diff --git a/meta/classes/rootfs_ipk.bbclass
b/meta/classes/rootfs_ipk.bbclass
index edd84fb..bf15f4c 100644
--- a/meta/classes/rootfs_ipk.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/rootfs_ipk.bbclass
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ OPKG_POSTPROCESS_COMMANDS = "ipk_insert_feed_uris"
 
 opkglibdir = "${localstatedir}/lib/opkg"
 
+# Which packages to not install on the basis of a recommendation
+BAD_RECOMMENDATIONS ?= ""
+
 fakeroot rootfs_ipk_do_rootfs () {
        set -x
 
@@ -30,6 +33,21 @@ fakeroot rootfs_ipk_do_rootfs () {
 
        mkdir -p ${T}/
 
+       STATUS=${IMAGE_ROOTFS}${opkglibdir}/status
+       mkdir -p `dirname ${STATUS}`
+
+       opkg-cl ${IPKG_ARGS} update
+
+       # prime the status file with bits that we don't want
+       for i in ${BAD_RECOMMENDATIONS}; do
+               infln="`opkg-cl ${IPKG_ARGS} info $i | grep -e
'^Package:' -e '^Architecture:' -e '^Version:'`"
+               if [ ! -z "$infln" ]; then
+                       echo "$infln" >> $STATUS
+                       echo "Status: deinstall ok not-installed" >>
$STATUS
+                       echo >> $STATUS
+               fi
+       done
+
        #install