diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
index 14ba0c3c0bdf..f63c856504ac 100644
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$Id: Makefile,v 1.46 1994/11/17 07:11:30 jkh Exp $
+#	$Id: Makefile,v 1.47 1994/11/17 14:18:00 jkh Exp $
 #
 
 # Evil floppies are, of course, 1.2MB floppies.
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ release20:
 		tar cf - . | \
 		${ZIPNSPLIT} ${RELEASEDIR}/tarballs/bindist/bin_tgz.)
 	cp ${.CURDIR}/extract.sh ${RELEASEDIR}/tarballs/bindist
-	( cd ${RELEASEDIR}/tarballs/bindist; cksum * > CKSUMS )
+	( cd ${RELEASEDIR}/tarballs/bindist; ${.CURDIR}/mkchecksums.sh )
 	( cd ${.CURDIR} ;  \
 		${MAKE} floppies )
 foo:
diff --git a/release/instdist.sh b/release/instdist.sh
index b6a056dc8e9f..01bdd3f20d34 100644
--- a/release/instdist.sh
+++ b/release/instdist.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 # putting your name on top after doing something trivial like reindenting
 # it, just to make it look like you wrote it!).
 #
-# $Id: instdist.sh,v 1.2 1994/11/17 11:53:13 jkh Exp $
+# $Id: instdist.sh,v 1.3 1994/11/17 14:18:02 jkh Exp $
 
 if [ "$_INSTINST_SH_LOADED_" = "yes" ]; then
 	return 0
@@ -131,11 +131,20 @@ the files yourself.\n\n"; then return 1; fi
 
 media_extract_dist()
 {
-	if [ -f extract.sh ]; then
-		message "Extracting distribution..  Please wait!"
-		sh ./extract.sh < /dev/ttyv1 > /dev/ttyv1 2>&1
+	if [ -f do_cksum.sh ]; then
+		message "Verifying checksums for distribution.  Please wait!"
+		if sh ./do_cksum.sh; then
+			if [ -f extract.sh ]; then
+				message "Extracting distribution.  Please wait!"
+				sh ./extract.sh < /dev/ttyv1 > /dev/ttyv1 2>&1
+			else
+				error "No installation script found!"
+			fi
+		else
+			error "Checksum error(s) found.  Please check media!"
+		fi
 	else    
-		error "Improper distribution.  No installation script found!"
+		error "Improper distribution.  No checksum script found!"
 	fi
 }
 
diff --git a/release/mkchecksums.sh b/release/mkchecksums.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bdfc8d851f9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release/mkchecksums.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# mkchecksums.sh - generate interactive checksum-checking script.
+# Jordan Hubbard
+#
+# This script generates a cksum.sh script from a set of tarballs
+# and should not be run by anyone but the release coordinator (there
+# wouldn't be much point).
+#
+#                                       Jordan
+# $Id$
+#
+
+# First generate the CKSUMS file for the benefit of those who wish to
+# use it in some other way.  If we find out that folks aren't even using
+# it, we should consider eliminating it at some point.  The interactive
+# stuff makes it somewhat superfluous.
+cksum * > CKSUMS
+
+# Now generate a script for actually verifying the checksums.
+awk 'BEGIN {print "rval=0"} { printf("if [ \"\`cksum %s%s%s\`\" != \"%s %s %s\" ]; then dialog --title Error --infobox \"Checksum error detected on %s!\" -1 -1; rval=1; fi\n", "\047", $3, "\047", $1, $2, $3, $3);} END {print "exit $rval"}' < CKSUMS > do_cksum.sh
+chmod +x do_cksum.sh