diff --git a/abuild.conf b/abuild.conf
index 3b6636e..6721e7f 100644
--- a/abuild.conf
+++ b/abuild.conf
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ export MAKEFLAGS=-j$JOBS
 # remove line below to disable colors
 USE_COLORS=1
 
+# uncomment line below to enable ccache support.
+#USE_CCACHE=1
+
 SRCDEST=/var/cache/distfiles
 
 # uncomment line below to store built packages in other location
diff --git a/abuild.in b/abuild.in
index 8483cf8..9250411 100644
--- a/abuild.in
+++ b/abuild.in
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ fi
 : ${APK:="apk"}
 : ${ADDUSER:="abuild-adduser"}
 : ${ADDGROUP:="abuild-addgroup"}
+: ${CC:="gcc"}
+: ${CXX:="g++"}
 
 apk_opt_wait="--wait 30"
 
@@ -2054,6 +2056,9 @@ builddeps() {
 	mhd=$(get_missing_deps "--root $CBUILDROOT --arch $CTARGET_ARCH" $hostdeps) || return 1
 	missing=$(echo $mbd $mhd)
 
+	# shall ccache be added?
+	[ -n "$USE_CCACHE" ] && missing="$missing ccache"
+
 	if [ -z "$install_deps" ]; then
 		# if we dont have any missing deps we are done now
 		[ -z "$missing" ] && return 0
@@ -2138,6 +2143,7 @@ rootbld() {
 		"$BUILD_ROOT/$SRCDEST" "$BUILD_ROOT/$REPODEST" \
 		"$BUILD_ROOT/tmp/pkg" "$BUILD_ROOT/tmp/src" \
 		"$BUILD_ROOT/usr/bin" "$pkgbasedir" "$REPODEST" \
+		"$BUILD_ROOT/$HOME/.ccache" \
 		"$srcdir"
 
 	cp /etc/abuild.conf /etc/group /etc/passwd "$BUILD_ROOT/etc"
@@ -2170,7 +2176,7 @@ rootbld() {
 
 	calcdeps
 	$SUDO_APK add --initdb --root "$BUILD_ROOT" --update \
-		abuild alpine-base build-base git $hostdeps $builddeps
+		abuild alpine-base build-base git ccache $hostdeps $builddeps
 
 	local bwrap_opts=""
 	options_has "net" || bwrap_opts="$bwrap_opts --unshare-net"
@@ -2181,6 +2187,7 @@ rootbld() {
 		--bind "$BUILD_ROOT/$HOME" "$HOME" \
 		--ro-bind "$HOME/.abuild" "$HOME/.abuild" \
 		--ro-bind "$aportsgit" "$aportsgit" \
+		--bind "$HOME/.ccache" "$HOME/.ccache" \
 		--bind "$SRCDEST" "$SRCDEST" \
 		--bind "$BUILD_ROOT/tmp" /tmp \
 		--bind "$BUILD_ROOT/tmp/src" "$srcdir" \
@@ -2491,6 +2498,24 @@ if [ $(id -u) -eq 0 ] && [ -z "$FAKEROOTKEY" ]; then
 	FAKEROOT=
 fi
 
+# check for ccache presence and maybe export its path
+if [ -n "$USE_CCACHE" ]; then
+	if ! command -v ccache >/dev/null; then
+		die "Ccache is enabled; however, the binary can not be found."
+	fi
+
+	if [ ! -d "$HOME/.ccache" ]; then
+		die "Ccache is enabled; however, the user cache directory is not found."
+	fi
+
+	if [ ! -f "$HOME/.ccache/ccache.conf" ]; then
+		die "Ccache is enabled; however, the ccache configuration file is not found."
+	fi
+
+	# prepend ccache path
+	export PATH="/usr/lib/ccache/bin:$PATH"
+fi
+
 # find startdir
 [ -f "$APKBUILD" ] || die "Could not find $APKBUILD (PWD=$PWD)"
 APKBUILD=$(readlink -f "$APKBUILD")
@@ -2509,9 +2534,7 @@ SRCDEST=${SRCDEST:-$startdir}
 
 BUILD_ROOT=
 
-# set a default CC
-: ${CC:=gcc}
-export CC
+export CC CXX
 
 cd "$startdir" || die
 . "$APKBUILD"
diff --git a/functions.sh.in b/functions.sh.in
index fb474a5..435b240 100644
--- a/functions.sh.in
+++ b/functions.sh.in
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ hostspec_to_libc() {
 readconfig() {
 	local _APORTSDIR _BUILDDIR _PKGDEST _SRCPKGDEST _REPODEST _SRCDEST
 	local _CARCH _CHOST _CTARGET _CPPFLAGS _CFLAGS _CXXFLAGS _LDFLAGS
-	local _JOBS _MAKEFLAGS _PACKAGER _USE_COLORS
+	local _JOBS _MAKEFLAGS _PACKAGER _USE_COLORS _USE_CCACHE
 	local gitbase=
 	[ -n "${APORTSDIR+x}" ] && _APORTSDIR=$APORTSDIR
 	[ -n "${BUILDDIR+x}" ] && _BUILDDIR=$BUILDDIR
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ readconfig() {
 	[ -n "${MAKEFLAGS+x}" ] && _MAKEFLAGS=$MAKEFLAGS
 	[ -n "${PACKAGER+x}" ] && _PACKAGER=$PACKAGER
 	[ -n "${USE_COLORS+x}" ] && _USE_COLORS="$USE_COLORS"
+	[ -n "${USE_CCACHE+x}" ] && _USE_CCACHE="$USE_CCACHE"
 	: ${ABUILD_CONF:=$sysconfdir/abuild.conf}
 	: ${ABUILD_USERDIR:=$HOME/.abuild}
 	: ${ABUILD_USERCONF:=$ABUILD_USERDIR/abuild.conf}
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ readconfig() {
 	MAKEFLAGS=${_MAKEFLAGS-$MAKEFLAGS}
 	PACKAGER=${_PACKAGER-$PACKAGER}
 	USE_COLORS=${_USE_COLORS-$USE_COLORS}
+	USE_CCACHE=${_USE_CCACHE-$USE_CCACHE}
 
 	[ -z "$CBUILD" ] && CBUILD="$(gcc -dumpmachine)"
 	[ -z "$CHOST" ] && CHOST="$CBUILD"