diff --git a/build.env b/build.env
index 76fb5c91879..5bbc769419a 100755
--- a/build.env
+++ b/build.env
@@ -44,3 +44,8 @@ ln -sf "$PWD/misc/git/pre-commit" .git/hooks/pre-commit
 ln -sf "$PWD/misc/git/commit-msg" .git/hooks/commit-msg
 git config core.hooksPath .git/hooks
 export EXTRA_BIN=$PWD/test/bin
+
+# support private github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons repo
+if [[ -n "${GH_ACCESS_TOKEN}" ]]; then
+  git config --global url.https://${GH_ACCESS_TOKEN}@github.com/.insteadOf https://github.com/
+fi
diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb b/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb
index 95c93f0c27e..7ab85a173bc 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb
@@ -16,16 +16,13 @@ ARG BUILD_GIT_BRANCH
 ARG BUILD_GIT_REV
 
 # Allows private repo go dependencies
+ARG GOPRIVATE
 ARG GH_ACCESS_TOKEN
 
 # Re-copy sources from working tree
 USER root
 COPY . /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
 
-# Allow checkout of github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons (private repo)
-ENV GOPRIVATE=github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons
-RUN git config --global url.https://$GH_ACCESS_TOKEN@github.com/.insteadOf https://github.com/
-
 # Build Vitess
 RUN make build
 
diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb103 b/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb103
index 804bd739a96..24978c0c5d9 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb103
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile.mariadb103
@@ -16,16 +16,13 @@ ARG BUILD_GIT_BRANCH
 ARG BUILD_GIT_REV
 
 # Allows private repo go dependencies
+ARG GOPRIVATE
 ARG GH_ACCESS_TOKEN
 
 # Re-copy sources from working tree
 USER root
 COPY . /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
 
-# Allow checkout of github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons (private repo)
-ENV GOPRIVATE=github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons
-RUN git config --global url.https://$GH_ACCESS_TOKEN@github.com/.insteadOf https://github.com/
-
 # Build Vitess
 RUN make build
 
diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile.mysql80 b/docker/base/Dockerfile.mysql80
index 3a20f07dce3..d490d091aa8 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile.mysql80
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile.mysql80
@@ -16,16 +16,13 @@ ARG BUILD_GIT_BRANCH
 ARG BUILD_GIT_REV
 
 # Allows private repo go dependencies
+ARG GOPRIVATE
 ARG GH_ACCESS_TOKEN
 
 # Re-copy sources from working tree
 USER root
 COPY . /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
 
-# Allow checkout of github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons (private repo)
-ENV GOPRIVATE=github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons
-RUN git config --global url.https://$GH_ACCESS_TOKEN@github.com/.insteadOf https://github.com/
-
 # Build Vitess
 RUN make build
 
diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona57 b/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona57
index 8551851d379..67db7f15394 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona57
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona57
@@ -30,16 +30,13 @@ ARG BUILD_GIT_BRANCH
 ARG BUILD_GIT_REV
 
 # Allows private repo go dependencies
+ARG GOPRIVATE
 ARG GH_ACCESS_TOKEN
 
 # Re-copy sources from working tree
 USER root
 COPY . /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
 
-# Allow checkout of github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons (private repo)
-ENV GOPRIVATE=github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons
-RUN git config --global url.https://$GH_ACCESS_TOKEN@github.com/.insteadOf https://github.com/
-
 # Build Vitess
 RUN make build
 
diff --git a/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona80 b/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona80
index ac1889e1ec3..3c8fcd8bcfa 100644
--- a/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona80
+++ b/docker/base/Dockerfile.percona80
@@ -30,16 +30,13 @@ ARG BUILD_GIT_BRANCH
 ARG BUILD_GIT_REV
 
 # Allows private repo go dependencies
+ARG GOPRIVATE
 ARG GH_ACCESS_TOKEN
 
 # Re-copy sources from working tree
 USER root
 COPY . /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
 
-# Allow checkout of github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons (private repo)
-ENV GOPRIVATE=github.com/slackhq/vitess-addons
-RUN git config --global url.https://$GH_ACCESS_TOKEN@github.com/.insteadOf https://github.com/
-
 # Fix permissions
 RUN chown -R vitess:vitess /vt
 USER vitess