diff --git a/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh b/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh
index 670973630d..869f311b60 100644
--- a/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/configuration/main-config.sh
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ function do_extra_configuration() {
 		APT_MIRROR=$UBUNTU_MIRROR
 	fi
 
-	[[ -n $APT_PROXY_ADDR ]] && display_alert "Using custom apt-cacher-ng address" "$APT_PROXY_ADDR" "info"
+	[[ -n "${APT_PROXY_ADDR}" ]] && display_alert "Using custom apt proxy address" "APT_PROXY_ADDR=${APT_PROXY_ADDR}" "info"
 
 	# @TODO: allow to run aggregation, for CONFIG_DEFS_ONLY? rootfs_aggregate_packages
 
diff --git a/lib/functions/host/apt-cacher-ng.sh b/lib/functions/host/apt-cacher-ng.sh
index 0f5f74e83f..655e351ffc 100644
--- a/lib/functions/host/apt-cacher-ng.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/host/apt-cacher-ng.sh
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 
 function acng_configure_and_restart_acng() {
 	if ! armbian_is_host_running_systemd; then return 0; fi                   # do nothing if host is not running systemd
-	[[ $NO_APT_CACHER == yes ]] && return 0                                   # don't if told not to. NO_something=yes is very confusing, but kept for historical reasons
-	[[ "${APT_PROXY_ADDR:-localhost:3142}" != "localhost:3142" ]] && return 0 # also not if acng not local to builder machine
+	[[ "${MANAGE_ACNG}" != "yes" ]] && return 0                               # don't if told not to. NO_something=yes is very confusing, but kept for historical reasons
 
 	display_alert "Preparing acng configuration" "apt-cacher-ng" "info"
 
@@ -55,8 +54,7 @@ function acng_configure_and_restart_acng() {
 }
 
 function acng_check_status_or_restart() {
-	[[ $NO_APT_CACHER == yes ]] && return 0                                   # don't if told not to
-	[[ "${APT_PROXY_ADDR:-localhost:3142}" != "localhost:3142" ]] && return 0 # also not if acng not local to builder machine
+	[[ "${MANAGE_ACNG}" != "yes" ]] && return 0                               # don't if told not to
 
 	if ! systemctl -q is-active apt-cacher-ng.service; then
 		display_alert "ACNG systemd service is not active" "restarting apt-cacher-ng" "warn"
diff --git a/lib/functions/host/prepare-host.sh b/lib/functions/host/prepare-host.sh
index eba1fd82e7..a160372cf9 100644
--- a/lib/functions/host/prepare-host.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/host/prepare-host.sh
@@ -69,7 +69,11 @@ prepare_host() {
 	if armbian_is_running_in_container; then
 		display_alert "Running in container" "Adding provisions for container building" "info"
 		declare -g CONTAINER_COMPAT=yes # this controls mknod usage for loop devices.
-		declare -g NO_APT_CACHER=yes    # disable apt-cacher; we use local cache in Docker volumes.
+
+		if [[ "${MANAGE_ACNG}" == "yes" ]]; then
+			display_alert "Running in container" "Disabling ACNG - MANAGE_ACNG=yes not supported in containers" "warn"
+			declare -g MANAGE_ACNG=no
+		fi
 
 		# trying to use nested containers is not a good idea, so don't permit EXTERNAL_NEW=compile
 		if [[ $EXTERNAL_NEW == compile ]]; then
@@ -279,10 +283,8 @@ function adaptative_prepare_host_dependencies() {
 		host_dependencies+=("python2" "python2-dev")
 	fi
 
-	# warning: apt-cacher-ng will fail if installed and used both on host and in container/chroot environment with shared network
-	# set NO_APT_CACHER=yes to prevent installation errors in such case
-	# @TODO: invert this logic. MANAGE_ACNG=yes
-	if [[ $NO_APT_CACHER != yes ]]; then
+	# Only install acng if asked to.
+	if [[ "${MANAGE_ACNG}" == "yes" ]]; then
 		host_dependencies+=("apt-cacher-ng")
 	fi
 
diff --git a/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh b/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh
index 796704cef5..45c3a00fa5 100644
--- a/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh
@@ -21,10 +21,22 @@ function chroot_sdcard_apt_get() {
 	acng_check_status_or_restart # make sure apt-cacher-ng is running OK.
 
 	local -a apt_params=("-y")
-	[[ $NO_APT_CACHER != yes ]] && apt_params+=(
-		-o "Acquire::http::Proxy=\"http://${APT_PROXY_ADDR:-localhost:3142}\""
-		-o "Acquire::http::Proxy::localhost=\"DIRECT\""
-	)
+	if [[ "${MANAGE_ACNG}" == "yes" ]]; then
+		display_alert "Using managed apt-cacher-ng" "http://localhost:3142" "debug"
+		apt_params+=(
+			-o "Acquire::http::Proxy=\"http://${APT_PROXY_ADDR:-"localhost:3142"}\""
+			-o "Acquire::http::Proxy::localhost=\"DIRECT\""
+		)
+	elif [[ -n "${APT_PROXY_ADDR}" ]]; then
+		display_alert "Using unmanaged apt mirror" "http://${APT_PROXY_ADDR}" "debug"
+		apt_params+=(
+			-o "Acquire::http::Proxy=\"http://${APT_PROXY_ADDR}\""
+			-o "Acquire::http::Proxy::localhost=\"DIRECT\""
+		)
+	else
+		display_alert "Not using apt-cacher-ng, nor proxy" "no proxy/acng" "debug"
+	fi
+
 	apt_params+=(-o "Dpkg::Use-Pty=0") # Please be quiet
 
 	if [[ "${DONT_MAINTAIN_APT_CACHE:-no}" == "yes" ]]; then
diff --git a/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh b/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
index 898aff3370..b8445c1264 100644
--- a/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
@@ -98,11 +98,11 @@ get_or_create_rootfs_cache_chroot_sdcard() {
 function create_new_rootfs_cache() {
 	# this is different between debootstrap and regular apt-get; here we use acng as a prefix to the real repo
 	local debootstrap_apt_mirror="http://${APT_MIRROR}"
-	if [[ $NO_APT_CACHER != yes ]]; then
-		local debootstrap_apt_mirror="http://${APT_PROXY_ADDR:-localhost:3142}/${APT_MIRROR}"
+	if [[ "${MANAGE_ACNG}" == "yes" ]]; then
+		local debootstrap_apt_mirror="http://localhost:3142/${APT_MIRROR}"
 		acng_check_status_or_restart
 	fi
-	
+
 	# @TODO: one day: https://gitlab.mister-muffin.de/josch/mmdebstrap/src/branch/main/mmdebstrap
 
 	display_alert "Installing base system" "Stage 1/2" "info"