NGINX_TEMPLATE_NAME" "$DESTINATION" 2>/dev/null || true
 }
 
+is_spdy_enabled() {
+  declare desc="detects whether the installed nginx version has spdy or http2 support"
+  local NGINX_VERSION="$1"
+  local MAJOR_VERSION MINOR_VERSION PATCH_VERSION
+  local HAS_SUPPORT=true
+
+  if ! which nginx > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo $HAS_SUPPORT
+    return
+  fi
+
+  MAJOR_VERSION=$(echo "$NGINX_VERSION" | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[1]}')
+  MINOR_VERSION=$(echo "$NGINX_VERSION" | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[2]}')
+  PATCH_VERSION=$(echo "$NGINX_VERSION" | awk '{split($0,a,"."); print a[3]}')
+  if [[ "$MAJOR_VERSION" -ge "2" ]]; then
+    HAS_SUPPORT=false
+  elif [[ "$MAJOR_VERSION" -eq "1" ]]; then
+    if [[ "$MINOR_VERSION" -ge "10" ]]; then
+      HAS_SUPPORT=false
+    elif [[ "$MINOR_VERSION" -ge "9" ]] && [[ "$PATCH_VERSION" -ge "5" ]]; then
+      HAS_SUPPORT=false
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  echo $HAS_SUPPORT
+}
+
 nginx_build_config() {
   declare desc="build nginx config to proxy app containers using sigil"
   local APP="$1"; verify_app_name "$APP"
@@ -188,11 +215,16 @@ nginx_build_config() {
       fi
       local SSL_SERVER_NAME=$(echo "$SSL_VHOSTS" | xargs)
     fi
+
+    local NGINX_VERSION="$(nginx -v 2>&1 | cut -d'/' -f 2)"
+    local SPDY_SUPPORTED="$(is_spdy_enabled "$NGINX_VERSION")"
+
     eval "$(config_export app "$APP")"
     local SIGIL_PARAMS=(-f $NGINX_TEMPLATE APP="$APP" DOKKU_ROOT="$DOKKU_ROOT"
           NOSSL_SERVER_NAME="$NOSSL_SERVER_NAME"
           DOKKU_APP_LISTENERS="$DOKKU_APP_LISTENERS"
           PASSED_LISTEN_IP_PORT="$PASSED_LISTEN_IP_PORT"
+          SPDY_SUPPORTED="$SPDY_SUPPORTED"
           DOKKU_APP_LISTEN_PORT="$DOKKU_APP_LISTEN_PORT" DOKKU_APP_LISTEN_IP="$DOKKU_APP_LISTEN_IP"
           APP_SSL_PATH="$APP_SSL_PATH" SSL_INUSE="$SSL_INUSE" SSL_SERVER_NAME="$SSL_SERVER_NAME"
           NGINX_PORT="$NGINX_PORT" NGINX_SSL_PORT="$NGINX_SSL_PORT" RAW_TCP_PORTS="$RAW_TCP_PORTS")
diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/templates/ssl.server.config b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/templates/ssl.server.config
index 7c19885e3..336be3c9d 100644
--- a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/templates/ssl.server.config
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/templates/ssl.server.config
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 server {
-  listen      [::]:{{ .NGINX_SSL_PORT }} ssl spdy;
-  listen      {{ .NGINX_SSL_PORT }} ssl spdy;
+  listen      [::]:{{ .NGINX_SSL_PORT }} ssl {{ if eq .SPDY_SUPPORTED "true" }}spdy{{ else }}http2{{ end }};
+  listen      {{ .NGINX_SSL_PORT }} ssl {{ if eq .SPDY_SUPPORTED "true" }}spdy{{ else }}http2{{ end }};
   {{ if .SSL_SERVER_NAME }}server_name {{ .SSL_SERVER_NAME }}; {{ end }}
   {{ if .NOSSL_SERVER_NAME }}server_name {{ .NOSSL_SERVER_NAME }}; {{ end }}
 {{ include "log.config" . }}
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@ server {
   ssl_certificate_key {{ .APP_SSL_PATH }}/server.key;
 
   keepalive_timeout   70;
-  add_header          Alternate-Protocol  {{ .NGINX_SSL_PORT }}:npn-spdy/2;
+  {{ if eq .SPDY_SUPPORTED "true" }}add_header          Alternate-Protocol  {{ .NGINX_SSL_PORT }}:npn-spdy/2;{{ end }}
 {{ include "location.config" . }}
 }