Index: Makefile
===================================================================
--- Makefile
+++ Makefile
@@ -77,12 +77,13 @@
 
 .if !defined(NOPKGBASE) || empty(NOPKGBASE)
 PKGBASE_REPO_DIR= pkgbase-repo-dir
+.endif
+
+.if ${.MAKE.OS} == "FreeBSD" && (!defined(NOPKG) || empty(NOPKG))
+# PKG_ABI is needed whenever packages are installed, regardless of NOPKGBASE
 WSTAGEDIR!=	${IMAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 -C ${WORLDDIR} -V WSTAGEDIR
 PKG_ABI_FILE=	${WSTAGEDIR}/usr/bin/uname
 PKG_ABI=	$$(${PKG_CMD} -o ABI_FILE=${PKG_ABI_FILE} config ABI)
-.endif
-
-.if ${.MAKE.OS} == "FreeBSD"
 # For installing packages into the release media.
 PKG_ENV+=	INSTALL_AS_USER=yes
 PKG_ENV+=	ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes