diff --git a/releasetools/Makefile b/releasetools/Makefile
index 429caa327..b63e2c280 100644
--- a/releasetools/Makefile
+++ b/releasetools/Makefile
@@ -83,29 +83,25 @@ bootable:
 
 hdboot install: services .WAIT do-hdboot
 
+TEMPDIR=${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp/
+
 do-hdboot: 
-	@rm -rf ${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp/
-	${INSTALL_DIR} ${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp
-# mod_0 is used to make alphabetical order equal to the boot order
-	@n=0;							\
-	for i in ${PROGRAMS};					\
-	do							\
-	n=`expr $$n + 1`;					\
-	[ "$$n" -ge 10 ] && prefix="mod" || prefix="mod0";	\
-	newname="${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp/$${prefix}$${n}_`basename $$i`"; \
-	${INSTALL} $$i $$newname;				\
-	done
-	@cp ${PROGROOT}/kernel/kernel ${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp/
+	@rm -rf ${TEMPDIR}
+	${INSTALL_DIR} ${TEMPDIR}
+	${HOST_SH} placeprograms.sh ${TEMPDIR} "${INSTALL}" \
+		"${STRIP} -s" ${PROGRAMS} ${KERNEL}
 	@if [ "${MKINSTALLBOOT:Uno}" != "no" ] ; then		\
-	${STRIP} -s ${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp/* ;		\
-	gzip ${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp/mod* ;			\
 	${HOST_SH} mkboot hdboot ${DESTDIR};			\
 	${HOST_SH} ../commands/update_bootcfg/update_bootcfg.sh;\
 	else							\
 	${INSTALL_DIR} ${DESTDIR}/multiboot;			\
-	${INSTALL} ${DESTDIR}/boot/minix/.temp/* ${DESTDIR}/multiboot;	\
+	${INSTALL} ${TEMPDIR}/* ${DESTDIR}/multiboot;	\
 	fi
 
+replace: 
+	${HOST_SH} placeprograms.sh ${DESTDIR}/boot/minix_latest/./ "${INSTALL}" \
+		"${STRIP} -s" ${PROGRAMS} ${KERNEL}
+
 # download and update NetBSD reference sources.
 nbsd_fetch:
 	export CVS_RSH=ssh; 							\
diff --git a/releasetools/placeprograms.sh b/releasetools/placeprograms.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9f78b989
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasetools/placeprograms.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Script to collect boot-time programs, install them in the given
+# dir (to boot from), and
+# for the modules:
+#	. give them filenames so that the sorted names is the boot order,
+#	  and gzip them there
+# for the kernel:
+#	. just copy it
+
+if [ $# -lt 4 ]
+then	echo "Usage: $0 <installdir> <installcmd> <stripcmd> <programlist ...>"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+installdir="$1"
+
+if [ ! -d "$installdir" ]
+then	echo "$0: expecting directory as first argument, $installdir"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+shift
+
+installcmd="$1"
+shift
+
+stripcmd="$1"
+shift
+
+rm $installdir/*.gz
+
+echo "install cmd: $installcmd"
+
+n=0
+
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]
+do	n="`expr $n + 1`"
+	if [ $n -ge 10 ]
+	then	prefix=mod
+	else	prefix=mod0
+	fi
+	file="$1"
+	if [ ! -f $file ]
+	then	echo "$0: expecting filenames, $file"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+	basename="`basename $file`"
+	if [ $basename != kernel ]
+	then	basename="${prefix}${n}_$basename"
+	fi
+	$installcmd $file $installdir/$basename
+	$stripcmd $installdir/$basename
+	shift
+done
+
+gzip $installdir/mod*