diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
index 6b4517dc4377..434a130ac390 100644
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #  WITH_DVD: if set, generate dvd1.iso
 #  WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES: if set, compress installation images with xz(1)
 #		(uncompressed images are not removed)
+#  WITH_VMIMAGES: if set, build virtual machine images with the release
 #  TARGET/TARGET_ARCH: architecture of built release
 #
 
@@ -94,6 +95,11 @@ IMAGES+=	memstick.img
 IMAGES+=	mini-memstick.img
 .endif
 
+VMTARGETS=	vm-base vm-image
+VMFORMATS?=	vhd vmdk qcow2 raw
+VMSIZE?=	20G		# size in Gb
+VMBASE?=	vm		# name of the filesystem image
+
 CLEANFILES=	packagesystem *.txz MANIFEST system ${IMAGES}
 .if defined(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES) && !empty(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES)
 . for I in ${IMAGES}
@@ -103,7 +109,16 @@ CLEANFILES+=	${I}.xz
 .if defined(WITH_DVD) && !empty(WITH_DVD)
 CLEANFILES+=	pkg-stage
 .endif
+.if defined(WITH_VMIMAGES) && !empty(WITH_VMIMAGES)
+CLEANFILES+=	${VMBASE}.img
+. for FORMAT in ${VMFORMATS}
+CLEANFILES+=	vm.${FORMAT}
+. endfor
+.endif
 CLEANDIRS=	dist ftp release bootonly dvd
+.if defined(WITH_VMIMAGES) && !empty(WITH_VMIMAGES)
+CLEANDIRS+=	${VMTARGETS}
+.endif
 beforeclean:
 	chflags -R noschg .
 .include <bsd.obj.mk>
@@ -277,3 +292,41 @@ install:
 .endfor
 	cd ${DESTDIR} && sha256 ${OSRELEASE}* > ${DESTDIR}/CHECKSUM.SHA256
 	cd ${DESTDIR} && md5 ${OSRELEASE}* > ${DESTDIR}/CHECKSUM.MD5
+.if defined(WITH_VMIMAGES) && !empty(WITH_VMIMAGES)
+	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/vmimages
+. for FORMAT in ${VMFORMATS}
+	cp -p ${VMBASE}.${FORMAT} \
+		${DESTDIR}/vmimages/${OSRELEASE}.${FORMAT}
+. endfor
+. if defined(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES) && !empty(WITH_COMPRESSED_IMAGES)
+# This is very time consuming, so defer it after the images are moved to
+# the DESTDIR.
+.  for FORMAT in ${VMFORMATS}
+	# Don't keep the originals.  There is a copy in ${.OBJDIR} if needed.
+	${XZCMD} ${DESTDIR}/vmimages/${OSRELEASE}.${FORMAT}
+.  endfor
+. endif
+	cd ${DESTDIR}/vmimages && sha256 ${OSRELEASE}* > \
+		${DESTDIR}/vmimages/CHECKSUM.SHA256
+	cd ${DESTDIR}/vmimages && md5 ${OSRELEASE}* > \
+		${DESTDIR}/vmimages/CHECKSUM.MD5
+.endif
+
+vm-base:
+.if defined(WITH_VMIMAGES) && !empty(WITH_VMIMAGES)
+	env IMAKE=${IMAKE} WORLDDIR=${WORLDDIR} \
+		VMBASE=${VMBASE}.img VMSIZE=${VMSIZE} DESTDIR=${.TARGET} \
+		TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH} \
+		${.CURDIR}/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh ${.TARGET}
+.endif
+	touch ${.TARGET}
+
+vm-image: vm-base
+.if defined(WITH_VMIMAGES) && !empty(WITH_VMIMAGES)
+. for FORMAT in ${VMFORMATS}
+	env FORMAT=${FORMAT} VMIMAGE=${VMBASE}.${FORMAT} VMBASE=${VMBASE}.img \
+		TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH} \
+		${.CURDIR}/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh ${.TARGET}
+. endfor
+.endif
+	touch ${.TARGET}
diff --git a/release/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh b/release/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..597d1433af3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#-
+# Copyright (c) 2014 The FreeBSD Foundation
+# All rights reserved.
+#
+# This software was developed by Glen Barber under sponsorship
+# from the FreeBSD Foundation.
+#
+# 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.
+#
+# mk-vmimage.sh: Create virtual machine disk images in various formats.
+#
+# $FreeBSD$
+#
+
+PATH="/bin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/usr/sbin"
+export PATH
+
+usage() {
+	echo "$(basename ${0}) <command> <target> [...]"
+	if [ -z "${MAKEFLAGS}" ]; then
+		echo "It is probably not safe to run this by hand yet..."
+	fi
+	exit 1
+}
+
+panic() {
+	rc="${1}"
+	shift 1
+	msg="${@}"
+	printf "${msg}\n"
+	if [ ! -z "${mddev}" ]; then
+		mdconfig -d -u ${mddev}
+	fi
+	# Do not allow one failure case to chain through any remaining image
+	# builds.
+	exit 0
+}
+
+vm_create_baseimage() {
+	# Creates the UFS root filesystem for the virtual machine disk,
+	# written to the formatted disk image with mkimg(1).
+	i=0
+	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}
+	truncate -s ${VMSIZE} ${VMBASE}
+	mddev=$(mdconfig -f ${VMBASE})
+	newfs -L root -j ${mddev}
+	mount ${mddev} ${DESTDIR}
+	cd ${WORLDDIR} && \
+		${IMAKE} DESTDIR=${DESTDIR} \
+		installworld installkernel distribution || \
+		panic 1 "\n\nCannot install the base system to ${DESTDIR}."
+	chroot ${DESTDIR} /usr/bin/newaliases
+	echo '# Custom /etc/fstab for FreeBSD VM images' \
+		# > ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
+	echo '/dev/gpt/rootfs	/	ufs	rw	2	2' \
+		# >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
+	echo '/dev/gpt/swapfs	none	swap	sw	0	0' \
+		# >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
+	sync
+	while ! umount ${DESTDIR}; do
+		i=$(( $i + 1 ))
+		if [ $i -ge 10 ]; then
+			# This should never happen.  But, it has happened.
+			msg="Cannot umount(8) ${DESTDIR}\n"
+			msg="${msg}Something has gone horribly wrong."
+			panic 1 "${msg}"
+		fi
+		sleep 1
+	done
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+vm_create_vmdisk() {
+	mkimg_version=$(mkimg --version 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $2}')
+
+	# We need mkimg(1) '--version' output, at minimum, to be able to
+	# tell what virtual machine disk image formats are available.
+	# Bail if mkimg(1) reports an empty '--version' value.
+	if [ -z "${mkimg_version}" ]; then
+		msg="Cannot determine mkimg(1) version.\n"
+		msg="${msg}Cannot continue without a known mkimg(1) version."
+		panic 0 "${msg}"
+	fi
+
+	if ! mkimg --formats 2>/dev/null | grep -q ${FORMAT}; then
+		panic 0 "Format ${FORMAT} is not supported with this mkimg(1)\n"
+	fi
+
+	case ${FORMAT} in
+		vhd)
+			mkimg_format=vhdf
+			;;
+		*)
+			mkimg_format=${FORMAT}
+			;;
+	esac
+
+	set -x
+	mkimg -f ${mkimg_format} -s gpt \
+		-b /boot/pmbr -p freebsd-boot/bootfs:=/boot/gptboot \
+		-p freebsd-swap/swapfs::1G \
+		-p freebsd-ufs/rootfs:=${VMBASE} \
+		-o ${VMIMAGE}
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+main() {
+	cmd="${1}"
+
+	case ${TARGET}/${TARGET_ARCH} in
+		amd64/amd64|i386/i386)
+			# FALLTHROUGH
+			;;
+		*)
+			# EX_CANTCREAT
+			return 0
+			;;
+	esac
+
+	case ${cmd} in
+		vm-base)
+			eval vm_create_baseimage "$@" || return 0
+			;;
+		vm-image)
+			eval vm_create_vmdisk "$@" || return 0
+			;;
+		*|\?)
+			usage
+			;;
+	esac
+
+	return 0
+}
+
+main "$@"