diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/auto
@@ -153,36 +153,10 @@
 trap error SIGINT	# Catch cntrl-C here
 if [ -z "$BSDINSTALL_SKIP_HOSTNAME" ]; then bsdinstall hostname || error "Set hostname failed"; fi
 
-export DISTRIBUTIONS="${DISTRIBUTIONS:-base.txz kernel.txz}"
-if [ -f $BSDINSTALL_DISTDIR/MANIFEST ]; then
-	DISTMENU=`awk -F'\t' '!/^(kernel\.txz|base\.txz)/{print $1,$5,$6}' $BSDINSTALL_DISTDIR/MANIFEST`
-	DISTMENU="$(echo ${DISTMENU} | sed -E 's/\.txz//g')"
-
-	if [ -n "$DISTMENU" ]; then
-		exec 5>&1
-		EXTRA_DISTS=$( eval bsddialog \
-		    --backtitle \"$OSNAME Installer\" \
-		    --title \"Distribution Select\" --nocancel --separate-output \
-		    --checklist \"Choose optional system components to install:\" \
-		    0 0 0 $DISTMENU \
-		2>&1 1>&5 )
-		for dist in $EXTRA_DISTS; do
-			export DISTRIBUTIONS="$DISTRIBUTIONS $dist.txz"
-		done
-	fi
-fi
-
-FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS=""
-for dist in $DISTRIBUTIONS; do
-	if [ ! -f $BSDINSTALL_DISTDIR/$dist ]; then
-		FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS="$FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS $dist"
-	fi
-done
-
-if [ -n "$FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS" -a -n "$BSDINSTALL_CONFIGCURRENT" ]; then
-	bsddialog --backtitle "$OSNAME Installer" --title "Network Installation" --msgbox "Some installation files were not found on the boot volume. The next few screens will allow you to configure networking so that they can be downloaded from the Internet." 0 0
-	bsdinstall netconfig || error
-	NETCONFIG_DONE=yes
+if [ -n "$BSDINSTALL_USE_DISTRIBUTIONS" ]; then
+	exec 5>&1
+	export DISTRIBUTIONS=$( `dirname $0`/selectdists 2>&1 1>&5 )
+	exec 5>&-
 fi
 
 rm -f $PATH_FSTAB
@@ -347,8 +321,10 @@
 
 	[ $FETCH_RESULT -ne 0 ] && error "Could not fetch remote distributions"
 fi
-bsdinstall checksum || error "Distribution checksum failed"
-bsdinstall distextract || error "Distribution extract failed"
+if [ -n "$BSDINSTALL_USE_DISTRIBUTIONS" ]; then
+	bsdinstall checksum || error "Distribution checksum failed"
+	bsdinstall distextract || error "Distribution extract failed"
+fi
 
 # Set up boot loader
 bsdinstall bootconfig || error "Failed to configure bootloader"
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/selectdists b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/selectdists
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/scripts/selectdists
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#-
+# Copyright (c) 2011 Nathan Whitehorn
+# Copyright (c) 2013-2018 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.
+#
+#
+############################################################ INCLUDES
+
+BSDCFG_SHARE="/usr/share/bsdconfig"
+. $BSDCFG_SHARE/common.subr || exit 1
+
+############################################################ CONFIGURATION
+
+#
+# Default distributions
+#
+DISTRIBUTIONS="${DISTRIBUTIONS:-base.txz kernel.txz}"
+
+############################################################ MAIN
+
+if [ -f $BSDINSTALL_DISTDIR/MANIFEST ]; then
+	DISTMENU=`awk -F'\t' '!/^(kernel\.txz|base\.txz)/{print $1,$5,$6}' $BSDINSTALL_DISTDIR/MANIFEST`
+	DISTMENU="$(echo ${DISTMENU} | sed -E 's/\.txz//g')"
+
+	if [ -n "$DISTMENU" ]; then
+		EXTRA_DISTS=$( eval bsddialog \
+			--backtitle \"$OSNAME Installer\" \
+			--title \"Distribution Select\" --nocancel --separate-output \
+			--checklist \"Choose optional system components to install:\" \
+			0 0 0 $DISTMENU \
+			2>&1 >&3 )
+		for dist in $EXTRA_DISTS; do
+			DISTRIBUTIONS="$DISTRIBUTIONS $dist.txz"
+		done
+	fi
+fi
+
+FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS=""
+for dist in $DISTRIBUTIONS; do
+	if [ ! -f $BSDINSTALL_DISTDIR/$dist ]; then
+		FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS="$FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS $dist"
+	fi
+done
+
+if [ -n "$FETCH_DISTRIBUTIONS" -a -n "$BSDINSTALL_CONFIGCURRENT" ]; then
+	bsddialog --backtitle "$OSNAME Installer" --title "Network Installation" --msgbox "Some installation files were not found on the boot volume. The next few screens will allow you to configure networking so that they can be downloaded from the Internet." 0 0
+	bsdinstall netconfig || error
+	NETCONFIG_DONE=yes
+fi
+
+echo $DISTRIBUTIONS >&2
diff --git a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/startbsdinstall b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/startbsdinstall
--- a/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/startbsdinstall
+++ b/usr.sbin/bsdinstall/startbsdinstall
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 : ${BSDDIALOG_EXTRA=3}
 : ${BSDDIALOG_ESC=5}
 : ${BSDDIALOG_ERROR=255}
+export BSDINSTALL_USE_DISTRIBUTIONS=y
 
 kbdcontrol -d >/dev/null 2>&1
 if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then