diff --git a/misc/pkgsel/benchmark.in b/misc/pkgsel/benchmark.in
index 5436a8ab7..47475b3e9 100644
--- a/misc/pkgsel/benchmark.in
+++ b/misc/pkgsel/benchmark.in
@@ -23,16 +23,14 @@
 # TITLE: A base selection for benchmarking purposes
 #
 
-START_PKGSEL
 
-#include "basic.set"
-#include "common.set"
-#include "xorg.set"
+INCLUDE basic.set
+INCLUDE common.set
+INCLUDE xorg.set
 
 # other stray junk
-REMOVE(intel-rng)
-REMOVE(microcode_ctl)
+REMOVE intel-rng
+REMOVE microcode_ctl
 
 DISABLE_REST
 
-END_PKGSEL
diff --git a/misc/pkgsel/macros b/misc/pkgsel/macros
index bffa3ba0f..5e1d1c67d 100644
--- a/misc/pkgsel/macros
+++ b/misc/pkgsel/macros
@@ -1,9 +1,22 @@
+# this is to be sourced by bash
 
-#define START_PKGSEL pkgfilter sed '
+INCLUDE() {
+	if echo "$1" | grep -q '.*\.set$'
+	then
+		cat ./misc/pkgsel/sets/$1 | sed 's/#.*//'
+	else
+		cat $1 | sed 's/#.*//'
+	fi
+}
 
-#define ADD(F) / F / 	{ p; d; };
-#define REMOVE(F) / F /	{ s/^X /O / ; p; d; };
+ADD() {
+	echo "/ $1 / 	{ p; d; };"
+}
+REMOVE() {
+	echo "/ $1 /	{ s/^X /O / ; p; d; };"
+}
 
-#define DISABLE_REST s/^X /O /;
+DISABLE_REST() {
+   echo 's/^X /O /;'
+}
 
-#define END_PKGSEL '
diff --git a/misc/pkgsel/minimal+xorg.in b/misc/pkgsel/minimal+xorg.in
index dd01c400b..e35bb9ee7 100644
--- a/misc/pkgsel/minimal+xorg.in
+++ b/misc/pkgsel/minimal+xorg.in
@@ -22,12 +22,9 @@
 #
 # TITLE: Minimalistic package selection + X.org
 
-START_PKGSEL
-
-#include "basic.set"
-#include "common.set"
-#include "xorg.set"
+INCLUDE basic.set
+INCLUDE common.set
+INCLUDE xorg.set
 
 DISABLE_REST
 
-END_PKGSEL
diff --git a/misc/pkgsel/minimal-desktop.in b/misc/pkgsel/minimal-desktop.in
index 9a17c41ac..13bd37be8 100644
--- a/misc/pkgsel/minimal-desktop.in
+++ b/misc/pkgsel/minimal-desktop.in
@@ -22,13 +22,11 @@
 #
 # TITLE: Minimalistic KDE Desktop
 
-START_PKGSEL
 
-#include "basic.set"
-#include "common.set"
-#include "xorg.set"
-#include "kde-desktop.set"
+INCLUDE basic.set
+INCLUDE common.set
+INCLUDE xorg.set
+INCLUDE kde-desktop.set
 
 DISABLE_REST
 
-END_PKGSEL
diff --git a/misc/pkgsel/minimal-gnome-desktop.in b/misc/pkgsel/minimal-gnome-desktop.in
index 176dac8a0..f7e7e5c17 100644
--- a/misc/pkgsel/minimal-gnome-desktop.in
+++ b/misc/pkgsel/minimal-gnome-desktop.in
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 # TITLE: Minimalistic GNOME Desktop
 
-START_PKGSEL
-
-#include "basic.set"
-#include "common.set"
-#include "xorg.set"
-#include "gnome-desktop.set"
+INCLUDE basic.set
+INCLUDE common.set
+INCLUDE xorg.set
+INCLUDE gnome-desktop.set
 
 DISABLE_REST
 
-END_PKGSEL
diff --git a/misc/pkgsel/minimal-router.in b/misc/pkgsel/minimal-router.in
index 6fb764182..595e88044 100644
--- a/misc/pkgsel/minimal-router.in
+++ b/misc/pkgsel/minimal-router.in
@@ -23,18 +23,14 @@
 # TITLE: Minimalistic router package selection
 
 
-START_PKGSEL
+INCLUDE basic.set
+INCLUDE common.set
 
-#include "basic.set"
-#include "common.set"
-
-ADD(ppp)
-ADD(pppoe)
-ADD(openvpn)
-ADD(nagios)
-ADD(bridge-utils)
+ADD ppp
+ADD pppoe
+ADD openvpn
+ADD nagios
+ADD bridge-utils
 
 DISABLE_REST
 
-END_PKGSEL
-
diff --git a/misc/pkgsel/minimal.in b/misc/pkgsel/minimal.in
index 9ee7af543..474644a74 100644
--- a/misc/pkgsel/minimal.in
+++ b/misc/pkgsel/minimal.in
@@ -22,10 +22,7 @@
 #
 # TITLE: Minimalistic package selection
 
-START_PKGSEL
-
-#include "basic.set"
+INCLUDE basic.set
 
 DISABLE_REST
 
-END_PKGSEL
diff --git a/scripts/config.in b/scripts/config.in
index 86a879a13..0e12c179c 100644
--- a/scripts/config.in
+++ b/scripts/config.in
@@ -208,9 +208,14 @@ expert_begin
     block_begin 3
       choice ROCKCFG_PKGSEL_TPL none none 'No package preselection template' \
 		$( cd misc/pkgsel; grep -H "^# TITLE: " *.in | tr ' ' '_' | sed 's,\.in:#_TITLE:_, ,' )
-      if [ -f misc/pkgsel/${ROCKCFG_PKGSEL_TPL}.in ]; then
-	cpp -undef -Imisc/pkgsel/sets -imacros misc/pkgsel/macros -P misc/pkgsel/${ROCKCFG_PKGSEL_TPL}.in 2>/dev/null > config/$config.$swpid/predefined-pkgsel.parsed
-	. config/$config.$swpid/predefined-pkgsel.parsed
+	if [ -f misc/pkgsel/${ROCKCFG_PKGSEL_TPL}.in ]; then
+		# begin the sed string
+		echo "pkgfilter sed '" > config/$config.$swpid/predefined-pkgsel.parsed
+		. ./misc/pkgsel/macros
+		. ./misc/pkgsel/${ROCKCFG_PKGSEL_TPL}.in >> config/$config.$swpid/predefined-pkgsel.parsed
+		# end the sed string
+		echo "'"  >> config/$config.$swpid/predefined-pkgsel.parsed
+		. config/$config.$swpid/predefined-pkgsel.parsed
       fi
       bool 'Custom package selection' ROCKCFG_PKGSEL 0
       if [ "$ROCKCFG_PKGSEL" = 1 ] ; then