diff --git a/release/amd64/mk-vmimage.sh b/release/amd64/mk-vmimage.sh
index 657fa52d37fa..05c103a1f4a7 100755
--- a/release/amd64/mk-vmimage.sh
+++ b/release/amd64/mk-vmimage.sh
@@ -188,9 +188,28 @@ vm_create_vmdisk() {
 }
 
 main() {
+	vm_config=
+	while getopts "c:" arg; do
+		case ${arg} in
+			c)
+				vm_config="${OPTARG}"
+				;;
+			*)
+				;;
+		esac
+	done
+	shift $(( ${OPTIND} - 1 ))
+
 	cmd="${1}"
 	shift 1
 
+	if [ ! -z "${vm_config}" ]; then
+		if [ ! -e "${vm_config}" ]; then
+			panic "Configuration file ${vm_config} not found."
+		fi
+		. ${vm_config}
+	fi
+
 	case ${cmd} in
 		vm-base)
 			eval vm_create_baseimage "$@" || return 0
diff --git a/release/i386/mk-vmimage.sh b/release/i386/mk-vmimage.sh
index 657fa52d37fa..05c103a1f4a7 100755
--- a/release/i386/mk-vmimage.sh
+++ b/release/i386/mk-vmimage.sh
@@ -188,9 +188,28 @@ vm_create_vmdisk() {
 }
 
 main() {
+	vm_config=
+	while getopts "c:" arg; do
+		case ${arg} in
+			c)
+				vm_config="${OPTARG}"
+				;;
+			*)
+				;;
+		esac
+	done
+	shift $(( ${OPTIND} - 1 ))
+
 	cmd="${1}"
 	shift 1
 
+	if [ ! -z "${vm_config}" ]; then
+		if [ ! -e "${vm_config}" ]; then
+			panic "Configuration file ${vm_config} not found."
+		fi
+		. ${vm_config}
+	fi
+
 	case ${cmd} in
 		vm-base)
 			eval vm_create_baseimage "$@" || return 0