diff --git a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl
index b637052ce5..e53fae480c 100644
--- a/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl
+++ b/pkgs/racket-pkgs/racket-doc/pkg/scribblings/pkg.scrbl
@@ -396,14 +396,16 @@ removing any of the @nonterm{pkg}s.
 
 @item{@command/toc{show} @nonterm{option} ... --- Print information about currently installed packages. 
  By default, packages are shown for all installation modes (installation-wide,
- user- and Racket-version-specific, and user-specific all-version).
+ user- and Racket-version-specific, and user-specific all-version), but only for packages
+ not marked as auto-installed to fulfill dependencies.
 
  The @exec{show} sub-command accepts 
  the following @nonterm{option}s:
 
  @itemlist[
 
- @item{@Flag{d} --- Adds a column in the output for the directory the package is installed to.} 
+ @item{@Flag{a} or @DFlag{all} --- Includes auto-installed packages in the listing.} 
+ @item{@Flag{d} or @DFlag{dir} --- Adds a column in the output for the directory where the package is installed.} 
 
  @item{@DFlag{scope} @nonterm{scope} --- Shows only packages in @nonterm{scope}, which is one of
   @itemlist[
diff --git a/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt b/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt
index dbcdd4b9cf..19ea84c5ed 100644
--- a/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/pkg/lib.rkt
@@ -1590,7 +1590,9 @@
       #:strip strip-mode
       to-update)]))
 
-(define (pkg-show indent #:directory? [dir? #f])
+(define (pkg-show indent 
+                  #:directory? [dir? #f]
+                  #:auto? [show-auto? #f])
   (let ()
     (define db (read-pkg-db))
     (define pkgs (sort (hash-keys db) string-ci<=?))
@@ -1599,13 +1601,17 @@
         (table-display
          (list*
           (append
-           (list (format "~aPackage[*=auto]" indent)
+           (list (format "~aPackage~a"
+                         indent 
+                         (if show-auto? "[*=auto]" ""))
                  "Checksum"
                  "Source")
            (if dir?
                (list "Directory")
                empty))
-          (for/list ([pkg (in-list pkgs)])
+          (for/list ([pkg (in-list pkgs)]
+                     #:when (or show-auto?
+                                (not (pkg-info-auto? (hash-ref db pkg)))))
             (match-define (pkg-info orig-pkg checksum auto?) (hash-ref db pkg))
             (append
              (list (format "~a~a~a"
@@ -2304,7 +2310,8 @@
         (or/c #f 'skip (listof (or/c path-string? (non-empty-listof path-string?)))))]
   [pkg-show
    (->* (string?)
-        (#:directory? boolean?)
+        (#:directory? boolean?
+                      #:auto? boolean?)
         void?)]
   [pkg-install
    (->* ((listof pkg-desc?))
diff --git a/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt b/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
index 8c6062cdce..880e293809 100644
--- a/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
+++ b/racket/collects/pkg/main.rkt
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@
  [show
   "Show information about installed packages"
   #:once-each
+  [#:bool all ("-a") "Show auto-installed packages, too"]
   [#:bool dir ("-d") "Show the directory where the package is installed"]
   #:once-any
   [(#:sym scope [installation user shared] #f) scope ()
@@ -240,7 +241,9 @@
                      [current-pkg-error (pkg-error 'show)]
                      [current-pkg-scope-version (or version (r:version))])
         (with-pkg-lock/read-only
-         (pkg-show (if only-mode "" " ") #:directory? dir)))))]
+         (pkg-show (if only-mode "" " ")
+                   #:auto? all
+                   #:directory? dir)))))]
  [create
   "Bundle a package from a directory or installed package"
   #:once-any