diff --git a/misc/tools-source/config_helper.c b/misc/tools-source/config_helper.c
index 9db965896..86b700944 100644
--- a/misc/tools-source/config_helper.c
+++ b/misc/tools-source/config_helper.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ struct package {
 	char *alias;
 	char *version;
 	char *prefix;
+	/* flags must end with a space character
+		(for easily searching for flags). */
 	char *flags;
 	struct package *next;
 };
@@ -98,8 +100,19 @@ int read_pkg_list(const char *file) {
 		pkg_tmp->repository = strdup(tok);
 
 		tok = strtok(0, " ");
-		pkg_tmp->name = strdup(tok);
-		pkg_tmp->alias = strdup(tok);
+		char *c = strchr(tok, '=');
+		if (c)
+		{
+			pkg_tmp->name = malloc(c-tok+1);
+			pkg_tmp->name[c-tok] = '\0';
+			strncpy(pkg_tmp->name, tok, c-tok);
+			pkg_tmp->alias = strdup(c+1);
+		}
+		else 
+		{
+			pkg_tmp->name = strdup(tok);
+			pkg_tmp->alias = strdup(tok);
+		}
 
 		tok = strtok(0, " ");
 		pkg_tmp->version = strdup(tok);
@@ -108,7 +121,7 @@ int read_pkg_list(const char *file) {
 		pkg_tmp->prefix = strdup(tok);
 
 		tok = strtok(0, "\n");
-		tok[strlen(tok)-2] = 0;
+		tok[strlen(tok)-1] = 0;
 		pkg_tmp->flags = strdup(tok);
 
 		if ( !package_list )
@@ -134,7 +147,7 @@ int write_pkg_list(const char *file) {
 		fprintf(f, " %s %s %s", pkg->prio, pkg->repository, pkg->name);
 		if (strcmp(pkg->name, pkg->alias))
 			fprintf(f, "=%s", pkg->alias);
-		fprintf(f, " %s %s %s 0\n", pkg->version, pkg->prefix, pkg->flags);
+		fprintf(f, " %s %s %s0\n", pkg->version, pkg->prefix, pkg->flags);
 		pkg = pkg->next;
 	}
 
@@ -208,6 +221,91 @@ int pkgswitch(int mode, char **args)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+int pkgfork(char *pkgname, char *xpkg, char** opt)
+{
+
+	struct package *fork, *pkg;
+	int i, k;
+
+	for (pkg = package_list; pkg; pkg = pkg->next)
+		if (!strcmp(pkg->alias, pkgname))
+			break;
+	if (!pkg) return 1;
+
+	fork = calloc(1, sizeof(struct package));
+
+	fork->status = pkg->status;
+	for (k=0; k<10; k++)
+		fork->stages[k] = pkg->stages[k];
+	fork->prio = strdup(pkg->prio);
+	fork->repository = strdup(pkg->repository);
+	fork->name = strdup(pkgname);
+	fork->alias = strdup(xpkg);
+	fork->version = strdup(pkg->version);
+	fork->prefix = strdup(pkg->prefix);
+	fork->flags = strdup(pkg->flags);
+
+	fork->next = pkg->next;
+	pkg->next = fork;
+
+	for (i=0; *opt[i] && *opt[i+1]; i+=2)
+	{
+		if (!strcmp(opt[i], "status"))
+			fork->status= opt[i+1][0] == 'X';
+
+		else if (!strcmp(opt[i], "stages"))
+			for (k=0; k<10; k++)
+				fork->stages[k] = opt[i+1][k] != '-' ? opt[i+1][k] : 0;
+
+		else if (!strcmp(opt[i], "priority"))
+		{
+			free(fork->prio);
+			fork->prio = strdup(opt[i+1]);
+		}
+
+		else if (!strcmp(opt[i], "version"))
+		{
+			free(fork->version);
+			fork->version = strdup(opt[i+1]);
+		}
+
+		else if (!strcmp(opt[i], "prefix"))
+		{
+			free(fork->prefix);
+			fork->prefix = strdup(opt[+1]);
+		}
+
+		else if (!strcmp(opt[i], "flag"))
+		{
+			char buf[512], flag[512];
+			snprintf(flag, 512, " %s ", opt[i+1]);
+			if (! strstr(fork->flags, flag))
+			{
+				free(fork->flags);
+				snprintf(buf, 512, "%s%s ", pkg->flags, opt[i+1]);
+				fork->flags = strdup(buf);
+			}
+		}
+
+		else if (!strcmp(opt[i], "unflag"))
+		{
+			char buf[512], flag[512];
+			snprintf(flag, 512, " %s ", opt[i+1]);
+			char *flagstart = strstr(fork->flags, flag);
+			if (flagstart)
+			{
+				int len = flagstart - fork->flags + 1;
+				strncpy(buf, fork->flags, len);
+				strncpy(buf+len, flagstart+strlen(flag), 512-len);
+				
+				free(fork->flags);
+				fork->flags = strdup(buf);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int cfghlp_builtin(WORD_LIST *list)
 {
 	char *args[10];
@@ -224,21 +322,24 @@ int cfghlp_builtin(WORD_LIST *list)
 	if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkg_in"))
 		return read_pkg_list(args[1]);
 
-	if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkg_out"))
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkg_out"))
 		return write_pkg_list(args[1]);
 
-	if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgcheck"))
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgcheck"))
 		return pkgcheck(args[1], args[2]);
 
-	if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgremove"))
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgremove"))
 		return pkgswitch(0, args+1);
 
-	if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgenable"))
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgenable"))
 		return pkgswitch(1, args+1);
 
-	if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgdisable"))
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgdisable"))
 		return pkgswitch(2, args+1);
 
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0],"pkgfork"))
+		return pkgfork(args[1], args[2], args+3);
+
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/scripts/config.func b/scripts/config.func
index a64f7f33e..180d9a481 100644
--- a/scripts/config.func
+++ b/scripts/config.func
@@ -101,6 +101,50 @@ then
 		bprof pkgcheck stop
 		return $ret
 	}
+	#
+	# pkgfork <origpkg> <newpkg> <name1> <value1> <name2> <value2> ..
+	#
+	# Names:
+	#	status		X / O
+	#	stages		012--5---9
+	#	priority	115.000
+	#	version		0.9.26
+	#	prefix		/opt/foobar
+	#	flag		CORE
+	#	unflag		CORE
+	#
+	pkgfork() {
+		local script="\$5==\"$1\" {print;\$5=\"$1=$2\";"
+		shift; shift;
+		while [ -n "$1" ]; do
+			case "$1" in
+				status)
+					script="$script \$1=\"$2\";"
+					;;
+				stages)
+					script="$script \$2=\"$2\";"
+					;;
+				priority)
+					script="$script \$3=\"$2\";"
+					;;
+				version)
+					script="$script \$6=\"$2\";"
+					;;
+				prefix)
+					script="$script \$7=\"$2\";"
+					;;
+					flag)
+					script="$script sub(\" 0\$\", \" $2 0\");"
+					;;
+				unflag)
+					script="$script sub(\" $2 \", \" \");"
+					;;
+			esac
+			shift; shift;
+		done
+		script="$script} {print;}"
+		pkgfilter "awk" "--" "$script"
+	}
 else
 	pkgin() { cfghlp pkg_in config/$config.$swpid/packages; }
 	pkgout() { cfghlp pkg_out config/$config.$swpid/packages ; }
@@ -132,53 +176,13 @@ else
 		bprof pkgcheck stop
 		return $ret
 	}
+	pkgfork() {
+		bprof pkgfork start
+		cfghlp pkgfork "$@"
+		bprof pkgfork stop
+	}
 fi
 
-#
-# pkgfork <origpkg> <newpkg> <name1> <value1> <name2> <value2> ..
-#
-# Names:
-#	status		X / O
-#	stages		012--5---9
-#	priority	115.000
-#	version		0.9.26
-#	prefix		/opt/foobar
-#	flag		CORE
-#	unflag		CORE
-#
-pkgfork() {
-	local script="\$5==\"$1\" {print;\$5=\"$1=$2\";"
-	shift; shift;
-	while [ -n "$1" ]; do
-		case "$1" in
-			status)
-				script="$script \$1=\"$2\";"
-				;;
-			stages)
-				script="$script \$2=\"$2\";"
-				;;
-			priority)
-				script="$script \$3=\"$2\";"
-				;;
-			version)
-				script="$script \$6=\"$2\";"
-				;;
-			prefix)
-				script="$script \$7=\"$2\";"
-				;;
-			flag)
-				script="$script sub(\" 0\$\", \" $2 0\");"
-				;;
-			unflag)
-				script="$script sub(\" $2 \", \" \");"
-				;;
-		esac
-		shift; shift;
-	done
-	script="$script} {print;}"
-	pkgfilter "awk" "--" "$script"
-}
-
 comment() {
 	bprof comment start
 	if [ $ROCKCFG_EXPERT -eq 1 -o $expert -eq 0 ] && \