diff --git a/release/tools/vmimage.subr b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
index 92f00f9cf7c3..482d279e5987 100644
--- a/release/tools/vmimage.subr
+++ b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ vm_install_base() {
 		$pkg_cmd update
 		selected=$(vm_base_packages_list | vm_extra_filter_base_packages)
 		$pkg_cmd install -U -r FreeBSD-base $selected
+		metalog_add_data ./var/db/pkg/local.sqlite
 	else
 		cd ${WORLDDIR} && \
 			make DESTDIR=${DESTDIR} ${INSTALLOPTS} \
@@ -219,7 +220,9 @@ vm_extra_install_packages() {
 		    -o PKG_DBDIR=${DESTDIR}/var/db/pkg \
 		    -r ${DESTDIR} \
 		    autoremove
-		metalog_add_data ./var/db/pkg/local.sqlite
+		if [ -n "${NOPKGBASE}" ]; then
+			metalog_add_data ./var/db/pkg/local.sqlite
+		fi
 	else
 		if [ -n "${WITHOUT_QEMU}" ]; then
 			return 0