diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
index f6be75c5fdc..a65774d2320 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
@@ -1,30 +1,29 @@
 # vim: set ts=4 sw=4 et:
 
 install_base_chroot() {
+    local _bootstrap_arch _target_arch="$1"
     [ "$CHROOT_READY" ] && return
-    if [ "$1" = "bootstrap" ]; then
-        unset XBPS_TARGET_PKG XBPS_INSTALL_ARGS
-    else
-        XBPS_TARGET_PKG="$1"
+    if [ "$_target_arch" = "bootstrap" ]; then
+        _target_arch=""
+        unset XBPS_INSTALL_ARGS
     fi
     # binary bootstrap
     msg_normal "xbps-src: installing base-chroot...\n"
-    # XBPS_TARGET_PKG == arch
-    if [ "$XBPS_TARGET_PKG" ]; then
-        _bootstrap_arch="env XBPS_TARGET_ARCH=$XBPS_TARGET_PKG"
+    if [ -n "$_target_arch" ]; then
+        _bootstrap_arch="env XBPS_TARGET_ARCH=$_target_arch"
     fi
-    (export XBPS_MACHINE=$XBPS_TARGET_PKG XBPS_ARCH=$XBPS_TARGET_PKG; chroot_sync_repodata)
+    (export XBPS_MACHINE="$_target_arch" XBPS_ARCH="$_target_arch"; chroot_sync_repodata)
     ${_bootstrap_arch} $XBPS_INSTALL_CMD ${XBPS_INSTALL_ARGS} -y base-chroot
     if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
         msg_error "xbps-src: failed to install base-chroot!\n"
     fi
     # Reconfigure base-files to create dirs/symlinks.
     if xbps-query -r $XBPS_MASTERDIR base-files &>/dev/null; then
-        XBPS_ARCH=$XBPS_TARGET_PKG xbps-reconfigure -r $XBPS_MASTERDIR -f base-files &>/dev/null
+        XBPS_ARCH="$_target_arch" xbps-reconfigure -r $XBPS_MASTERDIR -f base-files &>/dev/null
     fi
 
     msg_normal "xbps-src: installed base-chroot successfully!\n"
-    chroot_prepare $XBPS_TARGET_PKG || msg_error "xbps-src: failed to initialize chroot!\n"
+    chroot_prepare "$_target_arch" || msg_error "xbps-src: failed to initialize chroot!\n"
     chroot_check
     chroot_handler clean
 }
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh
index e0a67bc8a5e..1bef6e33a9d 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/common.sh
@@ -502,7 +502,18 @@ setup_pkg() {
     # Check if base-chroot is already installed.
     if [ -z "$bootstrap" -a -z "$CHROOT_READY" -a "z$show_problems" != "zignore-problems" ]; then
         msg_red "${pkg} is not a bootstrap package and cannot be built without it.\n"
-        msg_error "Please install bootstrap packages and try again.\n"
+        # if this isn't a script, ask to bootstrap
+        if [ -t 1 ]; then
+            msg_normal "Would you like to binary-bootstrap for ${XBPS_MACHINE} in ${XBPS_MASTERDIR}?"
+            read -rp " [Y/n] " _bin_bootstrap_resp
+            [ -z "$_bin_bootstrap_resp" ] && _bin_bootstrap_resp=y
+        fi
+        if [ "${_bin_bootstrap_resp,,}" = "y" ]; then
+            msg_normal "binary bootstrapping for ${XBPS_MACHINE} in ${XBPS_MASTERDIR}...\n"
+            install_base_chroot "$XBPS_MACHINE"
+        else
+            msg_error "Please run '${PROGNAME} -A ${XBPS_MACHINE} binary-bootstrap' or install bootstrap packages, then try again.\n"
+        fi
     fi
 
     sourcepkg="${pkgname}"