diff --git a/release/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh b/release/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh
index cf795e04655b..d5985ceb0d25 100755
--- a/release/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh
+++ b/release/scripts/mk-vmimage.sh
@@ -1,114 +1,112 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #-
 # Copyright (c) 2014, 2015 The FreeBSD Foundation
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # This software was developed by Glen Barber under sponsorship
 # from the FreeBSD Foundation.
 #
 # Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 # modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 # are met:
 # 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 #    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 # 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
 #    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
 #    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 #
 # THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
 # ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
 # IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
 # ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
 # FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
 # DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
 # OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
 # HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
 # LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
 # OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 # SUCH DAMAGE.
 #
 # mk-vmimage.sh: Create virtual machine disk images in various formats.
 #
 # $FreeBSD$
 #
 
 usage() {
 	echo "${0} usage:"
 	echo "${@}"
 	return 1
 }
 
 main() {
 	local arg
 	VMCONFIG="/dev/null"
 	while getopts "C:c:d:f:i:o:s:S:" arg; do
 		case "${arg}" in
 			C)
 				VMBUILDCONF="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			c)
 				VMCONFIG="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			d)
 				DESTDIR="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			f)
 				VMFORMAT="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			i)
 				VMBASE="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			o)
 				VMIMAGE="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			s)
 				VMSIZE="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			S)
 				WORLDDIR="${OPTARG}"
 				;;
 			*)
 				;;
 		esac
 	done
 	shift $(( ${OPTIND} - 1))
 
 	if [ -z "${VMBASE}" -o \
 		-z "${WORLDDIR}" -o \
 		-z "${DESTDIR}" -o \
 		-z "${VMSIZE}" -o \
 		-z "${VMIMAGE}" ];
 	then
 		usage || exit 0
 	fi
 
 	if [ -z "${VMBUILDCONF}" ] || [ ! -e "${VMBUILDCONF}" ]; then
 		echo "Must provide the path to vmimage.subr."
 		return 1
 	fi
 
 	. "${VMBUILDCONF}"
 
 	if [ ! -z "${VMCONFIG}" ] && [ ! -c "${VMCONFIG}" ]; then
 		. "${VMCONFIG}"
 	fi
 
-	ROOTLABEL="gpt"
-
 	vm_create_base
 	vm_install_base
 	vm_extra_install_base
 	vm_extra_install_packages
 	vm_extra_install_ports
 	vm_extra_enable_services
 	vm_extra_pre_umount
 	vm_extra_pkg_rmcache
 	cleanup
 	vm_copy_base
 	vm_create_disk || return 0
 	vm_extra_create_disk
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 main "$@"
diff --git a/release/tools/vmimage.subr b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
index 7bd971013656..6e0c1ea633e2 100644
--- a/release/tools/vmimage.subr
+++ b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
@@ -1,288 +1,265 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
 # $FreeBSD$
 #
 #
 # Common functions for virtual machine image build scripts.
 #
 
 scriptdir=$(dirname $(realpath $0))
 . ${scriptdir}/../../tools/boot/install-boot.sh
 
 export PATH="/bin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin"
 trap "cleanup" INT QUIT TRAP ABRT TERM
 
-write_partition_layout() {
-	if [ -z "${NOSWAP}" ]; then
-		SWAPOPT="-p freebsd-swap/swapfs::${SWAPSIZE}"
-	fi
-
-	BOOTFILES="$(env TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH} \
-		WITH_UNIFIED_OBJDIR=yes \
-		make -C ${WORLDDIR}/stand -V .OBJDIR)"
-	BOOTFILES="$(realpath ${BOOTFILES})"
-
-	case "${TARGET}:${TARGET_ARCH}" in
-		amd64:amd64 | i386:i386)
-			ESP=yes
-			SCHEME=gpt
-			BOOTPARTS="-b ${BOOTFILES}/i386/pmbr/pmbr \
-				   -p freebsd-boot/bootfs:=${BOOTFILES}/i386/gptboot/gptboot"
-			ROOTFSPART="-p freebsd-ufs/rootfs:=${VMBASE}"
-			;;
-		arm64:aarch64 | riscv:riscv64*)
-			ESP=yes
-			SCHEME=gpt
-			BOOTPARTS=
-			ROOTFSPART="-p freebsd-ufs/rootfs:=${VMBASE}"
-			;;
-		powerpc:powerpc*)
-			ESP=no
-			SCHEME=apm
-			BOOTPARTS="-p apple-boot/bootfs:=${BOOTFILES}/powerpc/boot1.chrp/boot1.hfs"
-			ROOTFSPART="-p freebsd-ufs/rootfs:=${VMBASE}"
-			;;
-		*)
-			echo "vmimage.subr: unsupported target '${TARGET}:${TARGET_ARCH}'" >&2
-			exit 1
-			;;
-	esac
-
-	if [ ${ESP} = "yes" ]; then
-		# Create an ESP
-		espfilename=$(mktemp /tmp/efiboot.XXXXXX)
-		make_esp_file ${espfilename} ${fat32min} ${BOOTFILES}/efi/loader_lua/loader_lua.efi
-		BOOTPARTS="${BOOTPARTS} -p efi/efiesp:=${espfilename}"
-
-		# Add this to fstab, requires temporarily remounting the fs
-		mddev=$(mdconfig -f ${VMBASE})
-		mount /dev/${mddev} ${DESTDIR}
-		mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/boot/efi
-		echo "/dev/${ROOTLABEL}/efiesp	/boot/efi       msdosfs     rw      2       2" \
-			>> ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
-		umount ${DESTDIR}
-		mdconfig -d -u ${mddev}
-	fi
-
-	mkimg -s ${SCHEME} -f ${VMFORMAT} \
-		${BOOTPARTS} \
-		${SWAPOPT} \
-		${ROOTFSPART} \
-		-o ${VMIMAGE}
-
-	if [ ${ESP} = "yes" ]; then
-		rm ${espfilename}
-	fi
-
-	return 0
-}
+# Platform-specific large-scale setup
+# Most platforms use GPT, so put that as default, then special cases
+PARTSCHEME=gpt
+ROOTLABEL="gpt"
+case "${TARGET}:${TARGET_ARCH}" in
+	powerpc:powerpc*)
+		PARTSCHEME=mbr
+		ROOTLABEL="ufs"
+		NOSWAP=yes # Can't label swap partition with MBR, so no swap
+	;;
+esac
 
 err() {
 	printf "${@}\n"
 	cleanup
 	return 1
 }
 
 cleanup() {
 	if [ -c "${DESTDIR}/dev/null" ]; then
 		umount_loop ${DESTDIR}/dev 2>/dev/null
 	fi
-	umount_loop ${DESTDIR}
-	if [ ! -z "${mddev}" ]; then
-		mdconfig -d -u ${mddev}
-	fi
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_create_base() {
 	# Creates the UFS root filesystem for the virtual machine disk,
 	# written to the formatted disk image with mkimg(1).
 
 	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}
-	truncate -s ${VMSIZE} ${VMBASE}
-	mddev=$(mdconfig -f ${VMBASE})
-	newfs -L rootfs /dev/${mddev}
-	mount /dev/${mddev} ${DESTDIR}
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_copy_base() {
-	# Creates a new UFS root filesystem and copies the contents of the
-	# current root filesystem into it.  This produces a "clean" disk
-	# image without any remnants of files which were created temporarily
-	# during image-creation and have since been deleted (e.g., downloaded
-	# package archives).
-
-	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/old
-	mdold=$(mdconfig -f ${VMBASE})
-	mount /dev/${mdold} ${DESTDIR}/old
-
-	truncate -s ${VMSIZE} ${VMBASE}.tmp
-	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/new
-	mdnew=$(mdconfig -f ${VMBASE}.tmp)
-	newfs -L rootfs /dev/${mdnew}
-	mount /dev/${mdnew} ${DESTDIR}/new
-
-	tar -cf- -C ${DESTDIR}/old . | tar -xUf- -C ${DESTDIR}/new
-
-	umount_loop /dev/${mdold}
-	rmdir ${DESTDIR}/old
-	mdconfig -d -u ${mdold}
-
-	umount_loop /dev/${mdnew}
-	rmdir ${DESTDIR}/new
-	tunefs -n enable /dev/${mdnew}
-	mdconfig -d -u ${mdnew}
-	mv ${VMBASE}.tmp ${VMBASE}
+	# Defunct
 }
 
 vm_install_base() {
 	# Installs the FreeBSD userland/kernel to the virtual machine disk.
 
 	cd ${WORLDDIR} && \
 		make DESTDIR=${DESTDIR} \
 		installworld installkernel distribution || \
 		err "\n\nCannot install the base system to ${DESTDIR}."
 
 	# Bootstrap etcupdate(8) and mergemaster(8) databases.
 	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/var/db/etcupdate
 	etcupdate extract -B \
 		-M "TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH}" \
 		-s ${WORLDDIR} -d ${DESTDIR}/var/db/etcupdate
 	sh ${WORLDDIR}/release/scripts/mm-mtree.sh -m ${WORLDDIR} \
 		-F "TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH}" \
 		-D ${DESTDIR}
 
 	echo '# Custom /etc/fstab for FreeBSD VM images' \
 		> ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
 	echo "/dev/${ROOTLABEL}/rootfs   /       ufs     rw      1       1" \
 		>> ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
 	if [ -z "${NOSWAP}" ]; then
 		echo '/dev/gpt/swapfs  none    swap    sw      0       0' \
 			>> ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
 	fi
 
 	local hostname
 	hostname="$(echo $(uname -o) | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')"
 	echo "hostname=\"${hostname}\"" >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
 
 	if ! [ -z "${QEMUSTATIC}" ]; then
 		export EMULATOR=/qemu
 		cp ${QEMUSTATIC} ${DESTDIR}/${EMULATOR}
 	fi
 
 	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/dev
 	mount -t devfs devfs ${DESTDIR}/dev
 	chroot ${DESTDIR} ${EMULATOR} /usr/bin/newaliases
 	chroot ${DESTDIR} ${EMULATOR} /bin/sh /etc/rc.d/ldconfig forcestart
 	umount_loop ${DESTDIR}/dev
 
 	cp /etc/resolv.conf ${DESTDIR}/etc/resolv.conf
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_extra_install_base() {
 	# Prototype.  When overridden, runs extra post-installworld commands
 	# as needed, based on the target virtual machine image or cloud
 	# provider image target.
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_extra_enable_services() {
 	if [ ! -z "${VM_RC_LIST}" ]; then
 		for _rcvar in ${VM_RC_LIST}; do
 			echo ${_rcvar}_enable="YES" >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
 		done
 	fi
 
 	if [ -z "${VMCONFIG}" -o -c "${VMCONFIG}" ]; then
 		echo 'ifconfig_DEFAULT="DHCP inet6 accept_rtadv"' >> \
 			${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
 		# Expand the filesystem to fill the disk.
 		echo 'growfs_enable="YES"' >> ${DESTDIR}/etc/rc.conf
 		touch ${DESTDIR}/firstboot
 	fi
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_extra_install_packages() {
 	if [ -z "${VM_EXTRA_PACKAGES}" ]; then
 		return 0
 	fi
 	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/dev
 	mount -t devfs devfs ${DESTDIR}/dev
 	chroot ${DESTDIR} ${EMULATOR} env ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes \
 		/usr/sbin/pkg bootstrap -y
 	chroot ${DESTDIR} ${EMULATOR} env ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes \
 		/usr/sbin/pkg install -y ${VM_EXTRA_PACKAGES}
 	umount_loop ${DESTDIR}/dev
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_extra_install_ports() {
 	# Prototype.  When overridden, installs additional ports within the
 	# virtual machine environment.
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_extra_pre_umount() {
 	# Prototype.  When overridden, performs additional tasks within the
 	# virtual machine environment prior to unmounting the filesystem.
 	# Note: When overriding this function, removing resolv.conf in the
 	# disk image must be included.
 
 	if ! [ -z "${QEMUSTATIC}" ]; then
 		rm -f ${DESTDIR}/${EMULATOR}
 	fi
 	rm -f ${DESTDIR}/etc/resolv.conf
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_extra_pkg_rmcache() {
 	if [ -e ${DESTDIR}/usr/local/sbin/pkg ]; then
 		chroot ${DESTDIR} ${EMULATOR} env ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES=yes \
 			/usr/local/sbin/pkg clean -y -a
 	fi
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 umount_loop() {
 	DIR=$1
 	i=0
 	sync
 	while ! umount ${DIR}; do
 		i=$(( $i + 1 ))
 		if [ $i -ge 10 ]; then
 			# This should never happen.  But, it has happened.
 			echo "Cannot umount(8) ${DIR}"
 			echo "Something has gone horribly wrong."
 			return 1
 		fi
 		sleep 1
 	done
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_create_disk() {
 	echo "Creating image...  Please wait."
 	echo
 
-	write_partition_layout || return 1
+	if [ -z "${NOSWAP}" ]; then
+		SWAPOPT="-p freebsd-swap/swapfs::${SWAPSIZE}"
+	fi
+
+	BOOTFILES="$(env TARGET=${TARGET} TARGET_ARCH=${TARGET_ARCH} \
+		WITH_UNIFIED_OBJDIR=yes \
+		make -C ${WORLDDIR}/stand -V .OBJDIR)"
+	BOOTFILES="$(realpath ${BOOTFILES})"
+
+	case "${TARGET}:${TARGET_ARCH}" in
+		amd64:amd64 | i386:i386)
+			ESP=yes
+			BOOTPARTS="-b ${BOOTFILES}/i386/pmbr/pmbr \
+				   -p freebsd-boot/bootfs:=${BOOTFILES}/i386/gptboot/gptboot"
+			ROOTFSPART="-p freebsd-ufs/rootfs:=${VMBASE}"
+			MAKEFSARGS="-B little"
+			;;
+		arm64:aarch64 | riscv:riscv64*)
+			ESP=yes
+			BOOTPARTS=
+			ROOTFSPART="-p freebsd-ufs/rootfs:=${VMBASE}"
+			MAKEFSARGS="-B little"
+			;;
+		powerpc:powerpc*)
+			ESP=no
+			BOOTPARTS="-p prepboot:=${BOOTFILES}/powerpc/boot1.chrp/boot1.elf -a 1"
+			ROOTFSPART="-p freebsd:=${VMBASE}"
+			if [ ${TARGET_ARCH} = powerpc64le ]; then
+				MAKEFSARGS="-B little"
+			else
+				MAKEFSARGS="-B big"
+			fi
+			;;
+		*)
+			echo "vmimage.subr: unsupported target '${TARGET}:${TARGET_ARCH}'" >&2
+			exit 1
+			;;
+	esac
+
+	if [ ${ESP} = "yes" ]; then
+		# Create an ESP
+		espfilename=$(mktemp /tmp/efiboot.XXXXXX)
+		make_esp_file ${espfilename} ${fat32min} ${BOOTFILES}/efi/loader_lua/loader_lua.efi
+		BOOTPARTS="${BOOTPARTS} -p efi/efiesp:=${espfilename}"
+
+		# Add this to fstab
+		mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}/boot/efi
+		echo "/dev/${ROOTLABEL}/efiesp	/boot/efi       msdosfs     rw      2       2" \
+			>> ${DESTDIR}/etc/fstab
+	fi
+
+	echo "Building filesystem...  Please wait."
+	makefs ${MAKEFSARGS} -o label=rootfs -o version=2 -o softupdates=1 \
+	    -s ${VMSIZE} ${VMBASE} ${DESTDIR}
+
+	echo "Building final disk image...  Please wait."
+	mkimg -s ${PARTSCHEME} -f ${VMFORMAT} \
+		${BOOTPARTS} \
+		${SWAPOPT} \
+		${ROOTFSPART} \
+		-o ${VMIMAGE}
+
+	if [ ${ESP} = "yes" ]; then
+		rm ${espfilename}
+	fi
 
 	return 0
 }
 
 vm_extra_create_disk() {
 
 	return 0
 }