Index: usr.sbin/pkg/pkg.c
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/pkg/pkg.c
+++ usr.sbin/pkg/pkg.c
@@ -1038,6 +1038,17 @@
 	return (ret);
 }
 
+static const char *pkg_pkg = "pkg.";
+static const char *pkg_devel_pkg = "pkg-devel.";
+
+static bool
+pkg_is_pkg_pkg(const char *pkg)
+{
+
+	return (strncmp(pkg, pkg_pkg, sizeof(pkg_pkg) - 1) == 0 ||
+	    strncmp(pkg, pkg_devel_pkg, sizeof(pkg_devel_pkg) - 1) == 0);
+}
+
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -1141,13 +1152,25 @@
 				fprintf(stderr, args_bootstrap_message);
 				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			}
-			// For add, we accept exactly one further argument
 			else if (add_pkg && pkgarg != NULL) {
-				fprintf(stderr, args_add_message);
-				exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+				/*
+				 * Additional arguments also means it's not a
+				 * local bootstrap request.
+				 */
+				add_pkg = false;
 			}
 			else if (add_pkg) {
-				pkgarg = argv[optind-1];
+				/*
+				 * If it's not a request for pkg or pkg-devel,
+				 * then we must assume they were trying to
+				 * install some other local package and we
+				 * should try to bootstrap from the repo.
+				 */
+				if (!pkg_is_pkg_pkg(argv[optind-1])) {
+					add_pkg = false;
+				} else {
+					pkgarg = argv[optind-1];
+				}
 			}
 			break;
 		default: