diff --git a/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk b/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk
index 95b23a37e..b683f4363 100644
--- a/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk
+++ b/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 packages:=boost openssl zeromq libiconv
 
+# ccache is useless in gitian builds
+ifneq ($(GITIAN),1)
 native_packages := native_ccache
+endif
 
 hardware_packages := hidapi protobuf libusb
 hardware_native_packages := native_protobuf
diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-android.yml b/contrib/gitian/gitian-android.yml
index 94b7e0f53..80879e0e9 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-android.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-android.yml
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ packages:
 - "ca-certificates"
 - "python"
 - "cmake"
-- "ccache"
 - "protobuf-compiler"
 - "libdbus-1-dev"
 - "libharfbuzz-dev"
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@ script: |
   if test -n "$GBUILD_CACHE_ENABLED"; then
     export SOURCES_PATH=${GBUILD_COMMON_CACHE}
     export BASE_CACHE=${GBUILD_PACKAGE_CACHE}
+    export GITIAN=1
     mkdir -p ${BASE_CACHE} ${SOURCES_PATH}
   fi
 
diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-freebsd.yml b/contrib/gitian/gitian-freebsd.yml
index f2d5110ca..a7c6bbc0d 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-freebsd.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-freebsd.yml
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ packages:
 - "ca-certificates"
 - "python"
 - "cmake"
-- "ccache"
 - "protobuf-compiler"
 - "libdbus-1-dev"
 - "libharfbuzz-dev"
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@ script: |
   if test -n "$GBUILD_CACHE_ENABLED"; then
     export SOURCES_PATH=${GBUILD_COMMON_CACHE}
     export BASE_CACHE=${GBUILD_PACKAGE_CACHE}
+    export GITIAN=1
     mkdir -p ${BASE_CACHE} ${SOURCES_PATH}
   fi
 
diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml b/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml
index 192b08a4a..4e57c42a6 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-linux.yml
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ packages:
 - "ca-certificates"
 - "python"
 - "cmake"
-- "ccache"
 - "protobuf-compiler"
 - "libdbus-1-dev"
 - "libharfbuzz-dev"
@@ -63,6 +62,7 @@ script: |
   if test -n "$GBUILD_CACHE_ENABLED"; then
     export SOURCES_PATH=${GBUILD_COMMON_CACHE}
     export BASE_CACHE=${GBUILD_PACKAGE_CACHE}
+    export GITIAN=1
     mkdir -p ${BASE_CACHE} ${SOURCES_PATH}
   fi
 
diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml b/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml
index 767c4afcd..15bcf530b 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-osx.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ script: |
   if test -n "$GBUILD_CACHE_ENABLED"; then
     export SOURCES_PATH=${GBUILD_COMMON_CACHE}
     export BASE_CACHE=${GBUILD_PACKAGE_CACHE}
+    export GITIAN=1
     mkdir -p ${BASE_CACHE} ${SOURCES_PATH}
   fi
 
diff --git a/contrib/gitian/gitian-win.yml b/contrib/gitian/gitian-win.yml
index 940edaf37..c5a312071 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian/gitian-win.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian/gitian-win.yml
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ script: |
   if test -n "$GBUILD_CACHE_ENABLED"; then
     export SOURCES_PATH=${GBUILD_COMMON_CACHE}
     export BASE_CACHE=${GBUILD_PACKAGE_CACHE}
+    export GITIAN=1
     mkdir -p ${BASE_CACHE} ${SOURCES_PATH}
   fi