diff --git a/pmb/config/__init__.py b/pmb/config/__init__.py
index 8c6dd9b3..c0a44f56 100644
--- a/pmb/config/__init__.py
+++ b/pmb/config/__init__.py
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ config_keys = ["aports",
                "user",
                "work",
                "boot_size",
-               "extra_space"]
+               "extra_space",
+               "sudo_timer"]
 
 # Config file/commandline default values
 # $WORK gets replaced with the actual value for args.work (which may be
@@ -96,7 +97,8 @@ defaults = {
     "user": "user",
     "work": os.path.expanduser("~") + "/.local/var/pmbootstrap",
     "boot_size": "128",
-    "extra_space": "0"
+    "extra_space": "0",
+    "sudo_timer": False
 }
 
 
diff --git a/pmb/config/init.py b/pmb/config/init.py
index 094b4b5f..fa6a9f11 100644
--- a/pmb/config/init.py
+++ b/pmb/config/init.py
@@ -344,7 +344,8 @@ def ask_for_additional_options(args, cfg):
                  f" extra free space: {args.extra_space} MB,"
                  f" boot partition size: {args.boot_size} MB,"
                  f" parallel jobs: {args.jobs},"
-                 f" ccache per arch: {args.ccache_size}")
+                 f" ccache per arch: {args.ccache_size},"
+                 f" sudo timer: {args.sudo_timer}")
 
     if not pmb.helpers.cli.confirm(args, "Change them?",
                                    default=False):
@@ -385,6 +386,17 @@ def ask_for_additional_options(args, cfg):
                                  lowercase_answer=False, validation_regex=regex)
     cfg["pmbootstrap"]["ccache_size"] = answer
 
+    # Sudo timer
+    logging.info("pmbootstrap does everything in Alpine Linux chroots, so"
+                 " your host system does not get modified. In order to"
+                 " work with these chroots, pmbootstrap calls 'sudo'"
+                 " internally. For long running operations, it is possible"
+                 " that you'll have to authorize sudo more than once.")
+    answer = pmb.helpers.cli.confirm(args, "Enable background timer to prevent"
+                                     " repeated sudo authorization?",
+                                     default=args.sudo_timer)
+    cfg["pmbootstrap"]["sudo_timer"] = str(answer)
+
 
 def ask_for_hostname(args, device):
     while True:
diff --git a/pmb/config/pmaports.py b/pmb/config/pmaports.py
index a4ee0676..9d69bf66 100644
--- a/pmb/config/pmaports.py
+++ b/pmb/config/pmaports.py
@@ -23,12 +23,6 @@ def check_legacy_folder():
 
 
 def clone(args):
-    # Explain sudo-usage before using it the first time
-    logging.info("pmbootstrap does everything in Alpine Linux chroots, so your"
-                 " host system does not get modified. In order to work with"
-                 " these chroots, pmbootstrap calls 'sudo' internally. To see"
-                 " the commands it runs, you can run 'pmbootstrap log' in a"
-                 " second terminal.")
     logging.info("Setting up the native chroot and cloning the package build"
                  " recipes (pmaports)...")
 
diff --git a/pmb/helpers/run_core.py b/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
index b0efdb08..e77a5f3e 100644
--- a/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
+++ b/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import logging
 import selectors
 import subprocess
 import sys
+import threading
 import time
 import os
 import pmb.helpers.run
@@ -217,6 +218,31 @@ def check_return_code(args, code, log_message):
         raise RuntimeError("Command failed: " + log_message)
 
 
+def sudo_timer_iterate():
+    """
+    Run sudo -v and schedule a new timer to repeat the same.
+    """
+
+    subprocess.Popen(["sudo", "-v"]).wait()
+
+    timer = threading.Timer(interval=60, function=sudo_timer_iterate)
+    timer.daemon = True
+    timer.start()
+
+
+def sudo_timer_start(args):
+    """
+    Start a timer to call sudo -v periodically, so that the password is only
+    needed once.
+    """
+
+    if "sudo_timer_active" in args.cache:
+        return
+    args.cache["sudo_timer_active"] = True
+
+    sudo_timer_iterate()
+
+
 def core(args, log_message, cmd, working_dir=None, output="log",
          output_return=False, check=None, sudo=False, disable_timeout=False):
     """
@@ -277,6 +303,9 @@ def core(args, log_message, cmd, working_dir=None, output="log",
     """
     sanity_checks(output, output_return, check)
 
+    if args.sudo_timer and sudo:
+        sudo_timer_start(args)
+
     # Log simplified and full command (pmbootstrap -v)
     logging.debug(log_message)
     logging.verbose("run: " + str(cmd))
diff --git a/test/test_questions.py b/test/test_questions.py
index 02d66c23..9e77a507 100644
--- a/test/test_questions.py
+++ b/test/test_questions.py
@@ -261,12 +261,13 @@ def test_questions_additional_options(args, monkeypatch):
     assert cfg == {"pmbootstrap": {}}
 
     # Answer everything
-    fake_answers(monkeypatch, ["y", "128", "64", "5", "2G", "n"])
+    fake_answers(monkeypatch, ["y", "128", "64", "5", "2G", "n", "n"])
     func(args, cfg)
     assert cfg == {"pmbootstrap": {"extra_space": "128",
                                    "boot_size": "64",
                                    "jobs": "5",
-                                   "ccache_size": "2G"}}
+                                   "ccache_size": "2G",
+                                   "sudo_timer": "False"}}
 
 
 def test_questions_hostname(args, monkeypatch):