diff --git a/bin/disk-image-create b/bin/disk-image-create
index d0b4f90f..1c49d0b5 100755
--- a/bin/disk-image-create
+++ b/bin/disk-image-create
@@ -27,11 +27,13 @@ function show_options () {
     echo "    -o filename -- set the name of the output file" 
     echo "    -x -- turn on tracing"
     echo "    -u -- uncompressed; do not compress the image - larger but faster"
+    echo "    -p package[,package,package] -- list of packages to install in the image"
     exit 0
 }
 
+INSTALL_PACKAGES=""
 COMPRESS_IMAGE="true"
-TEMP=`getopt -o a:ho:xu -n $SCRIPTNAME -- "$@"`
+TEMP=`getopt -o a:ho:xup: -n $SCRIPTNAME -- "$@"`
 if [ $? != 0 ] ; then echo "Terminating..." >&2 ; exit 1 ; fi
 echo "XXX $TEMP"
 
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ while true ; do
         -h) show_options;;
         -x) shift; set -x;;
         -u) shift; export COMPRESS_IMAGE="";;
+        -p) IFS="," read -a INSTALL_PACKAGES <<< "$2"; export INSTALL_PACKAGES ; shift 2 ;;
         --) shift ; break ;;
         *) echo "Internal error!" ; exit 1 ;;
     esac
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ mount_tmp_image ${IMAGE_BLOCK_DEVICE}
 create_base
 run_d extra-data
 do_pre_install
+do_extra_package_install
 do_install
 prepare_first_boot
 finalise_base
diff --git a/lib/img-functions b/lib/img-functions
index 945d790c..8e6278c9 100644
--- a/lib/img-functions
+++ b/lib/img-functions
@@ -231,3 +231,10 @@ function do_install () {
   run_d_in_target install
   unblock_daemons
 }
+
+function do_extra_package_install () {
+  # Install any packages that were requested with the -p command line option
+  if [ "$INSTALL_PACKAGES" != "" ]; then
+    run_in_target apt-get -y install ${INSTALL_PACKAGES[@]}
+  fi
+}