diff --git a/distrib/sets/Makefile b/distrib/sets/Makefile
index e40efa8b5160..8163a7b27de1 100644
--- a/distrib/sets/Makefile
+++ b/distrib/sets/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.15 2002/05/02 18:02:51 lukem Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.16 2002/07/09 16:08:38 lukem Exp $
 
 # The `all' target must appear before bsd.own.mk is pulled in.
 all:
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ makeflist: .PHONY check_DESTDIR
 
 .PRECIOUS: checkflist
 checkflist: check_DESTDIR
-	${SETSENV} sh ${.CURDIR}/checkflist
+	${SETSENV} sh ${.CURDIR}/checkflist ${UNPRIVED:D-M ${METALOG}}
 
 .PRECIOUS: checkflist-x11
 checkflist-x11: check_DESTDIR
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ checkflist-x11: check_DESTDIR
 
 .PRECIOUS: maketars
 maketars: check_DESTDIR check_RELEASEDIR
+.if (${DESTDIR} != "")
+	${MAKE} checkflist
+.endif
 	${SETSENV} sh ${.CURDIR}/maketars ${UNPRIVED:D-M ${METALOG}} \
 		-d ${DESTDIR} -t ${RELEASEDIR}/binary/sets ${MAKETARSETS}
 
diff --git a/distrib/sets/checkflist b/distrib/sets/checkflist
index aa333ad1e45f..94892d9f0f1d 100755
--- a/distrib/sets/checkflist
+++ b/distrib/sets/checkflist
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 #! /bin/sh --
 #
-#	$NetBSD: checkflist,v 1.14 2000/11/18 05:29:21 wiz Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: checkflist,v 1.15 2002/07/09 16:08:38 lukem Exp $
 #
 # Verify output of makeflist against contents of $DESTDIR.
 
-[ "$DESTDIR" ] || {
-	echo DESTDIR must be set
+if [ -z "$DESTDIR" ]; then
+	echo "DESTDIR must be set"
 	exit 1
-}
+fi
+
+prog=${0##*/}
 
 origin=.
 tmpname=/tmp/_CHECK.$$
@@ -15,6 +17,8 @@ tmpname=/tmp/_CHECK.$$
 xargs=""
 dargs=""
 diffargs=""
+findargs=
+metalog=
 
 # handle args
 while : ; do
@@ -32,13 +36,17 @@ while : ; do
 	-c)
 		diffargs="-c"
 		;;
+	-M*)
+		metalog=$2; shift
+		;;
 	-*)
 		cat 1>&2 <<USAGE
-Usage: $0 [-x11|-both] [-u|-c]
+Usage: ${prog} [-x11|-both] [-u|-c] [-M metalog]
 	-x11		check only x11 lists
 	-both		check netbsd + x11 lists
 	-u		output differences in "unified diff" style
 	-c		output differences in "context diff" style
+	-M metalog	metalog file
 USAGE
 		exit 1
 		;;
@@ -49,8 +57,31 @@ USAGE
 	shift
 done
 
+if [ -n "$metalog" ]; then
+	case "$metalog" in
+	${DESTDIR}/*)
+		findargs="! -path ./${metalog#${DESTDIR}/} -a"
+		;;
+	esac
+fi
+
+
 sh makeflist $xargs $dargs > $tmpname
 
-( cd $DESTDIR ; find $origin \( -type d -o -type f -o -type l \) ) | sort | \
-    diff $diffargs $tmpname -
+(
+	cd $DESTDIR
+	find $origin $findargs \( -type d -o -type f -o -type l \)
+) | sort | diff $diffargs $tmpname -
+rv=$?
+
 /bin/rm -f $tmpname
+
+if [ $rv -ne 0 ]; then
+	echo "${prog}: flist inconsistencies found"
+	if [ -z "$diffargs" ]; then
+		echo "${prog}: key to output:"
+		echo "  <  file in flist but missing from DESTDIR"
+		echo "  >  file in DESTDIR but missing from flist"
+	fi
+fi
+exit $rv