diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #  WORLDDIR: location of src tree -- must have built world and default kernel
 #            (by default, the directory above this one)
 #  NODISTSETS: if set, do not include dist sets or MANIFEST
-#  PKGBASE:  if set, include pkgbase packages rather than dist tarballs in
+#  NOPKGBASE:  if set, include dist tarballs rather than pkgbase packages in
 #            disc1 and dvd1 installation media
 #  PORTSDIR: location of ports tree to distribute (default: /usr/ports)
 #  XTRADIR:  xtra-bits-dir argument for <arch>/mkisoimages.sh
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@
 dvd: packagesystem
 .endif
 
-.if defined(PKGBASE)
+.if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
 PKGBASE_REPO=	pkgbase-repo
 PKG_ABI=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${.TARGET}/usr/bin/uname config ABI)
 .endif
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@
 	    MK_TOOLCHAIN=no \
 	    MK_RESCUE=no MK_DICT=no \
 	    MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS=no MK_TESTS=no MK_DEBUG_FILES=no)
-.if defined(PKGBASE)
+.if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
 # Create offline pkgbase repo on release media
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/repos/
 	${.CURDIR}/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua disc \
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@
 	echo "./usr/freebsd-dist type=dir uname=root gname=wheel mode=0755" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
 	cp MANIFEST ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-dist
 	echo "./usr/freebsd-dist/MANIFEST type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
-.if !defined(PKGBASE)
+.if defined(NOPKGBASE) && !empty(NOPKGBASE)
 # Copy distfiles
 	for dist in $$(ls *.txz | grep -v container | grep -vE -- '(${base ${_ALL_libcompats}:L:ts|})-dbg'); do \
 	    cp $${dist} ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-dist; \
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@
 	( cd ${WORLDDIR} && ${IMAKE} installworld installkernel distribution \
 		DESTDIR=${.OBJDIR}/${.TARGET} MK_RESCUE=no MK_KERNEL_SYMBOLS=no \
 		MK_TESTS=no MK_DEBUG_FILES=no)
-.if defined(PKGBASE)
+.if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
 # Create offline pkgbase repo on release media
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-packages/repos/
 	${.CURDIR}/scripts/pkgbase-stage.lua dvd \
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@
 	echo "./usr/freebsd-dist type=dir uname=root gname=wheel mode=0755" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
 	cp MANIFEST ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-dist
 	echo "./usr/freebsd-dist/MANIFEST type=file uname=root gname=wheel mode=0644" >> ${.TARGET}/METALOG
-.if !defined(PKGBASE)
+.if defined(NOPKGBASE) && !empty(NOPKGBASE)
 # Copy distfiles
 	mkdir -p ${.TARGET}/usr/freebsd-dist
 	for dist in $$(ls *.txz | grep -v container); do \
diff --git a/release/release.sh b/release/release.sh
--- a/release/release.sh
+++ b/release/release.sh
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
 		KERNCONF=\"${KERNEL}\" ${CONF_FILES} ${SRCPORTS} \
 		WITH_DVD=${WITH_DVD} WITH_VMIMAGES=${WITH_VMIMAGES} \
 		WITH_CLOUDWARE=${WITH_CLOUDWARE} WITH_OCIIMAGES=${WITH_OCIIMAGES} \
-		XZ_THREADS=${XZ_THREADS} PKGBASE=${PKGBASE}"
+		XZ_THREADS=${XZ_THREADS} NOPKGBASE=${NOPKGBASE}"
 
 	return 0
 } # env_check()