diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5606b93b65..c96973cf9f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,8 +39,5 @@ cmd/nginx-ingress/nginx-ingress
 # Default certificate and key
 default.pem
 
-# Dockerfiles for building
-/Dockerfile
-
 # IntelliJ IDEA
 .idea
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f01ca518d1..b3b16691dd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ VERSION = edge
 TAG = $(VERSION)
 PREFIX = nginx/nginx-ingress
 
+GOLANG_CONTAINER = golang:1.13
 DOCKERFILEPATH = build
 DOCKERFILE = Dockerfile # note, this can be overwritten e.g. can be DOCKERFILE=DockerFileForPlus
 
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ PUSH_TO_GCR =
 GENERATE_DEFAULT_CERT_AND_KEY =
 DOCKER_BUILD_OPTIONS =
 
-GIT_COMMIT=$(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+GIT_COMMIT = $(shell git rev-parse --short HEAD)
 
 export DOCKER_BUILDKIT = 1
 
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ endif
 
 container: test verify-codegen binary certificate-and-key
 ifeq ($(BUILD_IN_CONTAINER),1)
-	docker build $(DOCKER_BUILD_OPTIONS) --build-arg IC_VERSION=$(VERSION)-$(GIT_COMMIT) --target container -f $(DOCKERFILEPATH)/$(DOCKERFILE) -t $(PREFIX):$(TAG) .
+	docker build $(DOCKER_BUILD_OPTIONS) --build-arg IC_VERSION=$(VERSION)-$(GIT_COMMIT) --build-arg GIT_COMMIT=$(GIT_COMMIT) --build-arg VERSION=$(VERSION) --build-arg GOLANG_CONTAINER=$(GOLANG_CONTAINER) --target container -f $(DOCKERFILEPATH)/$(DOCKERFILE) -t $(PREFIX):$(TAG) .
 else
 	docker build $(DOCKER_BUILD_OPTIONS) --build-arg IC_VERSION=$(VERSION)-$(GIT_COMMIT) --target local -f $(DOCKERFILEPATH)/$(DOCKERFILE) -t $(PREFIX):$(TAG) .
 endif
diff --git a/build/Dockerfile b/build/Dockerfile
index 1ed800833e..9114a4b6dd 100644
--- a/build/Dockerfile
+++ b/build/Dockerfile
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+ARG GOLANG_CONTAINER
+
 FROM nginx:1.17.7 AS base
 
 # forward nginx access and error logs to stdout and stderr of the ingress
@@ -36,7 +38,9 @@ FROM base AS local
 COPY nginx-ingress /
 
 
-FROM golang:1.13 AS builder
+FROM $GOLANG_CONTAINER AS builder
+ARG VERSION
+ARG GIT_COMMIT
 WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/cmd/nginx-ingress
 COPY . /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOFLAGS='-mod=vendor' \
diff --git a/build/DockerfileForAlpine b/build/DockerfileForAlpine
index fa20800129..2dd50fee19 100644
--- a/build/DockerfileForAlpine
+++ b/build/DockerfileForAlpine
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+ARG GOLANG_CONTAINER
+
 FROM nginx:1.17.7-alpine AS base
 
 # forward nginx access and error logs to stdout and stderr of the ingress
@@ -35,7 +37,9 @@ FROM base AS local
 COPY nginx-ingress /
 
 
-FROM golang:1.13 AS builder
+FROM $GOLANG_CONTAINER AS builder
+ARG VERSION
+ARG GIT_COMMIT
 WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/cmd/nginx-ingress
 COPY . /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOFLAGS='-mod=vendor' \
diff --git a/build/DockerfileForPlus b/build/DockerfileForPlus
index 434229d74a..a78b733257 100644
--- a/build/DockerfileForPlus
+++ b/build/DockerfileForPlus
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+ARG GOLANG_CONTAINER
+
 FROM debian:stretch-slim AS base
 
 LABEL maintainer="NGINX Docker Maintainers <docker-maint@nginx.com>"
@@ -77,7 +79,9 @@ FROM base AS local
 COPY nginx-ingress /
 
 
-FROM golang:1.13 AS builder
+FROM $GOLANG_CONTAINER AS builder
+ARG VERSION
+ARG GIT_COMMIT
 WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/cmd/nginx-ingress
 COPY . /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOFLAGS='-mod=vendor' \
diff --git a/build/DockerfileWithOpentracing b/build/DockerfileWithOpentracing
index ccbeb14dc5..fa58a678dd 100644
--- a/build/DockerfileWithOpentracing
+++ b/build/DockerfileWithOpentracing
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ARG NGINX_VERSION=1.17.7
 ARG OPENTRACING_CPP_VERSION=1.5.1
+ARG GOLANG_CONTAINER
 
 FROM nginx:${NGINX_VERSION} AS opentracing-builder
 ARG OPENTRACING_CPP_VERSION
@@ -102,7 +103,9 @@ FROM base AS local
 COPY nginx-ingress /
 
 
-FROM golang:1.13 AS builder
+FROM $GOLANG_CONTAINER AS builder
+ARG VERSION
+ARG GIT_COMMIT
 WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/cmd/nginx-ingress
 COPY . /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOFLAGS='-mod=vendor' \
diff --git a/build/DockerfileWithOpentracingForPlus b/build/DockerfileWithOpentracingForPlus
index 8e4cd58103..dc94581dd8 100644
--- a/build/DockerfileWithOpentracingForPlus
+++ b/build/DockerfileWithOpentracingForPlus
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ ENV NGINX_PLUS_VERSION 20-1~stretch
 ENV NGINX_OPENTRACING_MODULE_VERSION 20+0.9.0-1~stretch
 
 ARG IC_VERSION
+ARG GOLANG_CONTAINER
 
 # Download certificate and key from the customer portal (https://cs.nginx.com)
 # and copy to the build context
@@ -94,6 +95,8 @@ COPY nginx-ingress /
 
 
 FROM golang:1.13 AS builder
+ARG VERSION
+ARG GIT_COMMIT
 WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/cmd/nginx-ingress
 COPY . /go/src/github.com/nginxinc/kubernetes-ingress/nginx-ingress/
 RUN CGO_ENABLED=0 GOFLAGS='-mod=vendor' \
diff --git a/docs-web/installation/building-ingress-controller-image.md b/docs-web/installation/building-ingress-controller-image.md
index e1c129cbaa..0b9f156163 100644
--- a/docs-web/installation/building-ingress-controller-image.md
+++ b/docs-web/installation/building-ingress-controller-image.md
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ Next you will find the details about available Makefile targets and variables.
 ### Makefile Targets
 
 The **Makefile** we provide has the following targets:
-* **test**: runs unit tests.
-* **binary**: creates the controller binary.
+* **test**: runs unit tests (ignored when `BUILD_IN_CONTAINER` is `1`).
+* **binary**: creates the controller binary using local golang environment (ignored when `BUILD_IN_CONTAINER` is `1`).
 * **container**: builds a Docker image.
 * **push**: pushes the image to the private Docker registry.
 * **all** (the default target): executes the four targets above in the order listed. If one of the targets fails, the execution process stops, reporting an error.