diff --git a/build_image.sh b/build_image.sh
index 34567223aa..5762ce35fc 100755
--- a/build_image.sh
+++ b/build_image.sh
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ DEFINE_string mirror "$DEFAULT_EXT_MIRROR" "Repository mirror to use."
 DEFINE_string suite "$DEFAULT_IMG_SUITE" "Repository suite to base image on."
 DEFINE_string pkglist "$DEFAULT_PKGLIST" \
   "Name of file listing packages to install from repository."
+DEFINE_boolean with_dev_pkgs $FLAGS_TRUE \
+  "Include additional developer-friendly packages in the image."
 
 # Parse command line
 FLAGS "$@" || exit 1
@@ -117,12 +119,15 @@ sudo tune2fs -L "$DISK_LABEL" -U "$UUID" -c 0 -i 0 "$LOOP_DEV"
 sudo mount "$LOOP_DEV" "$ROOT_FS_DIR"
 
 # -- Install packages and customize root file system. --
-
+PKGLIST="$FLAGS_pkglist"
+if [ $FLAGS_with_dev_pkglist -eq $FLAGS_TRUE ]; then
+  PKGLIST="$PKGLIST,${SRC_ROOT}/package_repo/package-list-debug.txt"
+fi
 "${SCRIPTS_DIR}/install_packages.sh"  \
   --build_root="${FLAGS_build_root}"  \
   --root="$ROOT_FS_DIR"               \
   --output_dir="${OUTPUT_DIR}"        \
-  --package_list="$FLAGS_pkglist"     \
+  --package_list="$PKGLIST"           \
   --server="$FLAGS_mirror"            \
   --suite="$FLAGS_suite"
 
diff --git a/install_packages.sh b/install_packages.sh
index 39e2f8d67b..1f5f06ed3f 100755
--- a/install_packages.sh
+++ b/install_packages.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ DEFINE_string arch "x86" \
 DEFINE_string build_root "$DEFAULT_BUILD_ROOT"                \
   "Root of build output"
 DEFINE_string package_list "$DEFAULT_PKGLIST" \
-  "The package list file to use."
+  "Comma separated set of package-list files to use."
 DEFINE_string server "$DEFAULT_EXT_MIRROR" \
   "The package server to use."
 DEFINE_string suite "$DEFAULT_IMG_SUITE" \
@@ -213,10 +213,16 @@ sudo ln -sf /bin/true "${ROOT_FS_DIR}/usr/sbin/update-rc.d"
 sudo mount -t proc proc "${ROOT_FS_DIR}/proc"
 trap cleanup_rootfs_mounts EXIT
 
-# Install prod packages
-COMPONENTS=`cat $FLAGS_package_list | sed -e 's/#.*//' | grep -v '^ *$' | sed '/$/{N;s/\n/ /;}'`
-sudo APT_CONFIG="$APT_CONFIG" DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
-  apt-get --force-yes install $COMPONENTS
+# Install packages from the given package-lists
+PACKAGE_LISTS=$(echo "$FLAGS_package_list" | sed -e 's/,/ /g')
+for p in $PACKAGE_LISTS; do
+  COMPONENTS=$(cat "$p" |             \
+    sed -e 's/#.*//' |                \
+    grep -v '^ *$' |                  \
+    sed '/$/{N;s/\n/ /;}')
+  sudo APT_CONFIG="$APT_CONFIG" DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+    apt-get --force-yes install $COMPONENTS
+done
 
 # Create kernel installation configuration to suppress warnings,
 # install the kernel in /boot, and manage symlinks.