diff --git a/packaging/MANIFEST b/packaging/MANIFEST
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f15ccac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/MANIFEST
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+name:         albatross
+version:      1.0.%%GITVER%%_1
+origin:	      local/albatross
+comment:      Albatross: Managing virtual machines
+www:	      https://github.com/hannesm/vmm
+maintainer:   Hannes Mehnert <hannes@mehnert.org>
+prefix:	      /usr/local
+licenselogic: single
+licenses:     [NONE]
+flatsize:     %%FLATSIZE%%
+categories:   [local]
+deps {
+        gmp {
+        origin = "math/gmp";
+        version = "6.1.2";
+    }
+}
+scripts : {
+    pre-install = <<EOD
+if [ -n "${PKG_ROOTDIR}" ] && [ "${PKG_ROOTDIR}" != "/" ]; then
+  PW="/usr/sbin/pw -R ${PKG_ROOTDIR}"
+else
+  PW=/usr/sbin/pw
+fi
+echo "===> Creating groups."
+if ! ${PW} groupshow albatross >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "Creating group 'albatross' with gid '496'."
+  ${PW} groupadd albatross -g 496
+else
+  echo "Using existing group 'albatross'."
+fi
+echo "===> Creating users"
+if ! ${PW} usershow albatross >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "Creating user 'albatross' with uid '496'."
+  ${PW} useradd albatross -u 496 -g 496  -c "albatross daemon" -d /nonexistent -s /usr/sbin/nologin
+else
+  echo "Using existing user 'albatross'."
+fi
+EOD;
+    post-install = <<EOD
+mkdir -p /var/run/albatross/util /var/run/albatross/fifo
+chown albatross:albatross /var/run/albatross/util /var/run/albatross/fifo
+chmod 2760 /var/run/albatross/fifo
+chgrp albatross /usr/local/libexec/albatross/vmmd
+chmod 2700 /usr/local/libexec/albatross/vmmd
+
+EOD;
+    post-deinstall = <<EOD
+if [ -n "${PKG_ROOTDIR}" ] && [ "${PKG_ROOTDIR}" != "/" ]; then
+  PW="/usr/sbin/pw -R ${PKG_ROOTDIR}"
+else
+  PW=/usr/sbin/pw
+fi
+if ${PW} usershow albatross >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "==> You should manually remove the \"albatross\" user. "
+fi
+if ${PW} groupshow albatross >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "==> You should manually remove the \"albatross\" group "
+fi
+EOD;
+
+}
+desc = <<EOD
+A set of binaries to manage, provision, and deploy virtual machine images.
+
+EOD;
+messages [
+    {
+        message = <<EOD
+===================================================================
+
+	you need to:
+
+   * modify /etc/devfs.rules to include:
+
+	add path 'vmm/solo5*' mode 0660 group albatross
+
+   * install solo5-hvt.net  solo5-hvt.none in /var/db/albatross
+
+===================================================================
+EOD;
+    }
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packaging/create_package.sh b/packaging/create_package.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b54f753
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/create_package.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+
+basedir=$(realpath "$(dirname "$0")"/..)
+#tmptmpl=$(basename "$0")
+#tmpd=$(mktemp -t "$tmptmpl")
+tmpd=$basedir/_build/stage
+manifest=$tmpd/+MANIFEST
+rootdir=$tmpd/rootdir
+
+
+trap 'rm -rf $tmpd' 0 INT EXIT
+
+mkdir -p "$rootdir"/usr/local/sbin \
+         "$rootdir"/usr/local/libexec/albatross \
+         "$rootdir"/usr/local/etc/rc.d
+
+# stage service scripts
+for f in albatross_log \
+	 albatross_stat \
+	 albatross_console \
+	 albatross_daemon \
+	 albatross_x
+do install -U $basedir/packaging/rc.d/$f $rootdir/usr/local/etc/rc.d/$f; done
+
+# stage albatross app binaries
+for f in vmmd vmm_log vmm_console; do
+    install -U $basedir/_build/app/$f.native \
+	 $rootdir/usr/local/libexec/albatross/$f; done
+
+install -U $basedir/_build/stats/vmm_stats_lwt.native \
+	$rootdir/usr/local/libexec/albatross/vmm_stats_lwt
+
+install -U $basedir/_build/app/vmmc.native \
+	$rootdir/usr/local/sbin/vmmc
+
+# create +MANIFEST
+flatsize=$(find "$rootdir" -type f -exec stat -f %z {} + |
+               awk 'BEGIN {s=0} {s+=$1} END {print s}')
+
+gitver=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+
+sed -e "s:%%GITVER%%:${gitver}:" -e "s:%%FLATSIZE%%:${flatsize}:" \
+    "$basedir/packaging/MANIFEST" > "$manifest"
+
+{
+    printf '\nfiles {\n'
+    find "$rootdir" -type f -exec sha256 -r {} + |
+        awk '{print "    " $2 ": \"" $1 "\"," }'
+    find "$rootdir" -type l |
+        awk "{print \"    \"\$1 \": -,\"}"
+    printf '}\n'
+} | sed -e "s:${rootdir}::" >> "$manifest"
+
+pkg create -r "$rootdir" -M "$manifest" -o $basedir/_build/