diff --git a/headers/build/os/package/PackageDefs.h b/headers/build/os/package/PackageDefs.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f036bc7ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/headers/build/os/package/PackageDefs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#include <../os/package/PackageDefs.h>
+
diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageDefs.h b/headers/os/package/PackageDefs.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f18345136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageDefs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2011, Haiku, Inc.
+ * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
+ */
+#ifndef _PACKAGE__PACKAGE_DEFS_H_
+#define _PACKAGE__PACKAGE_DEFS_H_
+
+
+namespace BPackageKit {
+
+
+enum BPackageInstallationLocation {
+	B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_SYSTEM,
+	B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_COMMON,
+	B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_HOME,
+
+	B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_ENUM_COUNT
+};
+
+
+}	// namespace BPackageKit
+
+
+#endif // _PACKAGE__PACKAGE_DEFS_H_
diff --git a/headers/os/package/PackageRoster.h b/headers/os/package/PackageRoster.h
index 9178b50cf9..d407da7e38 100644
--- a/headers/os/package/PackageRoster.h
+++ b/headers/os/package/PackageRoster.h
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 #include <FindDirectory.h>
 #include <Path.h>
 
+#include <package/PackageDefs.h>
+
 
 class BStringList;
 
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@ struct BRepositoryConfigVisitor {
 };
 
 
+class BPackageInfoSet;
 class BRepositoryCache;
 class BRepositoryConfig;
 
@@ -56,12 +59,16 @@ public:
 									BRepositoryCache* repositoryCache);
 			status_t			GetRepositoryConfig(const BString& name,
 									BRepositoryConfig* repositoryConfig);
+
+			status_t			GetActivePackages(
+									BPackageInstallationLocation location,
+									BPackageInfoSet& packageInfos);
+
 private:
 			status_t			_GetRepositoryPath(BPath* path, bool create,
 									directory_which whichDir) const;
 			status_t			_VisitRepositoryConfigs(const BPath& path,
 									BRepositoryConfigVisitor& visitor);
-
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/kits/package/PackageRoster.cpp b/src/kits/package/PackageRoster.cpp
index 0fb31b535f..5ee0451718 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/PackageRoster.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/PackageRoster.cpp
@@ -18,13 +18,21 @@
 #include <String.h>
 #include <StringList.h>
 
+#include <package/PackageInfo.h>
+#include <package/PackageInfoContentHandler.h>
+#include <package/PackageInfoSet.h>
 #include <package/RepositoryCache.h>
 #include <package/RepositoryConfig.h>
 
+#include <package/hpkg/PackageReader.h>
+
 
 namespace BPackageKit {
 
 
+using namespace BHPKG;
+
+
 BPackageRoster::BPackageRoster()
 {
 }
@@ -175,6 +183,99 @@ BPackageRoster::GetRepositoryConfig(const BString& name,
 }
 
 
+status_t
+BPackageRoster::GetActivePackages(BPackageInstallationLocation location,
+	BPackageInfoSet& packageInfos)
+{
+// This method makes sense only on an installed Haiku, but not for the build
+// tools.
+#if defined(__HAIKU__) && !defined(HAIKU_HOST_PLATFORM_HAIKU)
+	// check the given location
+	directory_which packagesDirectory;
+	switch (location) {
+		case B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_SYSTEM:
+			packagesDirectory = B_SYSTEM_PACKAGES_DIRECTORY;
+			break;
+		case B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_COMMON:
+			packagesDirectory = B_COMMON_PACKAGES_DIRECTORY;
+			break;
+		case B_PACKAGE_INSTALLATION_LOCATION_HOME:
+			packagesDirectory = B_USER_PACKAGES_DIRECTORY;
+			break;
+		default:
+			return B_BAD_VALUE;
+	}
+
+	// find the package links directory
+	BPath packageLinksPath;
+	status_t error = find_directory(B_PACKAGE_LINKS_DIRECTORY,
+		&packageLinksPath);
+	if (error != B_OK)
+		return error;
+
+	// find and open the packages directory
+	BPath packagesDirPath;
+	error = find_directory(packagesDirectory, &packagesDirPath);
+	if (error != B_OK)
+		return error;
+
+	BDirectory directory;
+	error = directory.SetTo(packagesDirPath.Path());
+	if (error != B_OK)
+		return error;
+
+	// TODO: Implement that correctly be reading the activation files/directory!
+
+	// iterate through the packages
+	char buffer[sizeof(dirent) + B_FILE_NAME_LENGTH];
+	dirent* entry = (dirent*)&buffer;
+	while (directory.GetNextDirents(entry, sizeof(buffer), 1) == 1) {
+		if (strcmp(entry->d_name, ".") == 0 || strcmp(entry->d_name, "..") == 0)
+			continue;
+
+		// get the full package file path
+		BPath packagePath;
+		error = packagePath.SetTo(packagesDirPath.Path(), entry->d_name);
+		if (error != B_OK)
+			continue;
+
+		// read the package info from the file
+		BPackageReader packageReader(NULL);
+		error = packageReader.Init(packagePath.Path());
+		if (error != B_OK)
+			continue;
+
+		BPackageInfo info;
+		BPackageInfoContentHandler handler(info);
+		error = packageReader.ParseContent(&handler);
+		if (error != B_OK || info.InitCheck() != B_OK)
+			continue;
+
+		// check whether the package is really active by verifying that a
+		// package link exists for it
+		BString packageLinkName(info.Name());
+		packageLinkName << '-' << info.Version().ToString();
+		BPath packageLinkPath;
+		struct stat st;
+		if (packageLinkPath.SetTo(packageLinksPath.Path(), packageLinkName)
+				!= B_OK
+			|| lstat(packageLinkPath.Path(), &st) != 0) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		// add the info
+		error = packageInfos.AddInfo(info);
+		if (error != B_OK)
+			return error;
+	}
+
+	return B_OK;
+#else
+	return B_NOT_SUPPORTED;
+#endif
+}
+
+
 status_t
 BPackageRoster::_GetRepositoryPath(BPath* path, bool create,
 	directory_which whichDir) const