diff --git a/squeeze/Makefile b/squeeze/Makefile
index 6773765b..0d53ff88 100755
--- a/squeeze/Makefile
+++ b/squeeze/Makefile
@@ -133,8 +133,6 @@ ifneq ($(ARCHES),source)
 	$(Q)mkdir -p $(TASKDIR)
 	$(Q)echo "- copying task files from 'tasks/$(DI_CODENAME)/'"
 	$(Q)cp -r $(BASEDIR)/tasks/$(CODENAME)/* $(TASKDIR)
-	$(Q)echo "- copying firwmare task file from 'tasks/firmware'"
-	$(Q)cp -r $(BASEDIR)/tasks/firmware $(TASKDIR)
 	$(Q)echo "- task.languages: using 'tasks/$(DI_CODENAME)/$(TASK_LANGLIST)'"
 	$(Q)cp $(BASEDIR)/tasks/$(DI_CODENAME)/$(TASK_LANGLIST) \
 		$(TASKDIR)/task.languages
@@ -143,6 +141,10 @@ ifneq ($(ARCHES),source)
 		$(BASEDIR)/tools/update_tasks; \
 		$(BASEDIR)/tools/generate_di_list; \
 		$(BASEDIR)/tools/generate_di+k_list
+ifeq ($(FORCE_FIRMWARE),1)
+       # Generate firmware task file using the contents of the archive
+       $(Q)$(BASEDIR)/tools/generate_firmware_task $(ARCHES) $(TASKDIR)/firmware
+endif
 endif
 $(BDIR)/DATE:
 	$(Q)date '+%Y%m%d' > $(BDIR)/DATE
@@ -326,7 +328,7 @@ $(BDIR)/rawlist:
 	for VARIANT in $(VARIANTS); do \
 		VARIANTDEFS="$$VARIANTDEFS -D VARIANT_$$VARIANT"; \
 	done; \
-	if [ "$(FORCE_FIRMWARE)"x != "0"x ] ; then \
+	if [ "$(FORCE_FIRMWARE)"x = "1"x ] ; then \
 		ARCHDEFS="$$ARCHDEFS -DFORCE_FIRMWARE"; \
 	fi; \
 	if [ "$(EXCLUDE_486_KERNEL)"x = "1"x ] ; then \
diff --git a/squeeze/debian/changelog b/squeeze/debian/changelog
index ef7fb9a0..50db4561 100644
--- a/squeeze/debian/changelog
+++ b/squeeze/debian/changelog
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ debian-cd (3.1.6) UNRELEASED-backport; urgency=low
     gets out of date, look for firmware/microcode files directly in the
     Packages file. Check for things installing in /lib/firmware, and add
     those packages.
+  * Remove the checked-in firmware task altogether, as it's not
+    useful. Generate it when needed using the new script
+    tools/generate_firmware_task.
 
  -- Raphaël Hertzog <hertzog@debian.org>  Fri, 04 Feb 2011 09:59:21 +0100
 
diff --git a/squeeze/tasks/firmware b/squeeze/tasks/firmware
deleted file mode 100644
index 311751cf..00000000
--- a/squeeze/tasks/firmware
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-/* This file lists non-free firmware packages used by d-i (for all arches) */
-ixp4xx-microcode
-atmel-firmware
-firmware-bnx2
-firmware-bnx2x
-firmware-ipw2x00
-firmware-ipw3945
-firmware-iwlwifi
-firmware-linux
-firmware-linux-nonfree
-firmware-qlogic
-firmware-ralink
-libertas-firmware
-zd1211-firmware
-/* This firmware is free, but it is convenient to include it here. */
-firmware-linux-free
diff --git a/squeeze/tools/generate_firmware_task b/squeeze/tools/generate_firmware_task
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..136a5772
--- /dev/null
+++ b/squeeze/tools/generate_firmware_task
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#!/usr/bin/perl -w
+#
+# generate_firmware_task
+#
+# Work out which firmware packages we need
+# Several steps:
+#
+# 1. Look for packages which contain "firmware" or "microcode" in their package names
+# 2. Check each of those packages to see if they contain files in /lib/firmware
+# 3. For those that do, output the package name into the firmware task
+#
+# Copyright Steve McIntyre <93sam@debian.org> 2011
+#
+# GPL 2
+#
+
+use strict;
+
+my ($mirror, $codename, $archlist, $outfile);
+my $date;
+my $pkgfiles = "";
+my ($pkg, $filename);
+my %seen;
+
+$codename = $ENV{'CODENAME'};
+$mirror = $ENV{'MIRROR'};
+$archlist = shift;
+$outfile = shift;
+
+if (!defined($codename) || !defined($mirror) ||
+    !defined($archlist) || !defined($outfile)) {
+    die "Error in arguments\n";
+}
+
+foreach my $arch (split(' ', $archlist)) {
+    $pkgfiles = "$pkgfiles $mirror/dists/$codename/*/binary-$arch/Packages.gz";
+}
+
+open (OUT, "> $outfile") or die "Can't open outfile for writing: $!\n";
+
+$date = `date -u`;
+chomp $date;
+
+print OUT "/*\n";
+print OUT " * 'firmware' task file; generated automatically by generate_firmware_task\n";
+print OUT " * for \"$archlist\" on $date\n";
+print OUT " * Do not edit - changes will not be preserved\n";
+print OUT " */\n";
+
+print "$0: Checking for firmware packages:\n";
+
+open (INPKG, "zcat $pkgfiles |") or die "Can't read input package files: $!\n";
+$/ = ''; # Browse by paragraph
+
+sub contains_firmware($$) {
+    my $count = 0;
+    open (PKGLISTING, "dpkg --contents $mirror/$filename | grep ' ./lib/firmware/' |") or
+        die "Can't check package file $filename: $!\n";
+    while ($_ = <PKGLISTING>) {
+        $count++;
+    }
+    if ($count) {
+        return 1;
+    } else {
+        return 0;
+    }
+}
+
+while (defined($_ = <INPKG>)) {
+    m/^Package: (\S+)/m and $pkg = $1;
+    m/^Filename: (\S+)/m and $filename = $1;
+
+    if (! ($pkg =~ /(microcode|firmware)/)) {
+        next;
+    }
+
+    if (!exists $seen{$filename}) {
+        $seen{$filename} = 1;
+        if (contains_firmware($mirror, $filename)) {
+            print "  $pkg ($filename)\n";
+            print OUT "$pkg\n";
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+close INPKG;
+close OUT;
diff --git a/squeeze/tools/make-firmware-image b/squeeze/tools/make-firmware-image
index 951b06aa..501bec22 100755
--- a/squeeze/tools/make-firmware-image
+++ b/squeeze/tools/make-firmware-image
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ rm -rf $TMPDIR/firmware
 mkdir -p $TMPDIR/firmware
 
 FILES=`zcat ${MIRROR}/dists/${SUITE}/*/binary-*/Packages.gz | \
-    grep-dctrl -Pe '.*(firmware|microcode).*' -s Filename | sort -u | awk '{print $2}'`
+    grep-dctrl -Pe '.*(firmware|microcode).*' -s Filename -n | sort -u`
 
 for FILE in $FILES; do
     # Don't use "grep -q" here, it causes errors from tar