diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
index d7fc432f794a..4c1c9b924323 100644
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #  NOSRC:    if set, do not distribute source tree
 #  NODOC:    if set, do not generate release documentation
 #  WITH_DVD: if set, generate dvd1.iso
-#  WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES: if set, compress installation images with gzip(1)
+#  WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES: if set, compress installation images with xz(1)
 #		(uncompressed images are not removed)
 #  TARGET/TARGET_ARCH: architecture of built release
 #
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ IMAGES+=	mini-memstick.img
 CLEANFILES=	packagesystem *.txz MANIFEST system ${IMAGES}
 .if defined(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES) && !empty(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES)
 . for I in ${IMAGES}
-CLEANFILES+=	${I}.gz
+CLEANFILES+=	${I}.xz
 . endfor
 .endif
 CLEANDIRS=	dist ftp release bootonly dvd
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ install:
 .for I in ${IMAGES}
 	cp -p ${I} ${DESTDIR}/${OSRELEASE}-${I}
 . if defined(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES) && !empty(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES)
-	gzip -k ${DESTDIR}/${OSRELEASE}-${I}
+	xz -k ${DESTDIR}/${OSRELEASE}-${I}
 . endif
 .endfor
 	cd ${DESTDIR} && sha256 ${OSRELEASE}* > ${DESTDIR}/CHECKSUM.SHA256
diff --git a/share/man/man7/release.7 b/share/man/man7/release.7
index 71f11b00c867..1278a62f5613 100644
--- a/share/man/man7/release.7
+++ b/share/man/man7/release.7
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd March 5, 2014
+.Dd April 2, 2014
 .Dt RELEASE 7
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ Set to a non-empty value to include the
 target.
 .It Va WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES
 Set to a non-empty value to compress the release images with
-.Xr gzip 1 .
+.Xr xz 1 .
 The original
 .Pq uncompressed
 images are not removed.