diff --git a/release/packages/generate-ucl.sh b/release/packages/generate-ucl.sh
index 67c10e485eb7..10d9d3162f9c 100755
--- a/release/packages/generate-ucl.sh
+++ b/release/packages/generate-ucl.sh
@@ -32,19 +32,25 @@ main() {
 	shift $(( ${OPTIND} - 1 ))
 
 	outname="$(echo ${outname} | tr '-' '_')"
+	vital="false"
 
 	case "${outname}" in
 		clibs)
+			vital="true"
 			# clibs should not have any dependencies or anything
 			# else imposed on it.
 			;;
 		caroot)
 			pkgdeps="utilities"
 			;;
+		utilities)
+			uclfile="${uclfile}"
+			vital="true"
+			;;
 		runtime)
 			outname="runtime"
-			uclfile="${uclfile}"
 			_descr="$(make -C ${srctree}/release/packages -f Makefile.package -V ${outname}_DESCR)"
+			vital="true"
 			;;
 		*_lib32_dev)
 			outname="${outname%%_lib32_dev}"
@@ -108,6 +114,7 @@ main() {
 		echo "uclfile=${uclfile}"
 		echo "desc=${desc}"
 		echo "comment=${comment}"
+		echo "vital=${vital}"
 		echo "cp ${uclsource} -> ${uclfile}"
 		echo "==============================================================="
 		echo ""
@@ -135,6 +142,7 @@ EOF
 		-e "s/%PKGNAME%/${origname}/" \
 		-e "s/%COMMENT%/${comment}/" \
 		-e "s/%DESC%/${desc}/" \
+		-e "s/%VITAL%/${vital}/" \
 		-e "s/%CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN%/${cap_arg}/g" \
 		-e "s/%PKG_NAME_PREFIX%/${PKG_NAME_PREFIX}/" \
 		-e "s|%PKG_WWW%|${PKG_WWW}|" \
diff --git a/release/packages/jail.ucl b/release/packages/jail.ucl
index 8448a15ebf7b..cc22cf042a76 100644
--- a/release/packages/jail.ucl
+++ b/release/packages/jail.ucl
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ categories = [ base ]
 maintainer = "%PKG_MAINTAINER%"
 www = "%PKG_WWW%"
 prefix = "/"
-vital = true
+vital = %VITAL%
 licenselogic = "single"
 licenses = [ BSD2CLAUSE ]
 desc = <<EOD
diff --git a/release/packages/runtime.ucl b/release/packages/runtime.ucl
index e196c5cee5ca..398ca760e11f 100644
--- a/release/packages/runtime.ucl
+++ b/release/packages/runtime.ucl
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ categories = [ base ]
 maintainer = "%PKG_MAINTAINER%"
 www = "%PKG_WWW%"
 prefix = "/"
-vital = true
+vital = %VITAL%
 licenselogic = "single"
 licenses = [ BSD2CLAUSE ]
 desc = <<EOD
diff --git a/release/packages/template.ucl b/release/packages/template.ucl
index f7cea7af8893..12830eed1178 100644
--- a/release/packages/template.ucl
+++ b/release/packages/template.ucl
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ categories = [ base ]
 maintainer = "%PKG_MAINTAINER%"
 www = "%PKG_WWW%"
 prefix = "/"
+vital = %VITAL%
 licenselogic = "single"
 licenses = [ BSD2CLAUSE ]
 desc = <<EOD
diff --git a/release/packages/utilities.ucl b/release/packages/utilities.ucl
index 6ec12b60df64..bdee3b23a362 100644
--- a/release/packages/utilities.ucl
+++ b/release/packages/utilities.ucl
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ categories = [ base ]
 maintainer = "%PKG_MAINTAINER%"
 www = "%PKG_WWW%"
 prefix = "/"
-vital = true
+vital = %VITAL%
 licenselogic = "single"
 licenses = [ BSD2CLAUSE ]
 desc = <<EOD