diff --git a/.buildkite/hooks/pre-command b/.buildkite/hooks/pre-command
index 1f7b461b78..216a6e0ad4 100755
--- a/.buildkite/hooks/pre-command
+++ b/.buildkite/hooks/pre-command
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ export ACCEPTANCE_ARTIFACTS="$TEST_ARTIFACTS"
 echo "Create test artifacts: mkdir -p $TEST_ARTIFACTS"
 mkdir -p "$TEST_ARTIFACTS"
 
+if [ -z ${BAZEL_REMOTE_S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID+x} ]; then
+    echo "S3 env not set, not starting bazel remote proxy"
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 echo "Starting bazel remote cache proxy"
 
 # Start bazel remote cache proxy for S3
diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline2.sh b/.buildkite/pipeline2.sh
index 6d07c40091..4080a06981 100755
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline2.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline2.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ gen_acceptance() {
         echo "    key: ${name}_acceptance"
         echo "    env:"
         echo "      PYTHONPATH: \"python/:.\""
+        echo "      BAZELRC: .bazelrc_ci"
         echo "    artifact_paths:"
         echo "      - \"artifacts.out/**/*\""
         echo "    retry:"
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ gen_bazel_acceptance() {
         name=${name#'//acceptance/'}
         echo "  - label: \"Acceptance: $name\""
         echo "    command:"
-        echo "      - bazel test $test"
+        echo "      - bazel --bazelrc=.bazelrc_ci test $test"
         echo "    key: ${name}_acceptance"
         echo "    artifact_paths:"
         echo "      - \"artifacts.out/**/*\""
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1904b8be68..f8b7e1b668 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ BRACCEPT = bin/braccept
 
 GAZELLE_MODE?=fix
 
+BAZELRC?=.bazelrc
+
 all: bazel
 
 clean:
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ go_deps.bzl: go.mod
 
 bazel: godeps gogen
 	rm -f bin/*
-	bazel build //:scion //:scion-ci
+	bazel --bazelrc=${BAZELRC} build //:scion //:scion-ci
 	tar -kxf bazel-bin/scion.tar -C bin
 	tar -kxf bazel-bin/scion-ci.tar -C bin
 
diff --git a/docker.sh b/docker.sh
index 1786a16ddb..5440a8aa2f 100755
--- a/docker.sh
+++ b/docker.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ cmd_build() {
 
 cmd_tester() {
     set -eo pipefail
-    bazel run //docker/testimages:scion_testing_bundle
+    bazel --bazelrc=${BAZELRC:-.bazelrc} run //docker/testimages:scion_testing_bundle
     docker build -f "docker/testimages/Dockerfile.sig_accept" -t "scion_sig_acceptance" docker/testimages
 }
 
diff --git a/docker/perapp/build-images.sh b/docker/perapp/build-images.sh
index 7c04d6b636..53ee522f49 100755
--- a/docker/perapp/build-images.sh
+++ b/docker/perapp/build-images.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ STAGE=${1:-prod}
 
 # Build the binaries.
 # This will fetch everything that haven't been fetched yet.
-bazel build //:scion
+bazel --bazelrc="$ROOTDIR/${BAZELRC:-.bazelrc}" build //:scion
 
 # Collect the licenses from the bazel cache.
 pushd $ROOTDIR/bazel-scion*/external
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ tar cf $ROOTDIR/docker/perapp/licenses.tar -C $TMPDIR --transform 's,^,licenses/
 rm -rf $TMPDIR
 
 # Build the images and push them to local docker repository.
-bazel run //docker/perapp:$STAGE
+bazel --bazelrc="$ROOTDIR/${BAZELRC:-.bazelrc}" run //docker/perapp:$STAGE
 
 # Remove licenses
 tar cvf $ROOTDIR/docker/perapp/licenses.tar --files-from /dev/null