diff --git a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
index 63e004315c..8bd18ce835 100644
--- a/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
+++ b/common/xbps-src/shutils/chroot.sh
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ chroot_handler() {
     local action="$1" pkg="$2" rv=0 arg= _envargs= _chargs=
 
     if [ -n "$IN_CHROOT" -o -z "$CHROOT_READY" ]; then
-        return 0
+        return 1
     fi
     # Debian uses /run/shm instead...
     if [ -d /run/shm ]; then
diff --git a/xbps-src b/xbps-src
index 65262b66fa..5f2fe3cad9 100755
--- a/xbps-src
+++ b/xbps-src
@@ -534,57 +534,38 @@ case "$XBPS_TARGET" in
         install_bbootstrap
         ;;
     bootstrap-update)
-        if [ -n "$CHROOT_READY" -a -z "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
-            chroot_handler ${XBPS_TARGET} dummy
-        else
-            pkgver=xbps-src
-            remove_pkg_autodeps
-            ${XBPS_INSTALL_CMD} -yu
-        fi
+        chroot_handler ${XBPS_TARGET} || remove_pkg_autodeps
+        ${XBPS_INSTALL_CMD} -yu
         ;;
     chroot)
         chroot_handler chroot dummy
         ;;
     clean)
         if [ -z "$XBPS_TARGET_PKG" ]; then
-            if [ -n "$CHROOT_READY" -a -z "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
-                chroot_handler remove-autodeps
-            else
-                pkgver=xbps-src
-                remove_pkg_autodeps
-            fi
+            chroot_handler remove-autodeps || remove_pkg_autodeps
             msg_normal "xbps-src: cleaning up masterdir...\n"
             rm -rf $XBPS_MASTERDIR/builddir $XBPS_MASTERDIR/destdir
         else
             read_pkg
-            if [ -n "$CHROOT_READY" -a -z "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
-                chroot_handler $XBPS_TARGET $XBPS_TARGET_PKG || exit $?
-            else
+            chroot_handler $XBPS_TARGET $XBPS_TARGET_PKG || {
                 remove_pkg_wrksrc $wrksrc
                 remove_pkg_statedir
                 if declare -f do_clean >/dev/null; then
                     run_func do_clean
                 fi
-            fi
-            remove_pkg $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD
+                remove_pkg $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD
+            }
         fi
         ;;
     remove-autodeps)
-        if [ -n "$CHROOT_READY" -a -z "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
-            chroot_handler remove-autodeps
-        else
-            pkgver=xbps-src
-            remove_pkg_autodeps
-        fi
+        chroot_handler $XBPS_TARGET || remove_pkg_autodeps
         ;;
     fetch|extract|build|configure|install|pkg)
         BEGIN_INSTALL=1
         read_pkg
-        if [ -n "$CHROOT_READY" -a -z "$IN_CHROOT" ]; then
-            chroot_handler $XBPS_TARGET $XBPS_TARGET_PKG
-        else
+        chroot_handler $XBPS_TARGET $XBPS_TARGET_PKG || {
             install_pkg $XBPS_TARGET $XBPS_CROSS_BUILD
-        fi
+        }
         ;;
     remove|remove-destdir)
         read_pkg