diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index 62996c96..eadd8dce 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -118,6 +118,8 @@ debian-cd (3.0.5) UNRELEASED; urgency=low
   * Drop support for building Sarge CDs.
   * Allow multi-arch builds using D-I images from official mirrors or local
     D-I images.
+  * Add easy-build.sh, a wrapper script for building images that takes care
+    of a lot of the gotchas that can make debian-cd hard to use.
 
  -- Frans Pop <fjp@debian.org>  Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:01:20 +0200
 
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 4282cc86..afbd004d 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ install-stamp: build-stamp
 
 	# Add here commands to install the package into debian/tmp.
 	cp -r tools tasks data Makefile README README.devel build.sh \
-              build_all.sh update-cd debian/debian-cd/usr/share/debian-cd/
+              build_all.sh update-cd easy-build.sh \
+              debian/debian-cd/usr/share/debian-cd/
 	cp debian/CONF.sh debian/debian-cd/etc/debian-cd/conf.sh
 	ln -sf /etc/debian-cd/conf.sh \
                debian/debian-cd/usr/share/debian-cd/CONF.sh
diff --git a/easy-build.sh b/easy-build.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..2f53dacc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/easy-build.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+set -e
+
+## Wrapper script for build.sh
+## See README.easy-build for instructions how to use this script.
+## See also CONF.sh for the meaning of variables used here.
+
+show_usage() {
+	echo "Usage: $(basename $0) BC|NETINST|CD|DVD [<ARCH> ...]"
+}
+
+
+# Set configuration file to be used for the build and source it
+export CF=CONF.sh
+. $CF
+export DEBIAN_CD_CONF_SOURCED=true
+unset UPDATE_LOCAL
+
+
+## Parse the parameters passed to the script
+
+if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
+	show_usage
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+export DISKTYPE="$1"
+shift
+
+# The architecture(s) for which to build the CD/DVD image
+if [ "$1" ]; then
+	ARCHES="$@"
+else
+	ARCHES=i386
+fi
+
+
+## For what release to build images
+
+# The suite the installed system will be based on
+export CODENAME=lenny
+# The suite from which the udebs for the installer will be taken (normally
+# the same as CODENAME)
+export DI_CODENAME=lenny
+
+
+## The debian-installer images to use. This must match the suite (DI_CODENAME)
+## from which udebs will be taken.
+## Use *only one* of the next four settings. The "%ARCH%" placeholder in the
+## 2nd and 4th options will be magically expanded at runtime.
+## See also: tools/boot/<codename>/boot-$ARCH scripts.
+
+# Use official images from the local mirror
+export DI_DIST=$DI_CODENAME
+# or, use official images from an outside mirror
+#export DI_WWW_HOME="http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/$DI_CODENAME/main/installer-%ARCH%/current/images/"
+# or, use daily built d-i images (most from http://people.debian.org)
+#export DI_WWW_HOME=default
+# or, use custom / locally built images
+#export DI_DIR="$HOME/d-i_images/%ARCH%"
+
+
+## Other options
+
+# Include local packages in the build
+#export LOCAL=1
+# Automatically update the Packages file(s) for the "local" repository?
+#UPDATE_LOCAL=1
+
+# Number of CD/DVDs to build; comment out to build full set
+MAX_CDS=1
+MAX_DVDS=1
+
+# Only create the ISO files; don't create jigdo files
+#MAXISOS=0
+MAXJIGDOS=0
+
+
+## Options that include CODENAME should be set here if needed, not in CONF.sh
+
+# Include proposed-updates
+#export PROPOSED_UPDATES=$CODENAME-proposed-updates
+
+#export EXCLUDE1="$BASEDIR"/tasks/exclude-$CODENAME
+#export UNEXCLUDE2="$BASEDIR"/tasks/unexclude-CD2-$CODENAME
+#export UDEB_INCLUDE="$BASEDIR"/data/$CODENAME/udeb_include
+#export UDEB_EXCLUDE="$BASEDIR"/data/$CODENAME/udeb_exclude
+#export BASE_INCLUDE="$BASEDIR"/data/$CODENAME/base_include
+#export BASE_EXCLUDE="$BASEDIR"/data/$CODENAME/base_exclude
+#export SPLASHPNG="$BASEDIR/data/$CODENAME/splash-img.png"
+#export RELEASE_NOTES_LOCATION="http://www.debian.org/releases/$CODENAME"
+
+
+## The rest of the script should just work without any changes
+
+# Set variables that determine the type of image to be built
+case $DISKTYPE in
+    BC)
+	export INSTALLER_CD=1
+	;;
+    NETINST)
+	export INSTALLER_CD=2
+	;;
+    CD)
+	unset INSTALLER_CD
+	[ -z "$MAX_CDS" ] || export MAXCDS=$MAX_CDS
+	;;
+    DVD)
+	export INSTALLER_CD=3
+	[ -z "$MAX_DVDS" ] || export MAXCDS=$MAX_DVDS
+	;;
+    *)
+	show_usage
+	exit 1
+	;;
+esac
+
+
+if [ "$LOCAL" ] && [ "$UPDATE_LOCAL" ]; then
+	echo "Updating Packages files for local repository..."
+	for arch in $ARCHES; do
+		./tools/Packages-gen.sh $CODENAME $arch
+		./tools/Packages-gen.sh -i $DI_CODENAME $arch
+	done
+fi
+
+if [ -d tasks ]; then
+	echo "Updating debian-installer task files..."
+	(
+		cd tasks
+		../tools/generate_di_list
+		../tools/generate_di+k_list
+	)
+else
+	echo "Error: cannot find tasks directory"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+echo
+echo "Starting the actual debian-cd build..."
+./build.sh "$ARCHES"
+
+# Avoid conflicts when the repository is updated later
+if [ -d .svn ]; then
+	echo
+	echo "Cleanup: reverting generated changes in tasks..."
+	svn revert tasks/debian-installer-* \
+		   tasks/debian-installer+kernel-*
+fi
diff --git a/tools/Packages-gen.sh b/tools/Packages-gen.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..189610ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/Packages-gen.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#! /bin/sh
+set -e
+
+dir=${LOCALDEBS:-$MIRROR}
+
+if [ ! -d "$dir" ]; then
+	echo "error: directory '$dir' does not exist"
+	echo "Check that the MIRROR or LOCALDEBS variable is set correctly."
+	exit 1
+fi
+cd $dir
+
+DI=
+if [ "$1" = "-i" ]; then
+	DI=1
+	shift
+fi
+
+distr=$1
+arch=$2
+if [ -z "$distr" ] || [ -z "$arch" ]; then
+	echo "Usage: $(basename $0) [-i] <codename> <arch>"
+	exit 1
+elif [ ! -d dists/$distr/local/ ]; then
+	echo "No local repository matching '$distr' was found"
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ -z "$DI" ]; then
+	repo="dists/$distr/local/binary-$arch"
+else
+	repo="dists/$distr/local/debian-installer/binary-$arch"
+fi
+[ -d $repo ] || mkdir -p $repo
+echo Creating Packages file for $repo...
+apt-ftparchive packages $repo | gzip >$repo/Packages.gz