diff --git a/common/chroot-style/proot.sh b/common/chroot-style/proot.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..6597a437b32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/chroot-style/proot.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# This chroot script uses proot (see http://proot.me)
+#
+readonly MASTERDIR="$1"
+readonly DISTDIR="$2"
+readonly HOSTDIR="$3"
+readonly EXTRA_ARGS="$4"
+readonly COMMAND="$5"
+shift 5
+readonly COMMAND_ARGS="$@"
+
+if ! command -v proot >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$MASTERDIR" -o -z "$DISTDIR" -o -z "$COMMAND" ]; then
+	echo "$0 MASTERDIR/DISTDIR/COMMAND not set"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+exec proot -r $XBPS_MASTERDIR -w / -b $DISTDIR:/void-packages \
+	${HOSTDIR:+-b $HOSTDIR:/host} -b /proc:/proc -b /dev:/dev \
+	-b /sys:/sys $EXTRA_ARGS $COMMAND $COMMAND_ARGS
diff --git a/common/chroot-style/uchroot.sh b/common/chroot-style/uchroot.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..aabf84ee27b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/chroot-style/uchroot.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# This chroot script uses xbps-uchroot(8).
+#
+readonly MASTERDIR="$1"
+readonly DISTDIR="$2"
+readonly HOSTDIR="$3"
+readonly EXTRA_ARGS="$4"
+readonly COMMAND="$5"
+shift 5
+readonly COMMAND_ARGS="$@"
+
+if ! command -v xbps-uchroot >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$MASTERDIR" -o -z "$DISTDIR" -o -z "$COMMAND" ]; then
+	echo "$0 MASTERDIR/DISTDIR/COMMAND not set"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+exec xbps-uchroot $EXTRA_ARGS -D $DISTDIR ${HOSTDIR:+-H $HOSTDIR} $XBPS_MASTERDIR $COMMAND $COMMAND_ARGS
diff --git a/common/chroot-style/uunshare.sh b/common/chroot-style/uunshare.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..54351ecabe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/chroot-style/uunshare.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# This chroot script uses xbps-uunshare(8) with user_namespaces(7).
+#
+readonly MASTERDIR="$1"
+readonly DISTDIR="$2"
+readonly HOSTDIR="$3"
+readonly EXTRA_ARGS="$4"
+readonly COMMAND="$5"
+shift 5
+readonly COMMAND_ARGS="$@"
+
+if ! command -v xbps-uunshare >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$MASTERDIR" -o -z "$DISTDIR" -o -z "$COMMAND" ]; then
+	echo "$0 MASTERDIR/DISTDIR/COMMAND not set"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+exec xbps-uunshare $EXTRA_ARGS -D $DISTDIR ${HOSTDIR:+-H $HOSTDIR} $XBPS_MASTERDIR $COMMAND $COMMAND_ARGS
diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
index f6801429133..08db9728378 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
@@ -145,11 +145,9 @@ chroot_sync_repos() {
 
     if [ -z "$XBPS_SKIP_REMOTEREPOS" ]; then
         # Make sure to sync index for remote repositories.
-        xbps-uunshare $XBPS_MASTERDIR /usr/sbin/xbps-install -S
-        if [ $? -eq 99 ]; then
-            # userns not supported, fallback to uchroot
-            xbps-uchroot $XBPS_MASTERDIR /usr/sbin/xbps-install -S
-        fi
+        $XBPS_COMMONDIR/chroot-style/${XBPS_CHROOT_CMD:=uunshare}.sh \
+            $XBPS_MASTERDIR $XBPS_DISTDIR "$XBPS_HOSTDIR" \
+            "$XBPS_CHROOT_CMD_ARGS" /usr/sbin/xbps-install -S
     fi
 
     if [ -n "$XBPS_CROSS_BUILD" ]; then
@@ -160,13 +158,9 @@ chroot_sync_repos() {
         # Make sure to sync index for remote repositories.
         if [ -z "$XBPS_SKIP_REMOTEREPOS" ]; then
             env XBPS_TARGET_ARCH=$XBPS_TARGET_ARCH \
-                xbps-uunshare $XBPS_MASTERDIR /usr/sbin/xbps-install \
-                -r $XBPS_CROSS_BASE -S
-            if [ $? -eq 99 ]; then
-                env XBPS_TARGET_ARCH=$XBPS_TARGET_ARCH \
-                    xbps-uchroot $XBPS_MASTERDIR /usr/sbin/xbps-install \
-                    -r $XBPS_CROSS_BASE -S
-            fi
+                $XBPS_COMMONDIR/chroot-style/${XBPS_CHROOT_CMD:=uunshare}.sh \
+                $XBPS_MASTERDIR $XBPS_DISTDIR "$XBPS_HOSTDIR" "$XBPS_CHROOT_CMD_ARGS" \
+                /usr/sbin/xbps-install -r $XBPS_CROSS_BASE -S
         fi
     fi
 
@@ -174,27 +168,14 @@ chroot_sync_repos() {
 }
 
 chroot_handler() {
-    local action="$1" pkg="$2" rv=0 arg= _envargs= _chargs=
+    local action="$1" pkg="$2" rv=0 arg= _envargs=
 
     if [ -n "$IN_CHROOT" -o -z "$CHROOT_READY" ]; then
         return 0
     fi
-    # Debian uses /run/shm instead...
-    if [ -d /run/shm ]; then
-        mkdir -p ${XBPS_MASTERDIR}/run/shm
-        _chargs+=" -S /run/shm"
-    elif [ -d /dev/shm ]; then
-        mkdir -p ${XBPS_MASTERDIR}/dev/shm
-        _chargs+=" -S /dev/shm"
-    fi
-
-    if [ -n "$XBPS_HOSTDIR" ]; then
-        _chargs+=" -H $XBPS_HOSTDIR"
-    fi
     if [ ! -d $XBPS_MASTERDIR/void-packages ]; then
         mkdir -p $XBPS_MASTERDIR/void-packages
     fi
-    _chargs+=" -D ${XBPS_DISTDIR}"
 
     [ -z "$action" -a -z "$pkg" ] && return 1
 
@@ -207,13 +188,9 @@ chroot_handler() {
     esac
 
     if [ "$action" = "chroot" ]; then
-        xbps-uunshare ${_chargs} $XBPS_MASTERDIR /bin/xbps-shell
+        $XBPS_COMMONDIR/chroot-style/${XBPS_CHROOT_CMD:=uunshare}.sh \
+            $XBPS_MASTERDIR $XBPS_DISTDIR "$XBPS_HOSTDIR" "$XBPS_CHROOT_CMD_ARGS" /bin/xbps-shell
         rv=$?
-        if [ $rv -eq 99 ]; then
-            # userns not supported, fallback to uchroot
-            xbps-uchroot ${_chargs} $XBPS_MASTERDIR /bin/xbps-shell
-            rv=$?
-        fi
     else
         [ -n "$XBPS_CROSS_BUILD" ] && arg="$arg -a $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD"
         [ -n "$XBPS_KEEP_ALL" ] && arg="$arg -C"
@@ -230,14 +207,10 @@ chroot_handler() {
 
         action="$arg $action"
         env -i PATH="/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:$PATH" HOME=/tmp IN_CHROOT=1 LANG=en_US.UTF-8 \
-            xbps-uunshare ${_chargs} $XBPS_MASTERDIR /void-packages/xbps-src $action $pkg
+            $XBPS_COMMONDIR/chroot-style/${XBPS_CHROOT_CMD:=uunshare}.sh \
+            $XBPS_MASTERDIR $XBPS_DISTDIR "$XBPS_HOSTDIR" "$XBPS_CHROOT_CMD_ARGS" \
+            /void-packages/xbps-src $action $pkg
         rv=$?
-        if [ $rv -eq 99 ]; then
-            # userns not supported, fallback to uchroot
-            env -i PATH="/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:$PATH" HOME=/tmp IN_CHROOT=1 LANG=en_US.UTF-8 \
-                xbps-uchroot ${_chargs} $XBPS_MASTERDIR /void-packages/xbps-src $action $pkg
-            rv=$?
-        fi
     fi
 
     return $rv
diff --git a/etc/defaults.conf b/etc/defaults.conf
index 016d319461e..6b0e8b0c18a 100644
--- a/etc/defaults.conf
+++ b/etc/defaults.conf
@@ -88,3 +88,16 @@ XBPS_SUCMD="sudo /bin/sh -c"
 # override the global options defined above for the matching package.
 #
 #XBPS_PKG_OPTIONS_foo=opt,~opt2,opt3,~opt4
+
+# [OPTIONAL]
+# Set the preferred chroot style. Available styles at common/chroot-style/*.sh:
+#
+# 	- uunshare (uses xbps-uunshare(8), user namespaces)
+# 	- uchroot (uses xbps-uchroot(8), namespaces, setgid)
+# 	- proot (uses proot, external, does not need special permissions)
+#
+# The order is already set as shown above, but can be overriden below.
+# Additional arguments to the chroot style can be passed in via XBPS_CHROOT_CMD_ARGS.
+#
+#XBPS_CHROOT_CMD=proot
+#XBPS_CHROOT_CMD_ARGS=""