diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4a9b821df7..703cd4a8de 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -267,12 +267,15 @@ complain-no-submodule:
 	exit 1
 
 # Create packages and a catalog for all native libraries:
+PACK_NATIVE = --native --absolute --pack build/native/pkgs \
+              ++catalog build/native/catalog \
+	      ++catalog build/local/catalog
 native-catalog:
-	$(RACKET) $(DISTBLD)/pack-native.rkt native-pkgs
+	$(RACKET) $(DISTBLD)/pack-and-catalog.rkt $(PACK_NATIVE) native-pkgs
 
 # Create a catalog for all packages in this directory:
 local-source-catalog:
-	$(RACKET) $(DISTBLD)/catalog-local.rkt
+	$(RACKET) $(DISTBLD)/pack-and-catalog.rkt ++catalog build/local/catalog pkgs
 
 # Clear out a package build in "build/user", and then install
 # packages:
@@ -333,6 +336,16 @@ binary-catalog:
 binary-catalog-server:
 	$(RACKET) -l- distro-build/serve-catalog --mode binary
 
+# Assemble all packages from this repo into ".zip" form
+# to checksum-based subdirectories of "build/archive/pkgs"
+# and a catalog in "build/archive/catalog":
+PACK_ARCHIVE = --at-checksum build/archive/pkgs \
+               --pack build/archive/pre-pkgs \
+               ++catalog build/archive/catalog
+archive-catalog:
+	$(RACKET) $(DISTBLD)/pack-and-catalog.rkt --native $(PACK_ARCHIVE) native-pkgs
+	$(RACKET) $(DISTBLD)/pack-and-catalog.rkt $(PACK_ARCHIVE) pkgs
+
 # ------------------------------------------------------------
 # On each supported platform (for an installer build):
 #
diff --git a/pkgs/distro-build/catalog-local.rkt b/pkgs/distro-build/catalog-local.rkt
deleted file mode 100644
index 98409193bc..0000000000
--- a/pkgs/distro-build/catalog-local.rkt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-#lang racket/base
-(require racket/cmdline
-         racket/file
-         net/url)
-
-(command-line
- #:args
- ()
- (void))
-
-(define src-dir "pkgs")
-(define dest-dir (build-path "build" "local"))
-
-(define catalog-dir (build-path dest-dir "catalog" "pkg"))
-(make-directory* catalog-dir)
-
-(define found (make-hash))
-
-;; Recur through directory tree, and treat each directory
-;; that has an "info.rkt" file as a package (and don't recur
-;; further into the package)
-(let loop ([src-dir src-dir])
-  (for ([f (in-list (directory-list src-dir))])
-    (define src-f (build-path src-dir f))
-    (cond
-     [(file-exists? (build-path src-f "info.rkt"))
-      (when (hash-ref found f #f)
-        (error 'pack-local 
-               "found packages multiple times: ~a and ~a"
-               (hash-ref found f)
-               src-f))
-      (hash-set! found f src-f)
-      (call-with-output-file*
-       (build-path catalog-dir f)
-       #:exists 'truncate
-       (lambda (o)
-         (write (hash 'source (path->string (path->directory-path src-f))
-                      'checksum "0"
-                      'name (path->string f)
-                      'author "plt@racket-lang.org"
-                      'description "library"
-                      'tags '()
-                      'dependencies '()
-                      'modules '())
-                o)
-         (newline o)))]
-     [(directory-exists? src-f)
-      (loop src-f)])))
diff --git a/pkgs/distro-build/pack-and-catalog.rkt b/pkgs/distro-build/pack-and-catalog.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..656dca97e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/distro-build/pack-and-catalog.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+#lang racket/base
+(require racket/cmdline
+         racket/file
+         racket/port
+         racket/string
+         file/zip
+         openssl/sha1
+         net/url
+         pkg/strip
+         setup/getinfo)
+
+(define pack-dest-dir #f)
+(define catalog-dirs null)
+(define native? #f)
+(define relative? #t)
+(define checksum-dir #f)
+
+(define src-dirs
+  (command-line
+   #:once-each
+   [("--pack") dest-dir "Pack to <dest-dir>"
+    (set! pack-dest-dir dest-dir)]
+   [("--native") "Pack as native"
+    (set! native? #t)]
+   [("--absolute") "Record paths as absolute"
+    (set! relative? #f)]
+   [("--at-checksum") dir "Copy each to to <dir>/<checksum>"
+    (set! checksum-dir dir)]
+   #:multi
+   [("++catalog") catalog-dir "Write catalog entry to <catalog-dir>"
+    (set! catalog-dirs (cons catalog-dir catalog-dirs))]
+   #:args
+   pkgs-dir
+   pkgs-dir))
+
+(when pack-dest-dir
+  (make-directory* pack-dest-dir))
+(for ([catalog-dir (in-list catalog-dirs)])
+  (make-directory* catalog-dir))
+
+(define (stream-directory d)
+  (define-values (i o) (make-pipe (* 100 4096)))
+  (define (skip-path? p)
+    (member (let-values ([(base name dir?) (split-path p)]) (path->string name))
+            '("compiled")))
+  (thread (lambda ()
+            (for ([f (in-directory d)])
+              (cond
+               [(skip-path? f) (void)]
+               [(directory-exists? f)
+                (write (directory-list f) o)]
+               [(file-exists? f)
+                (call-with-input-file* 
+                 f
+                 (lambda (i) (copy-port i o)))]))
+            (close-output-port o)))
+  i)
+
+(define (do-package src-dir pkg-name)
+  (define zip-file (path-add-suffix pkg-name #".zip"))
+  (define dest-zip (and pack-dest-dir
+                        (build-path (path->complete-path pack-dest-dir) 
+                                    zip-file)))
+  (when pack-dest-dir
+    (define sum-file (path-add-suffix pkg-name #".srcsum"))
+    (define pkg-src-dir (build-path src-dir pkg-name))
+    (printf "summing ~a\n" pkg-src-dir)
+    (define src-sha1 (sha1 (stream-directory pkg-src-dir)))
+    (define dest-sum (build-path (path->complete-path pack-dest-dir) sum-file))
+    (unless (and (file-exists? dest-zip)
+                 (file-exists? dest-sum)
+                 (equal? (list (version) src-sha1)
+                         (call-with-input-file* dest-sum read)))
+      (printf "packing ~a\n" zip-file)
+      (define tmp-dir (make-temporary-file "~a-pkg" 'directory))
+      (generate-stripped-directory (if native? 'binary 'source)
+                                   pkg-src-dir 
+                                   tmp-dir)
+      (parameterize ([current-directory tmp-dir])
+        (when (file-exists? dest-zip) (delete-file dest-zip))
+        (apply zip dest-zip (directory-list)))
+      (delete-directory/files tmp-dir)
+      (call-with-output-file*
+       dest-sum
+       #:exists 'truncate/replace
+       (lambda (o)
+         (write (list (version) src-sha1) o)
+         (newline o)))))
+
+  (define info-path (build-path src-dir pkg-name))
+  (define i (get-info/full info-path))
+  (define (get key)
+    (i key (lambda ()
+             (error 'catalog-local
+                    "missing `~a'\n  path: ~a"
+                    key
+                    (build-path info-path "info.rkt")))))
+  
+  (define (write-catalog-entry catalog-dir)
+    (define catalog-pkg-dir (build-path catalog-dir "pkg"))
+    (define checksum (if dest-zip
+                         (call-with-input-file* dest-zip sha1)
+                         "0"))
+    (define orig-dest (if dest-zip
+                          (build-path pack-dest-dir zip-file)
+                          #f))
+    (define checksum-dest (if checksum-dir
+                              (build-path checksum-dir checksum zip-file)
+                              orig-dest))
+    (when dest-zip
+      (when checksum-dir
+        (make-directory* (build-path checksum-dir checksum))
+        (copy-file orig-dest checksum-dest #t))
+      (call-with-output-file*
+       (build-path (path-replace-suffix checksum-dest #".zip.CHECKSUM"))
+       #:exists 'truncate/replace
+       (lambda (o)
+         (display checksum o))))
+    (make-directory* catalog-pkg-dir)
+    (call-with-output-file*
+     (build-path catalog-pkg-dir pkg-name)
+     #:exists 'truncate
+     (lambda (o)
+       (write (hash 'source (path->string
+                             ((if relative? values path->complete-path)
+                              (if dest-zip
+                                  checksum-dest
+                                  (path->directory-path (build-path src-dir pkg-name)))))
+                    'checksum checksum
+                    'name (path->string pkg-name)
+                    'author (string-join (for/list ([r (get 'pkg-authors)])
+                                           (if (symbol? r)
+                                               (format "~a@racket-lang.org" r)
+                                               r))
+                                         ", ")
+                    'description (get 'pkg-desc)
+                    'tags '()
+                    'dependencies '()
+                    'modules '())
+              o)
+       (newline o))))
+  (for ([catalog-dir (in-list catalog-dirs)])
+    (write-catalog-entry catalog-dir)))
+
+(define found (make-hash))
+
+;; Recur through directory tree, and treat each directory
+;; that has an "info.rkt" file as a package (and don't recur
+;; further into the package)
+(for ([src-dir (in-list src-dirs)])
+  (let loop ([src-dir src-dir])
+    (for ([f (in-list (directory-list src-dir))])
+      (define src-f (build-path src-dir f))
+      (cond
+       [(file-exists? (build-path src-f "info.rkt"))
+        (when (hash-ref found f #f)
+          (error 'pack-local 
+                 "found packages multiple times: ~a and ~a"
+                 (hash-ref found f)
+                 src-f))
+        (hash-set! found f src-f)
+        (do-package src-dir f)]
+       [(directory-exists? src-f)
+        (loop src-f)]))))
diff --git a/pkgs/distro-build/pack-native.rkt b/pkgs/distro-build/pack-native.rkt
deleted file mode 100644
index 16f88e9357..0000000000
--- a/pkgs/distro-build/pack-native.rkt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,83 +0,0 @@
-#lang racket/base
-(require racket/cmdline
-         racket/file
-         racket/port
-         file/zip
-         openssl/sha1
-         net/url
-         pkg/strip)
-
-(define src-dir
-  (command-line
-   #:args
-   (native-pkgs-dir)
-   native-pkgs-dir))
-
-(define dest-dir (build-path "build" "native" "pkgs"))
-(define catalog-dir (build-path "build" "native" "catalog"))
-(define local-catalog-dir (build-path "build" "local" "catalog"))
-
-(make-directory* dest-dir)
-(make-directory* catalog-dir)
-(make-directory* local-catalog-dir)
-
-(define (stream-directory d)
-  (define-values (i o) (make-pipe (* 100 4096)))
-  (thread (lambda ()
-            (for ([f (in-directory d)])
-              (cond
-               [(directory-exists? f)
-                (write (directory-list f) o)]
-               [(file-exists? f)
-                (call-with-input-file* 
-                 f
-                 (lambda (i) (copy-port i o)))]))
-            (close-output-port o)))
-  i)
-
-(for ([pkg-name (in-list (directory-list src-dir))])
-  (when (file-exists? (build-path src-dir pkg-name "info.rkt"))
-    (define zip-file (path-add-suffix pkg-name #".zip"))
-    (define sum-file (path-add-suffix pkg-name #".srcsum"))
-    (define pkg-src-dir (build-path src-dir pkg-name))
-    (printf "summing ~a\n" pkg-src-dir)
-    (define src-sha1 (sha1 (stream-directory pkg-src-dir)))
-    (define dest-zip (build-path (path->complete-path dest-dir) zip-file))
-    (define dest-sum (build-path (path->complete-path dest-dir) sum-file))
-    (unless (and (file-exists? dest-zip)
-                 (file-exists? dest-sum)
-                 (equal? (list (version) src-sha1)
-                         (call-with-input-file* dest-sum read)))
-      (printf "packing ~a\n" zip-file)
-      (define tmp-dir (make-temporary-file "~a-pkg" 'directory))
-      (generate-stripped-directory 'binary pkg-src-dir tmp-dir)
-      (parameterize ([current-directory tmp-dir])
-        (when (file-exists? dest-zip) (delete-file dest-zip))
-        (apply zip dest-zip (directory-list)))
-      (delete-directory/files tmp-dir)
-      (call-with-output-file*
-       dest-sum
-       #:exists 'truncate/replace
-       (lambda (o)
-         (write (list (version) src-sha1) o)
-         (newline o))))
-    
-    (define (write-catalog-entry catalog-dir)
-      (define catalog-pkg-dir (build-path catalog-dir "pkg"))
-      (make-directory* catalog-pkg-dir)
-      (call-with-output-file*
-       (build-path catalog-pkg-dir pkg-name)
-       #:exists 'truncate
-       (lambda (o)
-         (write (hash 'source (path->string dest-zip)
-                      'checksum (call-with-input-file* dest-zip sha1)
-                      'name (path->string pkg-name)
-                      'author "plt@racket-lang.org"
-                      'description "native library"
-                      'tags '()
-                      'dependencies '()
-                      'modules '())
-                o)
-         (newline o))))
-    (write-catalog-entry catalog-dir)
-    (write-catalog-entry local-catalog-dir)))