diff --git a/abuild.in b/abuild.in
index c6f85c1957ce9aa79cad24ea4f12205551a2f7d0..c7772b6e09e19b5b30096cfe28bf762b6a9b2e0c 100755
--- a/abuild.in
+++ b/abuild.in
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ abuild_path=$(readlink -f $0)
 # defaults
 BUILD_BASE="build-base"
 SUDO=${SUDO:-"sudo"}
+FAKEROOT=${FAKEROOT:-"fakeroot"}
 
 # read config
 ABUILD_CONF=${ABUILD_CONF:-"$sysconfdir/abuild.conf"}
@@ -329,7 +330,7 @@ prepare_metafiles() {
 
 	echo "# Generated by $(basename $0) $abuild_ver" >"$pkginfo"
 	if [ -n "$FAKEROOTKEY" ]; then
-		echo "# using $(fakeroot -v)" >> "$pkginfo"
+		echo "# using $($FAKEROOT -v)" >> "$pkginfo"
 	fi
 	echo "# $(date -u)" >> "$pkginfo"
 	cat >> "$pkginfo" <<EOF
@@ -622,13 +623,14 @@ rootpkg() {
 	local do_build=build
 	cd "$startdir"
 	if is_function package; then
-		msg "Building without fakeroot"
 		build || return 1
 		do_build=package
 	fi
 	cd "$startdir"
-	msg "Entering fakeroot..."
-	fakeroot "$abuild_path" $do_build prepare_subpackages prepare_package \
+	[ -n "$FAKEROOT" ] && msg "Entering fakeroot..."
+	$FAKEROOT "$abuild_path" $do_build \
+		prepare_subpackages \
+		prepare_package \
 		create_apks
 }