diff --git a/lib/general.sh b/lib/general.sh
index 41413c442c..2c4a8d80a6 100644
--- a/lib/general.sh
+++ b/lib/general.sh
@@ -1223,11 +1223,10 @@ install_pkg_deb ()
 		log_file="${SRC}/output/${LOG_SUBPATH}/install.log"
 	fi
 
-	apt-get -q update
-	if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then echo "apt cannot update" >>$log_file; fi
+	# This is necessary first when there is no apt cache.
 	if $need_upgrade; then
-		apt-get -y upgrade
-		if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then echo "apt cannot upgrade" >>$log_file; fi
+		apt-get -q update || echo "apt cannot update" >>$tmp_file
+		apt-get -y upgrade || echo "apt cannot upgrade" >>$tmp_file
 	fi
 
 	# If the package is not installed, check the latest
@@ -1254,7 +1253,10 @@ install_pkg_deb ()
 	fi
 
 	if [ -n "$for_install" ]; then
-
+		if ! $need_upgrade; then
+			apt-get -q update
+			apt-get -y upgrade
+		fi
 		apt-get install -qq -y --no-install-recommends $for_install
 		echo -e "\nPackages installed:" >>$log_file
 		dpkg-query -W \
@@ -1463,7 +1465,7 @@ prepare_host()
 	sudo echo "apt-cacher-ng    apt-cacher-ng/tunnelenable      boolean false" | sudo debconf-set-selections
 
 	LOG_OUTPUT_FILE="${DEST}"/${LOG_SUBPATH}/hostdeps.log
-	install_pkg_deb "upgrade $hostdeps"
+	install_pkg_deb "$hostdeps"
 	unset LOG_OUTPUT_FILE
 
 	update-ccache-symlinks