diff --git a/src/bootstrap.sh b/src/bootstrap.sh
index 04150b0..ee5b8a1 100755
--- a/src/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/src/bootstrap.sh
@@ -158,9 +158,10 @@ ROOT="${ROOT}"
 PORTAGE_CONFIGROOT="${ROOT}"
 PORTAGE_TMPDIR="${PORTAGE_TMPDIR}"
 PKGDIR="${PKGDIR}"
+EMERGE="${EMERGE:=emerge}"
 
 export ROOT PORTAGE_CONFIGROOT PORTAGE_TMPDIR PKGDIR
-exec emerge "\$@"
+exec "${EMERGE}" "\$@"
 EOF
 chmod +x bin/"${imagename}"-emerge
 
@@ -180,4 +181,5 @@ exec bwrap --bind "${ROOT}" / --proc /proc --dev /dev --perms 01777 --tmpfs /dev
 EOF
 chmod +x bin/"${imagename}"-bwrap
 
-emerge -1vuDUk ${steve} "$@" @system
+EMERGE="${EMERGE:=emerge}"
+"${EMERGE}" -1vuDUk ${steve} "$@" @system