diff --git a/lib/debootstrap.sh b/lib/debootstrap.sh
index ed7bc91e0c..3a9c3f41ac 100644
--- a/lib/debootstrap.sh
+++ b/lib/debootstrap.sh
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ prepare_partitions()
 	# stage: create blank image
 	display_alert "Creating blank image for rootfs" "$sdsize MiB" "info"
 	# truncate --size=${sdsize}M ${SDCARD}.raw # sometimes results in fs corruption, revert to previous know to work solution
-	dd if=/dev/zero bs=1M status=none count=$sdsize | pv -p -b -r -s $(( $sdsize * 1024 * 1024 )) | dd status=none of=${SDCARD}.raw
+	dd if=/dev/zero bs=1M status=none count=$sdsize | pv -p -b -r -s $(( $sdsize * 1024 * 1024 )) -N "[ .... ] dd" | dd status=none of=${SDCARD}.raw
 
 	# stage: calculate boot partition size
 	local bootstart=$(($OFFSET * 2048))
@@ -635,14 +635,31 @@ create_image()
 	[[ $(type -t post_build_image) == function ]] && post_build_image "$DEST/images/${version}.img"
 
 	# write image to SD card
-	if [[ $(lsblk "$CARD_DEVICE" 2>/dev/null) && -f $DEST/images/${version}.img && $COMPRESS_OUTPUTIMAGE != yes ]]; then
-		display_alert "Writing image" "$CARD_DEVICE" "info"
-		balena-etcher $DEST/images/${version}.img -d $CARD_DEVICE -y
-		if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
-			display_alert "Writing succeeded" "${version}.img" "info"
+	if [[ $(lsblk "$CARD_DEVICE" 2>/dev/null) && -f $DEST/images/${version}.img ]]; then
+
+		# make sha256sum if it does not exists. we need it for comparisson
+		if [[ -f "$DEST/images/${version}".img.sha ]]; then
+			local ifsha=$(cat $DEST/images/${version}.img.sha | awk '{print $1}')
+		else
+			local ifsha=$(sha256sum -b "$DEST/images/${version}".img | awk '{print $1}')
+		fi
+
+		display_alert "Writing image" "$CARD_DEVICE ${readsha}" "info"
+
+		# write to SD card
+		pv -p -b -r -c -N "[ .... ] dd" $DEST/images/${version}.img | dd of=$CARD_DEVICE bs=1M iflag=fullblock oflag=direct status=none
+
+		# read and compare
+		display_alert "Verifying. Please wait!"
+		local ofsha=$(dd if=$CARD_DEVICE count=$(du -b $DEST/images/${version}.img | cut -f1) status=none iflag=count_bytes oflag=direct | sha256sum | awk '{print $1}')
+		if [[ $ifsha == $ofsha ]]; then
+			display_alert "Writing verified" "${version}.img" "info"
 		else
 			display_alert "Writing failed" "${version}.img" "err"
 		fi
+	elif [[ `systemd-detect-virt` == 'docker' && -n $CARD_DEVICE ]]; then
+		# display warning when we want to write sd card under Docker
+		display_alert "Can't write to $CARD_DEVICE" "Enable docker privileged mode in config-docker.conf" "wrn"
 	fi
 
 } #############################################################################
diff --git a/lib/general.sh b/lib/general.sh
index 6c26346141..ab143b38d3 100644
--- a/lib/general.sh
+++ b/lib/general.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 # prepare_host
 # webseed
 # download_and_verify
-# download_etcher_cli
 
 # cleaning <target>
 #
@@ -735,9 +734,6 @@ prepare_host()
 		fi
 	done
 
-	# download etcher CLI utility
-	download_etcher_cli
-
 	[[ ! -f $USERPATCHES_PATH/customize-image.sh ]] && cp $SRC/config/templates/customize-image.sh.template $USERPATCHES_PATH/customize-image.sh
 
 	if [[ ! -f $USERPATCHES_PATH/README ]]; then
@@ -913,41 +909,6 @@ download_and_verify()
 }
 
 
-download_etcher_cli()
-{
-        local url="https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases/download/v1.4.8/balena-etcher-cli-1.4.8-linux-x64.tar.gz"
-	local hash="9befa06b68bb5846bcf5a9516785d48d6aaa9364d80a5802deb5b6a968bf5404"
-
-        local filename=${url##*/}
-        local dirname=${filename/.tar.gz/-dist}
-
-	export PATH="$PATH:$SRC/cache/utility/$dirname"
-
-        if [[ -f $SRC/cache/utility/$dirname/.download-complete ]]; then
-                return
-        fi
-
-        cd $SRC/cache/utility/
-
-        display_alert "Downloading" "$dirname"
-        curl -Lf --progress-bar $url -o $filename
-
-        local verified=false
-	local b=$(sha256sum $filename)
-
-        display_alert "Verifying"
-
-        [[ "$hash" == "$(sha256sum $filename | cut -d ' ' -f 1)" ]] && verified=true
-
-        if [[ $verified == true ]]; then
-                display_alert "Extracting"
-                tar --no-same-owner --overwrite -xf $filename && touch $SRC/cache/utility/$dirname/.download-complete && rm $filename
-                display_alert "Download complete" "" "info"
-        else
-                display_alert "Verification failed" "" "wrn"
-        fi
-}
-
 
 
 show_developer_warning()