diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages
index 7b25e306..a57eaa75 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/bin/install-packages
@@ -20,6 +20,25 @@ fi
 set -eu
 set -o pipefail
 
+# env is not sourced with user specified package inclusions
+# set the default bash array if GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV is not defined as an array
+if ! declare -p GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV  2> /dev/null | grep -q '^declare \-a'; then
+    declare -a GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("USE=\"-build\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("FEATURES=\"binpkg-multi-instance buildpkg parallel-fetch parallel-install\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("PKGDIR=\"/tmp/portage-pkgdir\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("DISTDIR=\"/tmp/portage-distdir\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("PORTDIR=\"/tmp/portage-portdir\"")
+    export GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV
+    #export GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV=('USE="-build"' 'FEATURES="binpkg-multi-instance buildpkg parallel-fetch parallel-install"')
+fi
+# itterate over the array, exporting each 'line'
+for (( i=0; i<${#GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV[@]}; i++ )); do
+    eval export "${GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV[i]}"
+done
+# set default opts
+GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS=${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS:-"--binpkg-respect-use --rebuilt-binaries=y --usepkg=y --with-bdeps=y --binpkg-changed-deps=y --quiet --jobs=2 --autounmask=n"}
+
 ACTION='install'
 
 SCRIPTNAME="$(basename $0)"
@@ -55,7 +74,7 @@ eval set -- "${TEMP}"
 while true; do
     case "${1}" in
         -u )
-            if [[ ! -f /usr/portage/profiles ]]; then
+            if [[ ! -f ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]]; then
                 emerge-webrsync -q
             fi
             install_gentoo_packages --update --deep --newuse --complete-graph=y @world
@@ -100,12 +119,12 @@ if [[ -z "${PKGS}" ]]; then
     echo "Not running install-packages ${ACTION} with empty packages list"
 else
     if [[ "${ACTION}" == 'install' ]]; then
-        if [[ ! -f /usr/portage/profiles ]]; then
+        if [[ ! -f ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]]; then
             emerge-webrsync -q
         fi
         install_gentoo_packages -q --jobs=2 --changed-use "${PKGS}"
     elif [[ "${ACTION}" == 'remove' ]]; then
-        if [[ ! -f /usr/portage/profiles ]]; then
+        if [[ ! -f ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]]; then
             emerge-webrsync -q
         fi
         install_gentoo_packages -C "${PKGS}"
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/cleanup.d/05-unmount b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/cleanup.d/05-unmount
index 9b720380..47d4c78d 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/cleanup.d/05-unmount
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/cleanup.d/05-unmount
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@ set -o pipefail
 
 [[ -n "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}" ]]
 
-sudo umount -f "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/distfiles
-sudo umount -f "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/packages
-sudo umount -f "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage
+sudo umount -f "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${DISTDIR}"
+sudo umount -f "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PKGDIR}"
+sudo umount -f "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PORTDIR}"
 
 sudo rm -Rf "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/root/.ccache/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/src/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/var/cache/edb/dep/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/var/cache/genkernel/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/var/empty/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/var/state/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/var/tmp/*
 sudo rm -Rf "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/etc/*- "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/etc/*.old "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/etc/ssh/ssh_host_* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/root/.*history "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/root/.lesshst "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/root/.ssh/known_hosts "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/root/.viminfo "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/share/genkernel "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/lib64/python*/site-packages/gentoolkit/test/eclean/testdistfiles.tar.gz
 if [[ "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_CLEANUP}" != "False" ]]; then
     # remove portage files
-    sudo rm -Rf "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/.git "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/var/cache/portage/distfiles
+    sudo rm -Rf "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PORTDIR}"/* "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PORTDIR}"/.git "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/var/cache/portage/distfiles "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/*
 fi
 
 # shrink a bit
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
index fc56255e..74a308ce 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/environment.d/00-gentoo-envars.bash
@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
 export DIB_RELEASE=gentoo
 export DISTRO_NAME=gentoo
-export GENTOO_PROFILE=${GENTOO_PROFILE:-'default/linux/amd64/17.0'}
+export GENTOO_PROFILE=${GENTOO_PROFILE:-'default/linux/amd64/17.1'}
 export GENTOO_PORTAGE_CLEANUP=${GENTOO_PORTAGE_CLEANUP:-'True'}
 export GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS=${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS:-'python2_7 python3_6'}
 export GENTOO_PYTHON_ACTIVE_VERSION=${GENTOO_PYTHON_ACTIVE_VERSION:-'python3.6'}
 export GENTOO_OVERLAYS=${GENTOO_OVERLAYS:-''}
-export GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS=${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS:-"--binpkg-respect-use --rebuilt-binaries=y --usepkg=y --with-bdeps=y --binpkg-changed-deps=y --quiet --jobs=2"}
+export GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS=${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS:-"--binpkg-respect-use --rebuilt-binaries=y --usepkg=y --with-bdeps=y --binpkg-changed-deps=y --quiet --jobs=2 --autounmask=n"}
 
 # set the default bash array if GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV is not defined as an array
 if ! declare -p GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV  2> /dev/null | grep -q '^declare \-a'; then
-    export GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV=('USE="-build"' 'FEATURES="binpkg-multi-instance buildpkg parallel-fetch parallel-install"' 'EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS="--autounmask=n"')
+    declare -a GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("USE=\"-build\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("FEATURES=\"binpkg-multi-instance buildpkg parallel-fetch parallel-install\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("PKGDIR=\"/tmp/portage-pkgdir\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("DISTDIR=\"/tmp/portage-distdir\"")
+    GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV+=("PORTDIR=\"/tmp/portage-portdir\"")
+    export GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV
 fi
 # itterate over the array, exporting each 'line'
 for (( i=0; i<${#GENTOO_EMERGE_ENV[@]}; i++ )); do
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/finalise.d/99-cleanup b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/finalise.d/99-cleanup
index 0f9217df..ba42a0b8 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/finalise.d/99-cleanup
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/finalise.d/99-cleanup
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # sync if needed
-[[ ! -e /usr/portage/profiles ]] && emerge-webrsync
+[[ ! -e ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]] && emerge-webrsync
 
 # make world consistent
 emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --complete-graph=y --update --newuse --deep @world
@@ -47,3 +47,6 @@ unfix_shm
 
 # remove within the chroot since /var/run is a symlink
 rm -Rf /var/run/* /run/*
+
+# after updating, set profile to where PORTDIR actually is (varies by profile)
+ln -sf ../.."$(env -u PORTDIR portageq get_repo_path / gentoo)/profiles/${GENTOO_PROFILE}" /etc/portage/make.profile
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-finalise.d/01-gentoo-cache b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-finalise.d/01-gentoo-cache
index 32887405..8982bbf4 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-finalise.d/01-gentoo-cache
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-finalise.d/01-gentoo-cache
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ GENTOO_PORTAGE_DISTFILES_DIR="${DIB_IMAGE_CACHE}/gentoo/distfiles"
 GENTOO_PORTAGE_PACKAGE_DIR="${DIB_IMAGE_CACHE}/gentoo/packages/${GENTOO_PROFILE}"
 GENTOO_PORTAGE_DIR="${DIB_IMAGE_CACHE}/gentoo/portage"
 
-sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage
-mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/distfiles
-sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DISTFILES_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/distfiles
-mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/packages
-sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_PACKAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/packages
+mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PORTDIR}"
+sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PORTDIR}"
+mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${DISTDIR}"
+sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DISTFILES_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${DISTDIR}"
+mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PKGDIR}"
+sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_PACKAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PKGDIR}"
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-00-set-profile b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-00-set-profile
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..015e5373
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-00-set-profile
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-0} -gt 0 ]; then
+    set -x
+fi
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+# set profile symlink to the hardcoded PORDIR
+ln -sf ../.."${PORTDIR}/profiles/${GENTOO_PROFILE}" /etc/portage/make.profile
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-03-enable-overlays b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-03-enable-overlays
index 347bfe47..7f843c84 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-03-enable-overlays
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-03-enable-overlays
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if [[ ${GENTOO_OVERLAYS} != '' ]]; then
         fix_shm
     fi
 
-    if [[ ! -f /usr/portage/profiles ]]; then
+    if [[ ! -f ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]]; then
         emerge-webrsync -q
     fi
 
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python
index 5c51f559..fde74d7c 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/pre-install.d/02-gentoo-04-install-desired-python
@@ -14,9 +14,7 @@ else
     fix_shm
 fi
 
-if [[ ! -f /usr/portage/profiles ]]; then
-    emerge-webrsync -q
-fi
+[[ ! -f ${PORTDIR}/profiles ]] && emerge-webrsync -q
 
 echo "PYTHON_TARGETS=\"${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}\"" >> /etc/portage/make.conf
 [[ "${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}" == *"python3_6"* ]] && [[ ! -e /usr/lib64/libpython3.6m.so ]] && emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --oneshot dev-lang/python:3.6
@@ -24,12 +22,11 @@ echo "PYTHON_TARGETS=\"${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}\"" >> /etc/portage/make.conf
 [[ "${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}" == *"python3_4"* ]] && [[ ! -e /usr/lib64/libpython3.4m.so ]] && emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --oneshot dev-lang/python:3.4
 [[ "${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}" == *"python2_7"* ]] && [[ ! -e /usr/lib64/libpython2.7.so ]] && emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --oneshot dev-lang/python:2.7
 # disable python in git if we have to, it only supports python-2.7
-if [[ "${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}" != *"python2_7"* ]]; then
-    echo 'dev-vcs/git -python' >> /etc/portage/package.use/git
-fi
+[[ "${GENTOO_PYTHON_TARGETS}" != *"python2_7"* ]] && echo 'dev-vcs/git -python' >> /etc/portage/package.use/git
+
 # make sure we have the new python for portage bevore we possibly remove python 2.7
 # this is done one by one with nodeps because it can sometimes have dependency loops
-PYTHON_PACKAGES="dev-python/six dev-python/packaging dev-python/pyparsing dev-python/appdirs dev-python/setuptools dev-python/certifi"
+PYTHON_PACKAGES="dev-python/six dev-python/packaging dev-python/appdirs dev-python/setuptools dev-python/pyparsing dev-python/certifi"
 for PACKAGE in ${PYTHON_PACKAGES}; do
     emerge ${GENTOO_EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS} --oneshot --update --newuse --deep --nodeps "${PACKAGE}"
 done
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image
index a278695d..482c2814 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/10-gentoo-image
@@ -38,17 +38,17 @@ fi
 # default/linux/amd64/13.0/no-multilib
 # hardened/linux/amd64
 # hardened/linux/amd64/no-multilib
-GENTOO_PROFILE=${GENTOO_PROFILE:-'default/linux/amd64/17.0'}
-if [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.0" ]]; then
+GENTOO_PROFILE=${GENTOO_PROFILE:-'default/linux/amd64/17.1'}
+if [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.1" ]]; then
     FILENAME_BASE='gentoo-stage4'
     SIGNED_SOURCE_SUFFIX='minimal'
-elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.0/no-multilib" ]]; then
+elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.1/no-multilib" ]]; then
     FILENAME_BASE='gentoo-stage4-nomultilib'
     SIGNED_SOURCE_SUFFIX='minimal-nomultilib'
-elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.0/hardened" ]]; then
+elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.1/hardened" ]]; then
     FILENAME_BASE='gentoo-stage4-hardened'
     SIGNED_SOURCE_SUFFIX='hardened+minimal'
-elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.0/no-multilib/hardened" ]]; then
+elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.1/no-multilib/hardened" ]]; then
     FILENAME_BASE='gentoo-stage4-hardened-nomultilib'
     SIGNED_SOURCE_SUFFIX='hardened+minimal-nomultilib'
 elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.0/systemd" ]]; then
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ elif [[ "${GENTOO_PROFILE}" == "default/linux/amd64/17.0/systemd" ]]; then
     SIGNED_SOURCE_SUFFIX='systemd'
 else
     echo 'invalid profile, please select from the following profiles'
-    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.0'
-    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.0/no-multilib'
-    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.0/hardened'
-    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.0/no-multilib/hardened'
+    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.1'
+    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.1/no-multilib'
+    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.1/hardened'
+    echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.1/no-multilib/hardened'
     echo 'default/linux/amd64/17.0/systemd'
     exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/50-gentoo-cache b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/50-gentoo-cache
index 84143016..4de11dff 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/50-gentoo-cache
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/gentoo/root.d/50-gentoo-cache
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ GENTOO_PORTAGE_PACKAGE_DIR="${DIB_IMAGE_CACHE}/gentoo/packages/${GENTOO_PROFILE}
 GENTOO_PORTAGE_DIR="${DIB_IMAGE_CACHE}/gentoo/portage"
 mkdir -p "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DIR}" "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_PACKAGE_DIR}" "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DISTFILES_DIR}"
 
-sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage
-mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/distfiles
-sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DISTFILES_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/distfiles
-mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/packages
-sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_PACKAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}"/usr/portage/packages
+mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PORTDIR}"
+sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PORTDIR}"
+mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${DISTDIR}"
+sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_DISTFILES_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${DISTDIR}"
+mkdir -p "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PKGDIR}"
+sudo mount --bind "${GENTOO_PORTAGE_PACKAGE_DIR}" "${TMP_MOUNT_PATH}${PKGDIR}"