diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -132,7 +132,10 @@
 .include <bsd.obj.mk>
 clean: beforeclean
 
-base.txz:
+#
+# Legacy distribution tarballs
+#
+base.txz: # Also (if enabled) tests, compat libs, and -dbg variants for all.
 	mkdir -p ${DISTDIR}
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} -DNO_ROOT distributeworld DISTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${DISTDIR} )
 	# Bootstrap etcupdate(8) database.
@@ -149,7 +152,7 @@
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} -DNO_ROOT packageworld DISTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${DISTDIR} )
 	mv ${DISTDIR}/*.txz .
 
-kernel.txz:
+kernel.txz: # Also (if enabled) kernel-dbg.txz.
 	mkdir -p ${DISTDIR}
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} -DNO_ROOT distributekernel DISTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${DISTDIR} )
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} -DNO_ROOT packagekernel DISTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${DISTDIR} )
@@ -171,6 +174,10 @@
 	    --exclude usr/ports/distfiles --exclude usr/ports/packages \
 	    --exclude 'usr/ports/INDEX*' --exclude work usr/ports )
 
+packagesystem: ${DISTRIBUTIONS}
+	sh ${.CURDIR}/scripts/make-manifest.sh $$(ls *.txz | grep -v container) > MANIFEST
+	touch ${.TARGET}
+
 .if defined(PKGBASE)
 PKGBASE_REPO=	pkgbase-repo
 PKG_ABI=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${.TARGET}/usr/bin/uname config ABI)
@@ -361,10 +368,6 @@
 mini-memstick.img: bootonly-memstick
 	cd bootonly-memstick && sh ${.CURDIR}/${TARGET}/make-memstick.sh ./METALOG ../${.TARGET}
 
-packagesystem: ${DISTRIBUTIONS}
-	sh ${.CURDIR}/scripts/make-manifest.sh $$(ls *.txz | grep -v container) > MANIFEST
-	touch ${.TARGET}
-
 pkg-stage: dvd
 .if !defined(NOPKG) || empty(NOPKG)
 	env PORTSDIR=${PORTSDIR} REPOS_DIR=${.CURDIR}/pkg_repos/ \