diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5f6a08c..3a63f84 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ TO begin with:
 
 `make kernel_inject` Injects a newly built kernel into a previously build PrawnOS.img located in the root of the checkout
 
+You can use the environment variable `PRAWNOS_DEBOOTSTRAP_MIRROR` to use a non-default Debian mirror with debootstrap.  For example, to use [Debian's Tor onion service mirror](https://onion.debian.org/) with debootstrap, you can build with `sudo PRAWNOS_DEBOOTSTRAP_MIRROR=http://vwakviie2ienjx6t.onion/debian make image`.
+
 
 ### GPU Support
 
diff --git a/scripts/buildDebianFs.sh b/scripts/buildDebianFs.sh
index d1fa711..7c4691d 100755
--- a/scripts/buildDebianFs.sh
+++ b/scripts/buildDebianFs.sh
@@ -78,9 +78,15 @@ create_image() {
 # create a 2GB image with the Chrome OS partition layout
 create_image PrawnOS-Alpha-c201-libre-2GB.img $outdev 50M 40 $outmnt
 
+# use default debootstrap mirror if none is specified
+if [ "$PRAWNOS_DEBOOTSTRAP_MIRROR" = "" ]
+then
+    PRAWNOS_DEBOOTSTRAP_MIRROR=http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian
+fi
+
 # install Debian on it
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
-qemu-debootstrap --arch armhf stretch --include locales,init --keyring=$build_resources/debian-archive-keyring.gpg $outmnt http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian
+qemu-debootstrap --arch armhf stretch --include locales,init --keyring=$build_resources/debian-archive-keyring.gpg $outmnt $PRAWNOS_DEBOOTSTRAP_MIRROR
 chroot $outmnt passwd -d root