diff --git a/pmb/chroot/root.py b/pmb/chroot/root.py
index 4555638d..ce3c1165 100644
--- a/pmb/chroot/root.py
+++ b/pmb/chroot/root.py
@@ -27,13 +27,17 @@ def executables_absolute_path():
 
 def root(args, cmd, suffix="native", working_dir="/", output="log",
          output_return=False, check=None, env={}, auto_init=True,
-         disable_timeout=False):
+         disable_timeout=False, add_proxy_env_vars=True):
     """
     Run a command inside a chroot as root.
 
     :param env: dict of environment variables to be passed to the command, e.g.
                 {"JOBS": "5"}
     :param auto_init: automatically initialize the chroot
+    :param add_proxy_env_vars: if True, preserve HTTP_PROXY etc. vars from host
+                               environment. pmb.chroot.user sets this to False
+                               when calling pmb.chroot.root, because it already
+                               makes the variables part of the cmd argument.
 
     See pmb.helpers.run_core.core() for a detailed description of all other
     arguments and the return value.
@@ -64,6 +68,8 @@ def root(args, cmd, suffix="native", working_dir="/", output="log",
                "TERM": "xterm"}
     for key, value in env.items():
         env_all[key] = value
+    if add_proxy_env_vars:
+        pmb.helpers.run_core.add_proxy_env_vars(env_all)
 
     # Build the command in steps and run it, e.g.:
     # cmd: ["echo", "test"]
diff --git a/pmb/chroot/user.py b/pmb/chroot/user.py
index 9bad1e9b..05947e01 100644
--- a/pmb/chroot/user.py
+++ b/pmb/chroot/user.py
@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@ def user(args, cmd, suffix="native", working_dir="/", output="log",
     See pmb.helpers.run_core.core() for a detailed description of all other
     arguments and the return value.
     """
+    env = env.copy()
+    pmb.helpers.run_core.add_proxy_env_vars(env)
+
     if "HOME" not in env:
         env["HOME"] = "/home/pmos"
 
     flat_cmd = pmb.helpers.run_core.flat_cmd(cmd, env=env)
     cmd = ["busybox", "su", "pmos", "-c", flat_cmd]
     return pmb.chroot.root(args, cmd, suffix, working_dir, output,
-                           output_return, check, {}, auto_init)
+                           output_return, check, {}, auto_init,
+                           add_proxy_env_vars=False)
 
 
 def exists(args, username, suffix="native"):
diff --git a/pmb/helpers/run.py b/pmb/helpers/run.py
index 7ffe00c1..78f7517f 100644
--- a/pmb/helpers/run.py
+++ b/pmb/helpers/run.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ def user(args, cmd, working_dir=None, output="log", output_return=False,
     msg += " ".join(cmd)
 
     # Add environment variables and run
+    env = env.copy()
+    pmb.helpers.run_core.add_proxy_env_vars(env)
     if env:
         cmd = ["sh", "-c", pmb.helpers.run_core.flat_cmd(cmd, env=env)]
     return pmb.helpers.run_core.core(args, msg, cmd, working_dir, output,
@@ -40,6 +42,9 @@ def root(args, cmd, working_dir=None, output="log", output_return=False,
     See pmb.helpers.run_core.core() for a detailed description of all other
     arguments and the return value.
     """
+    env = env.copy()
+    pmb.helpers.run_core.add_proxy_env_vars(env)
+
     if env:
         cmd = ["sh", "-c", pmb.helpers.run_core.flat_cmd(cmd, env=env)]
     cmd = pmb.config.sudo(cmd)
diff --git a/pmb/helpers/run_core.py b/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
index 10c52afb..5aa17632 100644
--- a/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
+++ b/pmb/helpers/run_core.py
@@ -280,6 +280,28 @@ def sudo_timer_start():
     sudo_timer_iterate()
 
 
+def add_proxy_env_vars(env):
+    """
+    Add proxy environment variables present on the host to the environment of
+    the command we are running.
+    :param env: dict of environment variables, it will be extended with all of
+                the proxy env vars that are set on the host
+    """
+    proxy_env_vars = [
+        "FTP_PROXY",
+        "HTTPS_PROXY",
+        "HTTP_PROXY",
+        "HTTP_PROXY_AUTH"
+        "ftp_proxy",
+        "http_proxy",
+        "https_proxy",
+    ]
+
+    for var in proxy_env_vars:
+        if var in os.environ:
+            env[var] = os.environ[var]
+
+
 def core(args, log_message, cmd, working_dir=None, output="log",
          output_return=False, check=None, sudo=False, disable_timeout=False):
     """
@@ -340,15 +362,6 @@ def core(args, log_message, cmd, working_dir=None, output="log",
     """
     sanity_checks(output, output_return, check)
 
-    # Preserve proxy environment variables
-    env = {}
-    for var in ["FTP_PROXY", "ftp_proxy", "HTTP_PROXY", "http_proxy",
-                "HTTPS_PROXY", "https_proxy", "HTTP_PROXY_AUTH"]:
-        if var in os.environ:
-            env[var] = os.environ[var]
-    if env:
-        cmd = ["sh", "-c", flat_cmd(cmd, env=env)]
-
     if args.sudo_timer and sudo:
         sudo_timer_start()
 
diff --git a/test/test_proxy.py b/test/test_proxy.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b48685b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_proxy.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Copyright 2024 Oliver Smith
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
+""" Test preserving HTTP_PROXY and other proxy env vars with all pmbootstrap
+    run functions. """
+import os
+import pytest
+import sys
+
+import pmb_test  # noqa
+import pmb.chroot.root
+import pmb.chroot.user
+import pmb.helpers.run
+import pmb.helpers.run_core
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def args(request):
+    import pmb.parse
+    sys.argv = ["pmbootstrap.py", "chroot"]
+    args = pmb.parse.arguments()
+    args.log = args.work + "/log_testsuite.txt"
+    pmb.helpers.logging.init(args)
+    request.addfinalizer(pmb.helpers.logging.logfd.close)
+    return args
+
+
+def test_proxy_user(args, monkeypatch):
+    func = pmb.helpers.run.user
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "environ", {"HTTP_PROXY": "testproxy"})
+    ret = func(args, ["sh", "-c", 'echo "$HTTP_PROXY"'], output_return=True)
+    assert ret == "testproxy\n"
+
+
+def test_proxy_root(args, monkeypatch):
+    func = pmb.helpers.run.root
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "environ", {"HTTP_PROXY": "testproxy"})
+    ret = func(args, ["sh", "-c", 'echo "$HTTP_PROXY"'], output_return=True)
+    assert ret == "testproxy\n"
+
+
+def test_proxy_chroot_user(args, monkeypatch):
+    func = pmb.chroot.user
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "environ", {"HTTP_PROXY": "testproxy"})
+    ret = func(args, ["sh", "-c", 'echo "$HTTP_PROXY"'], output_return=True)
+    assert ret == "testproxy\n"
+
+
+def test_proxy_chroot_root(args, monkeypatch):
+    func = pmb.chroot.root
+    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "environ", {"HTTP_PROXY": "testproxy"})
+    ret = func(args, ["sh", "-c", 'echo "$HTTP_PROXY"'], output_return=True)
+    assert ret == "testproxy\n"
diff --git a/test/test_run_core.py b/test/test_run_core.py
index d120fc0f..13428b55 100644
--- a/test/test_run_core.py
+++ b/test/test_run_core.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # Copyright 2023 Oliver Smith
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 """ Test pmb.helpers.run_core """
-import os
 import pytest
 import re
 import subprocess
@@ -158,11 +157,6 @@ def test_core(args, monkeypatch):
         func(args, msg, ["sleep", "1"], output="log")
     assert re.search(r"^Command failed \(exit code -?\d*\): ", str(e.value))
 
-    # Preserve proxy environment variables
-    monkeypatch.setattr(os, "environ", {"FTP_PROXY": "testproxy"})
-    ret = func(args, msg, ["sh", "-c", 'echo "$FTP_PROXY"'], output_return=True)
-    assert ret == "testproxy\n"
-
 
 @pytest.mark.skip_ci
 def test_sudo_timer(args):