diff --git a/internal/manifest/anaconda.go b/internal/manifest/anaconda.go
index 2d2f2b675..0c2df4286 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/anaconda.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/anaconda.go
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import (
 // An AnacondaPipeline represents the installer tree as found on an ISO.
 type AnacondaPipeline struct {
 	BasePipeline
+	// Packages to install in addition to the ones required by the
+	// pipeline.
+	ExtraPackages []string
 	// Users indicate whether or not the user spoke should be enabled in
 	// anaconda. If it is, users specified in a kickstart will be configured,
 	// and in case no users are provided in a kickstart the user will be
@@ -57,6 +60,16 @@ func NewAnacondaPipeline(buildPipeline *BuildPipeline,
 	return p
 }
 
+func (p *AnacondaPipeline) getPackageSetChain() []rpmmd.PackageSet {
+	packages := []string{}
+	return []rpmmd.PackageSet{
+		{
+			Include:      append(packages, p.ExtraPackages...),
+			Repositories: p.repos,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
 func (p *AnacondaPipeline) getPackageSpecs() []rpmmd.PackageSpec {
 	return p.packageSpecs
 }
diff --git a/internal/manifest/build.go b/internal/manifest/build.go
index 03c57b340..a8d8f323f 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/build.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/build.go
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ import (
 // make minimal assumptions about what's available there.
 type BuildPipeline struct {
 	BasePipeline
+	// Packages to install in addition to the ones required by the
+	// pipeline.
+	ExtraPackages []string
 
 	dependents   []Pipeline
 	repos        []rpmmd.RepoConfig
@@ -45,7 +48,7 @@ func (p *BuildPipeline) getPackageSetChain() []rpmmd.PackageSet {
 
 	return []rpmmd.PackageSet{
 		{
-			Include:      packages,
+			Include:      append(packages, p.ExtraPackages...),
 			Repositories: p.repos,
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go b/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go
index 9e6a00bd8..e49537769 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/commit_server_tree.go
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ import (
 // an embedded ostree commit.
 type OSTreeCommitServerTreePipeline struct {
 	BasePipeline
+	// Packages to install in addition to the ones required by the
+	// pipeline.
+	ExtraPackages []string
 	// TODO: should this be configurable?
 	Language string
 
@@ -46,6 +49,16 @@ func NewOSTreeCommitServerTreePipeline(buildPipeline *BuildPipeline,
 	return p
 }
 
+func (p *OSTreeCommitServerTreePipeline) getPackageSetChain() []rpmmd.PackageSet {
+	packages := []string{}
+	return []rpmmd.PackageSet{
+		{
+			Include:      append(packages, p.ExtraPackages...),
+			Repositories: p.repos,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
 func (p *OSTreeCommitServerTreePipeline) getPackageSpecs() []rpmmd.PackageSpec {
 	return p.packageSpecs
 }
diff --git a/internal/manifest/os.go b/internal/manifest/os.go
index 0a5b7d159..5486e2620 100644
--- a/internal/manifest/os.go
+++ b/internal/manifest/os.go
@@ -23,6 +23,19 @@ const (
 // correpsonds to the root filesystem once an instance of the image is running.
 type OSPipeline struct {
 	BasePipeline
+	// Packages to install in addition to the ones required by the
+	// pipeline.
+	ExtraBasePackages []string
+	// Packages to exclude from the base package set. This is useful in
+	// case of weak dependencies, comps groups, or where multiple packages
+	// can satisfy a dependency. Must not conflict with the included base
+	// package set.
+	ExcludeBasePackages []string
+	// Packages to install on top of the base packages in a seconadry dnf
+	// transaction.
+	UserPackages []string
+	// Repositories to install the user packages from.
+	UserRepos []rpmmd.RepoConfig
 	// KernelOptionsAppend are appended to the kernel commandline
 	KernelOptionsAppend []string
 	// UEFIVendor indicates whether or not the OS should support UEFI and
@@ -126,6 +139,26 @@ func NewOSPipeline(buildPipeline *BuildPipeline,
 	return p
 }
 
+func (p *OSPipeline) getPackageSetChain() []rpmmd.PackageSet {
+	packages := []string{}
+	chain := []rpmmd.PackageSet{
+		{
+			Include:      append(packages, p.ExtraBasePackages...),
+			Exclude:      p.ExcludeBasePackages,
+			Repositories: p.repos,
+		},
+	}
+
+	if len(p.UserPackages) > 0 {
+		chain = append(chain, rpmmd.PackageSet{
+			Include:      p.UserPackages,
+			Repositories: append(p.repos, p.UserRepos...),
+		})
+	}
+
+	return chain
+}
+
 func (p *OSPipeline) getOSTreeCommits() []osTreeCommit {
 	commits := []osTreeCommit{}
 	if p.osTreeParent != "" && p.osTreeURL != "" {