diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
index 7f88d4f5fdc1..3a01832f5e69 100644
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ BOOTABLE="-b"
 DOCREL= doc.1 doc.2
 .endif
 
-.if !make(release) && !make(rerelease)
+.if !make(release) && !make(rerelease) && !make(package-split)
 BINMAKE!=	cd ${.CURDIR}/..; ${MAKE} -V BINMAKE
 WMAKEENV!=	cd ${.CURDIR}/..; \
 		${BINMAKE} ${CROSSENV} -f Makefile.inc1 -V WMAKEENV
@@ -1214,4 +1214,40 @@ buildBootFloppy:
 	    ${BOOTINODE} ${FLPLABEL}
 	@echo "Created ${RD}/floppies/${FSIMAGE}.flp"
 
+.if make(package-split)
+# Targets related to making a package split
+#
+# PKG_COPY instructs the script to copy the actual package files rather than
+#     make hard links
+# PKG_TREE is the path to the package tree to be split
+# PKG_DEST is the path to the destination tree to create the split in
+# PKG_VERBOSE asks for verbose output of the layout process
+
+.if defined(PKG_COPY)
+PKG_DO_COPY=	cp
+.else
+PKG_DO_COPY=	ln
+.endif
+PKG_INDEX=	${PKG_DEST}/INDEX.master
+PKG_ENV?=
+.if defined(TARGET_ARCH)
+PKG_ENV+=	PKG_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH}
+.endif
+.if defined(PKG_VERBOSE)
+PKG_ENV+=	PKG_VERBOSE=1
+.endif
+
+package-split:
+.if !defined(PKG_TREE)
+	@echo "PKG_TREE must be defined" && exit 1
+.endif
+.if !defined(PKG_DEST)
+	@echo "PKG_DEST must be defined" && exit 1
+.endif
+	@env ${PKG_ENV} python ${.CURDIR}/scripts/package-split.py \
+	    ${PKG_TREE}/INDEX ${PKG_INDEX}
+	@env ${PKG_ENV} sh ${.CURDIR}/scripts/package-trees.sh ${PKG_DO_COPY} \
+	    ${PKG_INDEX} ${PKG_TREE} ${PKG_DEST}
+.endif
+
 .include <bsd.obj.mk>
diff --git a/release/scripts/package-split.py b/release/scripts/package-split.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5c729c81accd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release/scripts/package-split.py
@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+#!/usr/local/bin/python
+#
+# This script generates a master INDEX file for the CD images built by the
+# FreeBSD release engineers.  Each disc is given a list of desired packages.
+# Dependencies of these packages are placed on either the same disc or an
+# earlier disc.  The resulting master INDEX file is then written out.
+#
+# Usage: package-split.py <INDEX> <master INDEX>
+#
+# $FreeBSD$
+
+import os
+import sys
+
+try:
+    arch = os.environ["PKG_ARCH"]
+except:
+    arch = os.uname()[4]
+print "Using arch %s" % (arch)
+
+if 'PKG_VERBOSE' in os.environ:
+    verbose = 1
+else:
+    verbose = 0
+
+# List of packages for disc1.  This just includes packages sysinstall can
+# install as a distribution
+def disc1_packages():
+    # 5.x only
+    pkgs = ['lang/perl5.8']
+    if arch != 'ia64':
+        pkgs.append('x11/xorg')
+    if arch == 'alpha':
+        pkgs.append('emulators/osf1_base')
+    elif arch == 'i386':
+        pkgs.append('emulators/linux_base-8')
+    # 5.x only
+    if arch == 'i386':
+        pkgs.append('misc/compat22')
+        pkgs.append('misc/compat3x')
+        pkgs.append('misc/compat4x')
+    return pkgs
+
+# List of packages for disc2.  This includes packages that the X desktop
+# menu depends on (if it still exists) and other "nice to have" packages.
+# For architectures that use a separate livefs, this is actually disc3.
+def disc2_packages():
+            # X Desktops
+    pkgs = ['x11/kde3',
+            'x11/gnome2',
+            'x11-wm/afterstep',
+            'x11-wm/windowmaker',
+            'x11-wm/fvwm2',
+            # "Nice to have"
+            'archivers/unzip',
+            'astro/xearth',                 
+            'devel/gmake',
+            'editors/emacs',
+            'editors/vim',
+            'editors/vim-lite',
+            'editors/xemacs',
+            'emulators/mtools',
+            'graphics/png',
+            'graphics/xv',
+            'irc/xchat2',
+            'mail/exim',
+            'mail/fetchmail',
+            'mail/mutt',
+            'mail/pine4',
+            'mail/popd',
+            'mail/xfmail',
+            'mail/postfix',
+            'misc/bsdiff',
+            'net/cvsup',
+            'net/cvsup-without-gui',
+            'net/rsync',
+            'net/samba',
+            'news/slrn',
+            'news/tin',
+            'print/a2ps-letter',
+            'print/apsfilter',
+            'print/ghostscript-gnu-nox11',
+            'print/gv',
+            'print/psutils-letter',
+            'shells/bash2',
+            'shells/pdksh',
+            'shells/zsh',
+            'security/sudo',
+            'sysutils/portsnap',
+            'sysutils/portupgrade',
+            'www/links',
+            'www/lynx',
+            'x11/rxvt',
+            # Formerly on disc3
+            'lang/gnat',
+            'lang/php4',
+            'lang/php5',
+            'print/teTeX',
+            'security/portaudit',
+            'textproc/docproj-jadetex',
+            'www/apache13',
+            'www/apache13-modssl',
+            'www/apache2']
+    if arch == 'i386':
+        pkgs.append('comms/ltmdm')
+        pkgs.append('print/acroread')
+        pkgs.append('www/opera')
+    return pkgs
+
+# The list of desired packages
+def desired_packages():
+    disc1 = disc1_packages()
+    disc2 = disc2_packages()
+    return [disc1, disc2]
+
+# Suck the entire INDEX file into a two different dictionaries.  The first
+# dictionary maps port names (origins) to package names.  The second
+# dictionary maps a package name to a list of its dependent packages.
+PACKAGE_COL=0
+ORIGIN_COL=1
+DEPENDS_COL=8
+
+def load_index(index):
+    deps = {}
+    pkgs = {}
+    line_num = 1
+    for line in index:
+        fields = line.split('|')
+        name = fields[PACKAGE_COL]
+        if name in deps:
+            sys.stderr.write('%d: Duplicate package %s\n' % (line_num, name))
+            sys.exit(1)
+        origin = fields[ORIGIN_COL].replace('/usr/ports/', '', 1)
+        if origin in pkgs:
+            sys.stderr.write('%d: Duplicate port %s\n' % (line_num, origin))
+            sys.exit(1)
+        deps[name] = fields[DEPENDS_COL].split()
+        pkgs[origin] = name
+        line_num = line_num + 1
+    return (deps, pkgs)
+
+# Layout the packages on the various CD images.  Here's how it works.  We walk
+# each disc in the list of discs.  Within each disc we walk the list of ports.
+# For each port, we add the package name to a dictionary with the value being
+# the current disc number.  We also add all of the dependent packages.  If
+# a package is already in the dictionary when we go to add it, we just leave
+# the dictionary as it is.  This means that each package ends up on the first
+# disc that either lists it or contains it as a dependency.
+def layout_discs(discs, pkgs, deps):
+    disc_num = 1
+    layout = {}
+    for disc in discs:
+        for port in disc:
+            if port not in pkgs:
+                sys.stderr.write('Disc %d: Unable to find package for %s\n' %
+                                 (disc_num, port))
+                continue
+            pkg = pkgs[port]
+            pkg_list = [pkg] + deps[pkg]
+            for pkg in pkg_list:
+                if pkg not in layout:
+                    if verbose:
+                        print "--> Adding %s to Disc %d" % (pkg, disc_num)
+                    layout[pkg] = disc_num
+        disc_num = disc_num + 1
+    return layout
+
+# Generate a master INDEX file based on the generated layout.  The way this
+# works is that for each INDEX line, we check to see if the package is in the
+# layout.  If it is, we put that INDEX line into the master INDEX and append
+# a new field with the disc number to the line.
+def generate_index(index, layout, master_index):
+    for line in index:
+        pkg = line.split('|')[PACKAGE_COL]
+        if pkg in layout:
+            new_line = '%s|%d\n' % (line.splitlines()[0], layout[pkg])
+            master_index.write(new_line)
+
+# Verify the command line arguments
+if len(sys.argv) != 3:
+    sys.stderr.write('Invalid number of arguments\n')
+    sys.stderr.write('Usage: package-split.py <source INDEX> <master INDEX>\n')
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+print "Loading %s..." % (sys.argv[1])
+index = file(sys.argv[1])
+(deps, pkgs) = load_index(index)
+discs = desired_packages()
+layout = layout_discs(discs, pkgs, deps)
+index.seek(0)
+print "Generating %s..." % (sys.argv[2])
+master_index = file(sys.argv[2], 'w')
+generate_index(index, layout, master_index)
+index.close()
+master_index.close()
diff --git a/release/scripts/package-trees.sh b/release/scripts/package-trees.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7dc8ec51b08e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release/scripts/package-trees.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# This script generates the disk layout for the CD images built by the FreeBSD
+# release engineers as dictated by a specified master INDEX file.  Each disc
+# contains the master INDEX, it's assigned list of packages, and the
+# appropriate tree of category symlinks.
+#
+# Usage: package-tress.sh <copy method> <INDEX> <package tree> <destination>
+#
+# $FreeBSD$
+
+# Verify the command line
+if [ $# -ne 4 ]; then
+    echo "Invalid number of arguments"
+    echo "Usage: package-trees.sh <copy method> <INDEX> <tree> <destination>"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+COPY=$1 ; shift
+INDEX=$1 ; shift
+TREE=$1 ; shift
+DESTDIR=$1 ; shift
+
+# First, determine the highest disc number.
+high_disc=`cut -d '|' -f 14 ${INDEX} | sort -n | tail -1`
+echo "Generating trees for ${high_disc} discs"
+
+# Second, initialize the trees for each disc
+for disc in `jot $high_disc`; do
+    rm -rf ${DESTDIR}/disc${disc}
+    mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/disc${disc}/packages/All
+    cp ${INDEX} ${DESTDIR}/disc${disc}/packages/INDEX
+done
+
+# Third, run through the INDEX copying each package to its appropriate CD and
+# making the appropriate category symlinks
+while read line; do
+    disc=`echo $line | cut -d '|' -f 14`
+    package=`echo $line | cut -d '|' -f 1`
+    categories=`echo $line | cut -d '|' -f 7`
+    discdir=${DESTDIR}/disc${disc}
+    if [ -n "$PKG_VERBOSE" ]; then
+	echo "--> Copying $package to Disc $disc"
+    fi
+    ${COPY} ${TREE}/All/${package}.tbz ${discdir}/packages/All
+    for cat in ${categories}; do
+        catdir=${discdir}/packages/${cat}
+	mkdir -p ${catdir}
+	ln -s ../All/${package}.tbz ${catdir}
+    done
+done < ${INDEX}
+
+# Fourth, output du info for the relative size of the trees.
+discs=""
+for disc in `jot $high_disc`; do
+    discs="${discs} disc${disc}"
+done
+(cd ${DESTDIR}; du -sh ${discs})