diff --git a/pmb/chroot/root.py b/pmb/chroot/root.py
index 4e5fc586..d1e70013 100644
--- a/pmb/chroot/root.py
+++ b/pmb/chroot/root.py
@@ -65,12 +65,6 @@ def root(args, cmd, suffix="native", working_dir="/", output="log",
     for key, value in env.items():
         env_all[key] = value
 
-    # Preserve proxy environment variables
-    for var in ["FTP_PROXY", "ftp_proxy", "HTTP_PROXY", "http_proxy",
-                "HTTPS_PROXY", "https_proxy", "HTTP_PROXY_AUTH"]:
-        if var in os.environ:
-            env_all[var] = os.environ[var]
-
     # Build the command in steps and run it, e.g.:
     # cmd: ["echo", "test"]
     # cmd_chroot: ["/sbin/chroot", "/..._native", "/bin/sh", "-c", "echo test"]
diff --git a/pmb/helpers/run_core.py b/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
index 10b22020..c7412948 100644
--- a/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
+++ b/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
@@ -310,6 +310,13 @@ def core(args, log_message, cmd, working_dir=None, output="log",
     """
     sanity_checks(output, output_return, check)
 
+    # Preserve proxy environment variables
+    for var in ["FTP_PROXY", "ftp_proxy", "HTTP_PROXY", "http_proxy",
+                "HTTPS_PROXY", "https_proxy", "HTTP_PROXY_AUTH"]:
+        if var in os.environ:
+            # Prepend setting var to cmd string
+            cmd = f"{var}={os.environ[var]} {cmd}"
+
     if args.sudo_timer and sudo:
         sudo_timer_start()