diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -40,6 +40,23 @@
 #  TARGET/TARGET_ARCH: architecture of built release
 #
 
+# These variables control which package sets are installed on the release
+# media (NOT the installed system).  You almost certainly want to keep the
+# "kernels" set, or the installer won't be able to boot!
+RELEASE_MEDIA_SETS?=		kernels optional
+# dvd gets the entire system by default.
+RELEASE_MEDIA_SETS.dvd?=	kernels optional devel
+# Using minimal for bootonly saves about 100MB.
+RELEASE_MEDIA_SETS.bootonly?=	kernels minimal
+
+# Base packages which should be installed in addition to the sets above.
+# bsdinstall and bsdconfig must be listed here since they aren't part of
+# minimal.
+RELEASE_MEDIA_PACKAGES?=	bsdinstall bsdconfig
+
+# Set this to not print the warning about distsets being deprecated.
+#RELEASE_SKIP_DISTSET_WARNING=yes
+
 WORLDDIR?=	${.CURDIR:H}
 PORTSDIR?=	/usr/ports
 
@@ -77,7 +94,9 @@
 
 .if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
 PKGBASE_REPO_DIR= pkgbase-repo-dir
+PKG_NAME_PREFIX!= ${IMAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 -C ${WORLDDIR} -V PKG_NAME_PREFIX
 WSTAGEDIR!=	${IMAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 -C ${WORLDDIR} -V WSTAGEDIR
+
 PKG_ABI_FILE=	${WSTAGEDIR}/usr/bin/uname
 PKG_ABI=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${PKG_ABI_FILE} config ABI)
 .endif
@@ -203,10 +222,11 @@
 	touch ${.TARGET}
 
 .if !defined(NODISTSETS) || empty(NODISTSETS)
-disc1: packagesystem
-bootonly: packagesystem
-dvd: packagesystem
+disc1: print-distset-warning packagesystem
+bootonly: print-distset-warning packagesystem
+dvd: print-distset-warning packagesystem
 .endif
+
 .if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
 disc1: pkgbase-repo-dir
 bootonly: pkgbase-repo-dir
@@ -228,17 +248,72 @@
 	    ${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo/${PKG_ABI}/latest \
 	    > pkgbase-repo-dir/FreeBSD-base.conf
 
+# Install a system suitable for an installer from the release package repo.
+# This is usually invoked via submake by the various media targets, and
+# should not be added as a dependency of other targets.
+.if make(install-system)
+
+. if !defined(INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT) || empty(INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT)
+.  error INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT must be defined
+. endif
+
+. if !defined(INSTALL_SYSTEM_MEDIATYPE) || empty(INSTALL_SYSTEM_MEDIATYPE)
+.  error INSTALL_SYSTEM_MEDIATYPE must be defined
+. endif
+
+_INSTALL_SYSTEM_SETS=${RELEASE_MEDIA_SETS.${INSTALL_SYSTEM_MEDIATYPE}:U${RELEASE_MEDIA_SETS}}
+_INSTALL_SYSTEM_PKG=\
+	${PKG_CMD} \
+	    -o INSTALL_AS_USER=yes \
+	    -o ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes \
+	    -o METALOG="${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}/METALOG" \
+	    -o ABI="${PKG_ABI}" \
+	    -o REPOS_DIR="${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo-dir" \
+	    -r "${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}"
+
+# Don't depend on pkgbase-repo here, since the medium target should have
+# already built it.
+install-system: .PHONY
+	mkdir -p "${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}"
+	${_INSTALL_SYSTEM_PKG} \
+	    install -f pkg \
+	    ${_INSTALL_SYSTEM_SETS:S/^/${PKG_NAME_PREFIX}-set-/} \
+	    ${RELEASE_MEDIA_PACKAGES:S/^/${PKG_NAME_PREFIX}-/}
+	${_INSTALL_SYSTEM_PKG} clean -ay
+
+	# These files are created in post-install scripts and pkg doesn't
+	# currently support adding those to METALOG, so we need to do that
+	# ourselves.
+	echo "./etc/passwd type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >>"${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}/METALOG"
+	echo "./etc/pwd.db type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >>"${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}/METALOG"
+	echo "./etc/spwd.db type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0600" >>"${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}/METALOG"
+	echo "./etc/login.conf.db type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >>"${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}/METALOG"
+	echo "./var/db/services.db type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >>"${INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT}/METALOG"
+
+.endif	# make(install-system)
+
+# Here be one, or possibly several dragons.
+print-distset-warning: .PHONY
+.if !defined(RELEASE_SKIP_DISTSET_WARNING) && (defined(NOPKGBASE) && !empty(NOPKGBASE))
+	@echo >&2 ""
+	@echo >&2 "                 *** WARNING *** WARNING *** WARNING ***"
+	@echo >&2 ""
+	@echo >&2 "Support for distribution set media is provided for use by downstream projects"
+	@echo >&2 "and is NOT supported by FreeBSD.  This feature is not regularly tested, might"
+	@echo >&2 "not work correctly, and may be removed at any time."
+	@echo >&2 ""
+	@echo >&2 "                 *** WARNING *** WARNING *** WARNING ***"
+	@echo >&2 ""
+	@sleep 10
+.endif
+
 disc1:
-# Install system
-	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}
-	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
-	    DESTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} MK_AT=no \
-	    MK_INSTALLLIB=no MK_MAIL=no \
-	    ${_ALL_LIBCOMPATS:@v@MK_LIB$v=no@} \
-	    MK_TOOLCHAIN=no \
-	    MK_RESCUE=no MK_DICT=no \
-	    MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS=no MK_TESTS=no MK_DEBUG_FILES=no)
 .if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
+# Install system
+	${MAKE} -C ${.CURDIR} \
+	    INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} \
+	    INSTALL_SYSTEM_MEDIATYPE="${.TARGET}" \
+	    install-system
 # Create offline pkgbase repo on release media
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/repos/
 	${.CURDIR}/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua disc \
@@ -250,7 +325,17 @@
 	mtree -c -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages | \
 	    mtree -C -k type,mode,link,size | \
 	    sed 's|^\.|./usr/freebsd-packages|g' >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
-.endif
+.else	# not pkgbase
+# Install system
+	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}
+	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
+	    DESTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} MK_AT=no \
+	    MK_INSTALLLIB=no MK_MAIL=no \
+	    ${_ALL_LIBCOMPATS:@v@MK_LIB$v=no@} \
+	    MK_TOOLCHAIN=no \
+	    MK_RESCUE=no MK_DICT=no \
+	    MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS=no MK_TESTS=no MK_DEBUG_FILES=no)
+.endif	# if pkgbase
 .if !defined(NODISTSETS) || empty(NODISTSETS)
 	# Copy MANIFEST to provide legacy dist checksums in both modes
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-dist
@@ -267,13 +352,7 @@
 .endif
 .if ${.MAKE.OS} == "FreeBSD" && (!defined(NOPKG) || empty(NOPKG))
 # Install packages onto release media.
-.if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
-	${PKGBASE_INSTALL} pkg
-	${PKGBASE_CLEAN}
-.else
-	${PKG_INSTALL} pkg
-.endif
-	${PKG_INSTALL} wifi-firmware-kmod-release || true
+	${PKG_INSTALL} pkg wifi-firmware-kmod-release || true
 	${PKG_CLEAN} || true
 .endif
 # Set up installation environment
@@ -295,6 +374,12 @@
 
 bootonly:
 # Install system
+.if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
+	${MAKE} -C ${.CURDIR} \
+	    INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} \
+	    INSTALL_SYSTEM_MEDIATYPE="${.TARGET}" \
+	    install-system
+.else	# not pkgbase
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
 	    DESTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} MK_AT=no \
@@ -304,6 +389,7 @@
 	    MK_TOOLCHAIN=no \
 	    MK_RESCUE=no MK_DICT=no \
 	    MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS=no MK_TESTS=no MK_DEBUG_FILES=no)
+.endif	# if pkgbase
 .if !defined(NODISTSETS) || empty(NODISTSETS)
 # Copy manifest only (no distfiles) to get checksums
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-dist
@@ -312,13 +398,7 @@
 	echo "./usr/freebsd-dist/MANIFEST type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
 .endif
 .if ${.MAKE.OS} == "FreeBSD" && (!defined(NOPKG) || empty(NOPKG))
-.if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
-	${PKGBASE_INSTALL} pkg
-	${PKGBASE_CLEAN}
-.else
-	${PKG_INSTALL} pkg
-.endif
-	${PKG_INSTALL} wifi-firmware-iwlwifi-kmod wifi-firmware-rtw88-kmod || true
+	${PKG_INSTALL} pkg wifi-firmware-iwlwifi-kmod wifi-firmware-rtw88-kmod || true
 	${PKG_CLEAN} || true
 .endif
 # Set up installation environment
@@ -338,12 +418,12 @@
 	echo "./etc/rc.local type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
 
 dvd:
-# Install system
-	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}
-	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
-		DESTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} MK_RESCUE=no MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS=no \
-		MK_TESTS=no MK_DEBUG_FILES=no)
 .if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
+# Install system
+	${MAKE} -C ${.CURDIR} \
+	    INSTALL_SYSTEM_ROOT=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} \
+	    INSTALL_SYSTEM_MEDIATYPE="${.TARGET}" \
+	    install-system
 # Create offline pkgbase repo on release media
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/repos/
 	${.CURDIR}/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua dvd \
@@ -355,7 +435,13 @@
 	mtree -c -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages | \
 	    mtree -C -k type,mode,link,size | \
 	    sed 's|^\.|./usr/freebsd-packages|g' >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
-.endif
+.else	# not pkgbase
+# Install system
+	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}
+	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
+		DESTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} MK_RESCUE=no MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS=no \
+		MK_TESTS=no MK_DEBUG_FILES=no)
+.endif	# if pkgbase
 .if !defined(NODISTSETS) || empty(NODISTSETS)
 	# Copy MANIFEST to provide legacy dist checksums in both modes
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-dist
@@ -371,13 +457,7 @@
 .endif
 .if ${.MAKE.OS} == "FreeBSD" && (!defined(NOPKG) || empty(NOPKG))
 # Install packages onto release media.
-.if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
-	${PKGBASE_INSTALL} pkg
-	${PKGBASE_CLEAN}
-.else
-	${PKG_INSTALL} pkg
-.endif
-	${PKG_INSTALL} wifi-firmware-kmod-release || true
+	${PKG_INSTALL} pkg wifi-firmware-kmod-release || true
 	${PKG_CLEAN} || true
 .endif
 # Set up installation environment