diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/Makefile b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/Makefile
index d8813ce2646b..156ccaff9ace 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 NO_OBJ=
 
 FILESDIR=	${SHAREDIR}/examples/bsdconfig
-FILES=		browse_packages_ftp.sh browse_packages_http.sh bsdconfigrc
+FILES=		add_some_packages.sh browse_packages_http.sh bsdconfigrc
 
 beforeinstall:
 	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}${FILESDIR}
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/add_some_packages.sh b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/add_some_packages.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..8750908dbb2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/add_some_packages.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# $FreeBSD$
+#
+# This sample installs a short list of packages from the main HTTP site.
+#
+[ "$_SCRIPT_SUBR" ] || . /usr/share/bsdconfig/script.subr || exit 1
+nonInteractive=1
+_httpPath=http://pkg.freebsd.org
+mediaSetHTTP
+mediaOpen
+for package in wget bash rsync; do
+	packageAdd
+done
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/browse_packages_ftp.sh b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/browse_packages_ftp.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 015d799f801c..000000000000
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/browse_packages_ftp.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-# $FreeBSD$
-#
-# This sample downloads the package INDEX file from FTP to /tmp (if it doesn't
-# already exist) and then displays the package configuration/management screen
-# using the local INDEX file (results in faster browsing of packages from-start
-# since the INDEX can be loaded from local media).
-#
-# NOTE: Packages cannot be installed unless staged to /tmp/packages/All
-#
-. /usr/share/bsdconfig/script.subr
-nonInteractive=1
-TMPDIR=/tmp
-if [ ! -e "$TMPDIR/packages/INDEX" ]; then
-	[ -d "$TMPDIR/packages" ] || mkdir -p "$TMPDIR/packages" || exit 1
-	_ftpPath=ftp://ftp.freebsd.org
-	# For older releases, use ftp://ftp-archive.freebsd.org
-	mediaSetFTP
-	mediaOpen
-	f_show_info "Downloading packages/INDEX from\n %s" "$_ftpPath" 
-	f_device_get device_media packages/INDEX > $TMPDIR/packages/INDEX
-fi
-_directoryPath=$TMPDIR
-mediaSetDirectory
-configPackages
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/browse_packages_http.sh b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/browse_packages_http.sh
index a0e68013ad3a..91b928d183bb 100755
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/browse_packages_http.sh
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/examples/browse_packages_http.sh
@@ -1,25 +1,32 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # $FreeBSD$
 #
-# This sample downloads the package INDEX file from HTTP to /tmp (if it doesn't
-# already exist) and then displays the package configuration/management screen
-# using the local INDEX file (results in faster browsing of packages from-start
-# since the INDEX can be loaded from local media).
+# This sample downloads the package digests.txz and packagesite.txz files from
+# HTTP to /tmp (if they don't already exist) and then displays the package
+# configuration/management screen using the local files (resulting in faster
+# browsing of packages from-start since digests.txz/packagesite.txz can be
+# loaded from local media).
 #
-# NOTE: Packages cannot be installed unless staged to /tmp/packages/All
+# NOTE: Packages cannot be installed unless staged to
+#       /tmp/packages/$PKG_ABI/All
 #
-. /usr/share/bsdconfig/script.subr
+[ "$_SCRIPT_SUBR" ] || . /usr/share/bsdconfig/script.subr || exit 1
 nonInteractive=1
+f_musthavepkg_init # Make sure we have a usable pkg(8) with $PKG_ABI
 TMPDIR=/tmp
-if [ ! -e "$TMPDIR/packages/INDEX" ]; then
-	[ -d "$TMPDIR/packages" ] || mkdir -p "$TMPDIR/packages" || exit 1
-	_httpPath=http://ftp.freebsd.org
-	# For older releases, use http://ftp-archive.freebsd.org
-	mediaSetHTTP
-	mediaOpen
-	f_show_info "Downloading packages/INDEX from\n %s" "$_httpPath"
-	f_device_get device_media packages/INDEX > $TMPDIR/packages/INDEX
-fi
+PKGDIR=$TMPDIR/packages/$PKG_ABI
+[ -d "$PKGDIR" ] || mkdir -p "$PKGDIR" || exit 1
+for file in digests.txz packagesite.txz; do
+	[ -s "$PKGDIR/$file" ] && continue
+	if [ ! "$HTTP_INITIALIZED" ]; then
+		_httpPath=http://pkg.freebsd.org
+		mediaSetHTTP
+		mediaOpen
+	fi
+	f_show_info "Downloading %s from\n %s" "$file" "$_httpPath"
+	f_device_get device_media "/$PKG_ABI/latest/$file" > $PKGDIR/$file ||
+		exit 1
+done
 _directoryPath=$TMPDIR
 mediaSetDirectory
 configPackages
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/include/messages.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/include/messages.subr
index bf16e0875586..3d6aad0cec8d 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/include/messages.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/include/messages.subr
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ msg_back="Back"
 msg_becoming_root_via_sudo="Becoming root via sudo(8)..."
 msg_benchmarks_desc="Utilities for measuring system performance."
 msg_biology_desc="Software related to biology."
+msg_bootstrapping_pkg="Bootstrapping pkg(8)..."
 msg_brazil="Brazil"
 msg_building_package_menus="Building package menu(s)..."
 msg_cad_desc="Computer Aided Design utilities."
@@ -142,8 +143,6 @@ msg_generating_index_from_pkg_database="Generating INDEX from pkg(8) database\n(
 msg_geography_desc="Geography-related software."
 msg_german_desc="Ported software for Germanic countries."
 msg_germany="Germany"
-msg_getting_package_categories_via_pkg_rquery="Getting package categories via pkg-rquery(8)..."
-msg_getting_package_dependencies_via_pkg_rquery="Getting package dependencies via pkg-rquery(8)\n(this can take a while)..."
 msg_gnome_desc="Components of the Gnome Desktop environment."
 msg_gnustep_desc="Software for GNUstep desktop environment."
 msg_graphics_desc="Graphics libraries and utilities."
@@ -219,6 +218,7 @@ msg_misc_desc="Miscellaneous utilities."
 msg_missing_ftp_host_or_directory="Missing FTP host or directory specification.  FTP media not initialized."
 msg_multimedia_desc="Multimedia software."
 msg_must_be_root_to_execute="%s: must be root to execute"
+msg_must_have_pkg_to_execute="%s: must have pkg(8) to execute"
 msg_must_specify_a_host_name_of_some_sort="Must specify a host name of some sort!"
 msg_name_server="Name server"
 msg_net_desc="Networking utilities."
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ msg_perl5_desc="Utilities/modules for the PERL5 language."
 msg_permission_denied="%s: %s: Permission denied"
 msg_pkg_delete_failed="Warning: pkg-delete(8) of %s failed.\n  Run with debugging for details."
 msg_pkg_install_apparently_did_not_like_the_package="pkg-install(8) apparently did not like the %s package."
+msg_pkg_not_yet_installed_install_now="pkg(8) not yet installed. Install now?"
 msg_plan9_desc="Software from the Plan9 operating system."
 msg_please_check_the_url_and_try_again="No such directory: %s\nplease check the URL and try again.\n"
 msg_please_enter_password="Please enter your password for sudo(8):"
@@ -376,15 +377,13 @@ msg_unable_to_get_proper_ftp_path="Unable to get proper FTP path.  FTP media not
 msg_unable_to_initialize_media_type_for_package_extract="Unable to initialize media type for package extract."
 msg_unable_to_make_directory_mountpoint="Unable to make %s directory mountpoint for %s!"
 msg_unable_to_open="Unable to open %s"
-msg_unable_to_pkg_rquery_package_categories="Unable to pkg-rquery(8) package categories!"
-msg_unable_to_pkg_rquery_package_dependencies="Unable to pkg-rquery(8) package dependencies!"
 msg_unable_to_update_pkg_from_selected_media="Unable to update pkg(8) from selected media."
 msg_uninstall="Uninstall"
 msg_uninstall_desc="Mark this package for deletion"
 msg_uninstalling_package_waiting_for_pkg_delete="Uninstalling %s package - waiting for pkg-delete(8)"
 msg_unknown="unknown"
 msg_unknown_user="Unknown user: %s"
-msg_url_was_not_found="%s was not found, maybe directory or release-version are wrong?"
+msg_url_was_not_found="%s was not found,\nmaybe directory or release-version are wrong?"
 msg_usa="USA"
 msg_usage="Usage"
 msg_usb="USB"
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/common.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/common.subr
index 762fd39e0342..8fb9adaa8ff9 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/common.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/common.subr
@@ -62,12 +62,6 @@ export UNAME_S="$( uname -s )" # Operating System (i.e. FreeBSD)
 export UNAME_P="$( uname -p )" # Processor Architecture (i.e. i386)
 export UNAME_M="$( uname -m )" # Machine platform (i.e. i386)
 export UNAME_R="$( uname -r )" # Release Level (i.e. X.Y-RELEASE)
-if [ ! "${PKG_ABI+set}" ]; then
-	export PKG_ABI="$(
-		ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=1 pkg -vv 2> /dev/null |
-			awk '$1=="ABI"{print $3;exit}'
-	)"
-fi
 
 #
 # Default behavior is to call f_debug_init() automatically when loaded.
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/http.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/http.subr
index 6d6aa10433b4..b928f7d6a78f 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/http.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/http.subr
@@ -515,10 +515,7 @@ f_media_init_http()
 			fi
 		esac
 
-		if [ $http_found -eq $SUCCESS ]; then
-			HTTP_INITIALIZED=YES
-			break
-		fi
+		[ $http_found -eq $SUCCESS ] && HTTP_INITIALIZED=YES break
 
 		f_getvar $VAR_HTTP_PATH http_path
 		f_show_msg "$msg_please_check_the_url_and_try_again" \
@@ -668,7 +665,7 @@ f_media_get_http()
 	 44) f_show_msg "$msg_url_was_not_found" "$url" ;;
 	  4) f_show_msg "$msg_client_error" ;;
 	  *) f_show_msg "$msg_error_when_requesting_url" "$url" ;;
-	esac
+	esac 2>&1 >&$DIALOG_TERMINAL_PASSTHRU_FD
 	return $FAILURE
 }
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/httpproxy.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/httpproxy.subr
index 66e5be4a9934..1ef516f76463 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/httpproxy.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/media/httpproxy.subr
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ f_media_get_http_proxy()
 	 44) f_show_msg "$msg_url_was_not_found" "$url" ;;
 	  4) f_show_msg "$msg_client_error" ;;
 	  *) f_show_msg "$msg_error_when_requesting_url" "$url" ;;
-	esac
+	esac 2>&1 >&$DIALOG_TERMINAL_PASSTHRU_FD
 	return $FAILURE
 }
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/Makefile b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/Makefile
index 2a0235399c1a..cb06b80ff1ea 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 NO_OBJ=
 
 FILESDIR=	${SHAREDIR}/bsdconfig/packages
-FILES=		categories.subr index.subr packages.subr
+FILES=		categories.subr index.subr musthavepkg.subr packages.subr
 
 beforeinstall:
 	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}${FILESDIR}
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/categories.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/categories.subr
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/index.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/index.subr
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 130f9cd37f7c..35ef0dad14e1
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/index.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/index.subr
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ BSDCFG_SHARE="/usr/share/bsdconfig"
 f_dprintf "%s: loading includes..." packages/index.subr
 f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/device.subr
 f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/media/common.subr
+f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/packages/musthavepkg.subr
 f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/strings.subr
 
 BSDCFG_LIBE="/usr/libexec/bsdconfig"
@@ -53,27 +54,6 @@ SQLITE_REPO="/var/db/pkg/repo-packagesite.sqlite"
 #
 PACKAGES_INDEX_CACHEFILE="/var/run/bsdconfig/packages_INDEX.cache"
 
-#
-# INDEX format for FreeBSD-6.0 or higher:
-#
-# 	package|port-origin|install-prefix|comment|port-desc-file|maintainer|
-# 	categories|build-deps|run-deps|www-site|reserve|reserve|reserve|disc
-#
-INDEX_FORMAT="%n-%v" # package
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|/usr/ports/%o"	# port-origin
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|%p"			# install-prefix
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|%c"			# comment
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|/usr/ports/%o/pkg-descr"	# port-desc-file
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|%m"			# maintainer
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|@CATEGORIES@"	# place-holder
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|"			# build-deps
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|@RUNDEPS@"		# place-holder
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|%w"			# www-site
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|"			# reserved
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|"			# reserved
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|"			# reserved
-INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|"			# disc
-
 ############################################################ FUNCTIONS
 
 # f_index_initialize [$var_to_set]
@@ -87,13 +67,16 @@ INDEX_FORMAT="$INDEX_FORMAT|"			# disc
 f_index_initialize()
 {
 	local __funcname=f_index_initialize
-	local __var_to_set="${2:-PACKAGE_INDEX}"
+	local __var_to_set="${1:-PACKAGE_INDEX}"
 
 	[ "$_INDEX_INITTED" ] && return $SUCCESS
 
 	# Got any media?
 	f_media_verify || return $FAILURE
 
+	# Make sure we have a usable pkg(8) with $PKG_ABI
+	f_musthavepkg_init
+
 	# Does it move when you kick it?
 	f_device_init device_media || return $FAILURE
 
@@ -126,9 +109,10 @@ f_index_initialize()
 		__site="file://$MOUNTPOINT/packages/$PKG_ABI"
 	esac
 
-	export PACKAGESITE="$__site"
-	f_dprintf "PACKAGESITE=[%s]" "$PACKAGESITE"
-	if ! f_eval_catch $__funcname pkg "pkg update"; then
+	f_dprintf "PACKAGESITE=[%s]" "$__site"
+	if ! f_eval_catch $__funcname pkg \
+		'PACKAGESITE="%s" pkg update' "$__site"
+	then
 		f_show_err "$msg_unable_to_update_pkg_from_selected_media"
 		f_device_shutdown device_media
 		return $FAILURE
@@ -195,53 +179,8 @@ f_index_initialize()
 	# If we reach this point, we need to generate the data from scratch
 	#
 
-	f_show_info "$msg_getting_package_categories_via_pkg_rquery"
-	if ! eval "$( pkg rquery "%n-%v %C" | awk '
-	{ categories[$1] = categories[$1] " " $2 }
-	END {
-		for (package in categories)
-		{
-			cats = categories[package]
-			sub(/^ /, "", cats)
-			gsub(/[^[:alnum:]_]/, "_", package)
-			printf "local _%s_categories=\"%s\";\n", package, cats
-		}
-	}' )"; then
-		f_show_err "$msg_unable_to_pkg_rquery_package_dependencies"
-		f_device_shutdown device_media
-		return $FAILURE
-	fi
-
-	f_show_info "$msg_getting_package_dependencies_via_pkg_rquery"
-	if ! eval "$( pkg rquery "%n-%v %dn-%dv" | awk '
-	{ rundeps[$1] = rundeps[$1] " " $2 }
-	END {
-		for (package in rundeps)
-		{
-			deps = rundeps[package]
-			sub(/^ /, "", deps)
-			gsub(/[^[:alnum:]_]/, "_", package)
-			printf "local _%s_rundeps=\"%s\";\n", package, deps
-		}
-	}' )"; then
-		f_show_err "$msg_unable_to_pkg_rquery_package_dependencies"
-		f_device_shutdown device_media
-		return $FAILURE
-	fi
-
 	f_show_info "$msg_generating_index_from_pkg_database"
-	eval "$__var_to_set"='$( pkg rquery "$INDEX_FORMAT" |
-		while read LINE; do
-			package="${LINE%%|*}";
-			f_str2varname "$package" varpkg;
-			eval f_replaceall \"\$LINE\" \"\|@CATEGORIES@\|\" \
-				\"\|\$_${varpkg}_categories\|\" LINE
-			eval f_replaceall \"\$LINE\" \"\|@RUNDEPS@\|\" \
-				\"\|\$_${varpkg}_rundeps\|\" LINE
-			echo "$LINE"
-		done
-	)' # always returns true (status of last item in pipe-chain)
-	eval "$__var_to_set"='$( debug= f_getvar "$__var_to_set" | sort )'
+	eval "$__var_to_set"='$( pkg rquery -I | sort )'
 
 	#
 	# Attempt to create the persistant on-disk cache
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/musthavepkg.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/musthavepkg.subr
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..929823e4f21e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/musthavepkg.subr
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+if [ ! "$_PACKAGES_MUSTHAVEPKG_SUBR" ]; then _PACKAGES_MUSTHAVEPKG_SUBR=1
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2014 Devin Teske
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+# modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+# are met:
+# 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+#    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+# 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+#    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+#    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+#
+# THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
+# ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+# IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+# ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+# FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+# DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
+# OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+# HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
+# LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
+# OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
+# SUCH DAMAGE.
+#
+# $FreeBSD$
+#
+############################################################ INCLUDES
+
+BSDCFG_SHARE="/usr/share/bsdconfig"
+. $BSDCFG_SHARE/common.subr || exit 1
+f_dprintf "%s: loading includes..." packages/musthavepkg.subr
+f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/dialog.subr
+f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/mustberoot.subr
+
+############################################################ FUNCTIONS
+
+# f_musthavepkg_init
+#
+# Validate pkg(8) is installed and set $PKG_ABI global if not already set.
+# Returns success unless pkg(8) is not installed and user refuses to install
+# it (upon prompt when running interactively).
+#
+f_musthavepkg_init()
+{
+	local funcname=f_musthavepkg_init
+	local pkg_abi_awk='$1~/^ABI/{print $NF; exit}'
+
+	if [ "$PKG_ABI" ]; then # Already set
+		f_dprintf "PKG_ABI=[%s]" "$PKG_ABI"
+		export PKG_ABI
+		f_quietly pkg -N -vv # return status (pkg(8) functional?)
+		return $?
+	fi
+
+	# Attempt to get PKG_ABI without prematurely bootstrapping pkg(8)
+	if f_eval_catch -k PKG_ABI $funcname pkg \
+		"pkg -N -vv | awk '%s'" "$pkg_abi_awk"
+	then
+		f_dprintf "PKG_ABI=[%s]" "$PKG_ABI"
+		export PKG_ABI
+		return $SUCCESS
+	fi
+
+	# pkg(8) not yet bootstrapped; ask for permission unless nonInteractive
+	f_dialog_yesno "$msg_pkg_not_yet_installed_install_now" ||
+		f_die 1 "$msg_must_have_pkg_to_execute" "$pgm"
+
+	f_mustberoot_init # Have to be root to install pkg(8)
+
+	# Bootstrap pkg(8)
+	f_dialog_info "$msg_bootstrapping_pkg"
+	f_eval_catch -k PKG_ABI $funcname pkg \
+		"ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=1 pkg -vv | awk '%s'" "$pkg_abi_awk" ||
+		f_die 1 "$msg_must_have_pkg_to_execute" "$pgm"
+
+	f_dprintf "PKG_ABI=[%s]" "$PKG_ABI"
+	export PKG_ABI
+	return $SUCCESS
+}
+
+############################################################ MAIN
+
+f_dprintf "%s: Successfully loaded." packages/musthavepkg.subr
+
+fi # ! $_PACKAGES_MUSTHAVEPKG_SUBR
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/packages.subr b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/packages.subr
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 6fc936fe9e9d..a041fb643749
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/packages.subr
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdconfig/share/packages/packages.subr
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/device.subr
 f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/media/common.subr
 f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/packages/categories.subr
 f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/packages/index.subr
+f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/packages/musthavepkg.subr
 f_include $BSDCFG_SHARE/strings.subr
 
 BSDCFG_LIBE="/usr/libexec/bsdconfig"
@@ -662,7 +663,7 @@ f_package_review()
 f_package_config()
 {
 	# Did we get an INDEX?
-	f_index_initialize packages/INDEX || return $FAILURE
+	f_index_initialize || return $FAILURE
 		# Creates following variables (indirectly via f_index_read())
 		#   CATEGORY_MENU_LIST _categories_{varpkg} _rundeps_{varpkg}
 		#   PACKAGE_CATEGORIES _npkgs
@@ -839,7 +840,7 @@ f_package_add()
 	{ # Verify and initialize device media if-defined
 		f_media_verify &&
 		f_device_init device_media &&
-		f_index_initialize packages/INDEX
+		f_index_initialize
 	} || return $FAILURE
 
 	# Now we have (indirectly via f_index_read()):
@@ -946,6 +947,8 @@ f_package_extract()
 	local device="$1" name="$2" depended="$3"
 	local devname=
 
+	f_musthavepkg_init # Make sure we have a usable pkg(8) with $PKG_ABI
+
 	$device get name devname
 	f_dprintf "$funcname: device=[%s] name=[%s] depended=[%s]" \
 	          "$devname" "$name" "$depended"
@@ -1065,7 +1068,7 @@ f_package_delete()
 	{ # Verify and initialize device media if-defined
 		f_media_verify &&
 		f_device_init device_media &&
-		f_index_initialize packages/INDEX
+		f_index_initialize
 	} || return $FAILURE
 
 	# Now we have (indirectly via f_index_read()):