diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
 .if defined(WITH_DVD) && !empty(WITH_DVD)
 CLEANFILES+=	pkg-stage
 .endif
-CLEANDIRS=	dist pkgbase-repo pkgbase-repo-conf ftp disc1 disc1-disc1 disc1-memstick bootonly bootonly-bootonly bootonly-memstick dvd
+CLEANDIRS=	dist pkgbase-repo pkgbase-repo-dir ftp disc1 disc1-disc1 disc1-memstick bootonly bootonly-bootonly bootonly-memstick dvd
 beforeclean:
 	chflags -R noschg .
 .include <bsd.obj.mk>
@@ -187,15 +187,22 @@
 .endif
 
 .if defined(PKGBASE)
-PKGBASE_REPO=	pkgbase-repo
-PKG_ABI=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${.TARGET}/usr/bin/uname config ABI)
+PKGBASE_REPO_DIR= pkgbase-repo-dir
+PKG_ABI_FILE=	${OBJTOP}/worldstage/usr/bin/uname
+PKG_ABI=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${PKG_ABI_FILE} config ABI)
 .endif
 
 pkgbase-repo:
 	mkdir -p pkgbase-repo
 	( ${IMAKE} -C ${WORLDDIR} packages REPODIR=${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo )
 
-disc1: ${PKGBASE_REPO}
+pkgbase-repo-dir: pkgbase-repo
+	mkdir -p pkgbase-repo-dir
+	printf "FreeBSD-base: { url: "file://%s", enabled: yes }" \
+	    ${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo/${PKG_ABI}/latest \
+	    > pkgbase-repo-dir/FreeBSD-base.conf
+
+disc1: ${PKGBASE_REPO_DIR}
 # Install system
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
@@ -209,7 +216,7 @@
 # Create offline pkgbase repo on release media
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/repos/
 	${.CURDIR}/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua disc \
-	    ${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo/${PKG_ABI}/latest \
+	    ${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo-dir \
 	    ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/offline \
 	    "${_ALL_libcompats}"
 	cp ${.CURDIR}/scripts/FreeBSD-base-offline.conf \
@@ -294,7 +301,7 @@
 	echo "./boot/loader.conf type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
 	echo "./etc/rc.local type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
 
-dvd: ${PKGBASE_REPO}
+dvd: ${PKGBASE_REPO_DIR}
 # Install system
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
@@ -304,7 +311,7 @@
 # Create offline pkgbase repo on release media
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/repos/
 	${.CURDIR}/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua dvd \
-	    ${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo/${PKG_ABI}/latest \
+	    ${.OBJDIR}/pkgbase-repo-dir \
 	    ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/offline \
 	    "${_ALL_libcompats}"
 	cp ${.CURDIR}/scripts/FreeBSD-base-offline.conf \
diff --git a/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua b/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua
--- a/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua
+++ b/release/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua
@@ -107,25 +107,15 @@
 	-- Determines package subset selected
 	local media = assert(arg[1])
 	assert(media == "disc" or media == "dvd")
-	-- Local repository to fetch from
-	local source = assert(arg[2])
+	-- Directory containing FreeBSD-base repository config
+	local repo_dir = assert(arg[2])
 	-- Directory to create new repository
 	local target = assert(arg[3])
-	-- =hitespace separated list of all libcompat names (e.g. "32")
+	-- Whitespace separated list of all libcompat names (e.g. "32")
 	local all_libcompats = assert(arg[4])
 
-	assert(os.execute("mkdir -p pkgbase-repo-conf"))
-	local f <close> = assert(io.open("pkgbase-repo-conf/FreeBSD-base.conf", "w"))
-	assert(f:write(string.format([[
-	FreeBSD-base: {
-	  url: "file://%s",
-	  enabled: yes
-	}
-	]], source)))
-	assert(f:close())
-
 	local pkg = "pkg -o ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes -o IGNORE_OSVERSION=yes " ..
-	    "-o INSTALL_AS_USER=1 -o PKG_DBDIR=./pkgdb -R ./pkgbase-repo-conf "
+	    "-o INSTALL_AS_USER=1 -o PKG_DBDIR=./pkgdb -R " .. repo_dir .. " "
 
 	assert(os.execute(pkg .. "update"))