diff --git a/tools/reckless b/tools/reckless
index 4958b57a7..619b84e6a 100755
--- a/tools/reckless
+++ b/tools/reckless
@@ -51,7 +51,12 @@ class InstInfo:
         Populate installation details from a github repo url.
         Return True if all data is found.
         """
-        r = urlopen(self.git_url, timeout=5)
+        if "api.github.com" in self.git_url:
+            # This lets us redirect to handle blackbox testing
+            redir_addr = API_GITHUB_COM + self.git_url.split("api.github.com")[-1]
+            r = urlopen(redir_addr, timeout=5)
+        else:
+            r = urlopen(self.git_url, timeout=5)
         if r.status != 200:
             return False
         if 'git/tree' in self.git_url:
@@ -278,7 +283,7 @@ def _search_repo(name: str, url: str) -> InstInfo:
     repo_name = parsed_url.path.split('/')[start + 1]
 
     # Get details from the github API.
-    api_url = f'https://api.github.com/repos/{repo_user}/{repo_name}/contents/'
+    api_url = f'{API_GITHUB_COM}/repos/{repo_user}/{repo_name}/contents/'
     plugins_cont = api_url
     r = urlopen(plugins_cont, timeout=5)
     if r.status != 200:
@@ -311,6 +316,7 @@ def _search_repo(name: str, url: str) -> InstInfo:
                     MyPlugin.repo = MyPlugin.repo.split('/tree/')[0]
                     logging.debug(f'repo using commit: {MyPlugin.commit}')
             if not MyPlugin.get_inst_details():
+                logging.debug(f"Found plugin in {url}, but missing install details")
                 return False
             return MyPlugin
     return False
@@ -337,12 +343,16 @@ def _install_plugin(src: InstInfo) -> bool:
         shutil.rmtree(clone_path)
     # clone git repository to /tmp/reckless-...
     if ('http' in src.repo[:4]) or ('github.com' in src.repo):
+        if 'github.com' in src.repo:
+            url = f"{GITHUB_COM}" + src.repo.split("github.com")[-1]
+        else:
+            url = src.repo
         # Ugly, but interactively handling stderr gets hairy.
         if logging.root.level < logging.WARNING:
-            git = Popen(['git', 'clone',  src.repo, str(clone_path)],
-                        stdout=PIPE)
+            git = Popen(['git', 'clone', url, str(clone_path)],
+                        stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
         else:
-            git = Popen(['git', 'clone',  src.repo, str(clone_path)],
+            git = Popen(['git', 'clone', url, str(clone_path)],
                         stdout=PIPE, stderr=PIPE)
         git.wait()
         if git.returncode != 0:
@@ -725,7 +735,10 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         else:
             print(f"Error: {args.network} network not supported")
     LIGHTNING_DIR = Path(args.lightning)
-    LIGHTNING_CLI_CALL = ['lightning-cli']
+    # This env variable is set under CI testing
+    LIGHTNING_CLI_CALL = [os.environ.get('LIGHTNING_CLI')]
+    if LIGHTNING_CLI_CALL is None:
+        LIGHTNING_CLI_CALL = ['lightning-cli']
     if NETWORK != 'bitcoin':
         LIGHTNING_CLI_CALL.append(f'--network={NETWORK}')
     if LIGHTNING_DIR != Path.home().joinpath('.lightning'):
@@ -738,6 +751,13 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
     RECKLESS_CONFIG = load_config(reckless_dir=RECKLESS_DIR,
                                   network=NETWORK)
     RECKLESS_SOURCES = loadSources()
+    API_GITHUB_COM = 'https://api.github.com'
+    GITHUB_COM = 'https://github.com'
+    # Used for blackbox testing to avoid hitting github servers
+    if 'REDIR_GITHUB_API' in os.environ:
+        API_GITHUB_COM = os.environ['REDIR_GITHUB_API']
+    if 'REDIR_GITHUB' in os.environ:
+        GITHUB_COM = os.environ['REDIR_GITHUB']
     logging.root.setLevel(args.loglevel)
 
     if 'targets' in args: