diff --git a/build/jam/FileRules b/build/jam/FileRules
index c6c5556ee0..f838c0f648 100644
--- a/build/jam/FileRules
+++ b/build/jam/FileRules
@@ -468,6 +468,10 @@ rule DownloadLocatedFile target : url : source
 actions DownloadLocatedFile1
 {
 	source="$(2)"
+	if [ "$(HAIKU_NO_DOWNLOADS)" = 1 ]; then
+		echo "ERROR: Would need to download $(URL), but HAIKU_NO_DOWNLOADS is set!" ;
+		exit 1
+	fi
 	wget -O "$(1)" $(URL) || exit 1
 	touch "$(1)"
 }
diff --git a/build/jam/RepositoryRules b/build/jam/RepositoryRules
index a3dd5e2676..238690debe 100644
--- a/build/jam/RepositoryRules
+++ b/build/jam/RepositoryRules
@@ -155,25 +155,50 @@ rule RemotePackageRepository repository : architecture : repositoryUrl
 	Depends $(packagesChecksumFile) : $(packageListFile) ;
 	ChecksumFileSHA256 $(packagesChecksumFile) : $(packageListFile) ;
 
-	# download repository info file
 	local repositoryInfo = $(repository:G=repository-info)-info ;
-	MakeLocate $(repositoryInfo) : $(repositoriesDir) ;
-	local repoUrl = [ on $(repository) return $(HAIKU_REPOSITORY_URL) ] ;
-	DownloadLocatedFile $(repositoryInfo)
-		: "$(repoUrl)/`cat $source`/repo.info"
-		: $(packagesChecksumFile) ;
-
-	# download repository file
 	local repositoryFile = $(repository:G=repository-cache) ;
-	MakeLocate $(repositoryFile) : $(repositoriesDir) ;
-	local repoUrl = [ on $(repository) return $(HAIKU_REPOSITORY_URL) ] ;
-	DownloadLocatedFile $(repositoryFile)
-		: "$(repoUrl)/`cat $source`/repo"
-		: $(packagesChecksumFile) ;
+	local repositoryConfig = $(repository:G=repository-config)-config ;
+	MakeLocate $(repositoryInfo) $(repositoryFile) $(repositoryConfig)
+		: $(repositoriesDir) ;
+	# Use a locally created dummy repository if downloads have been disabled.
+	# This is useful when trying to build everything locally from source.
+	if $(HAIKU_NO_DOWNLOADS) = 1 {
+		# build the dummy repository info file
+		local repositoryInfoTemplate = <repository-info-template>haikuports ;
+		SEARCH on $(repositoryInfoTemplate)
+			= $(HAIKU_TOP)/src/data/repository_infos ;
+		PreprocessPackageOrRepositoryInfo $(repositoryInfo)
+			: $(repositoryInfoTemplate) : $(architecture) ;
+
+		# build repository file, using only packages available in the download
+		# directory
+		local allPackageFiles = [
+			on $(packageListFile) return $(HAIKU_REPOSITORY_PACKAGE_FILE_NAMES)
+		] ;
+		local packageFiles ;
+		for packageFile in $(allPackageFiles) {
+			if [ Glob $(HAIKU_DOWNLOAD_DIR) : $(packageFile) ] {
+				packageFile = $(packageFile:G=package-file) ;
+				MakeLocate $(packageFile) : $(HAIKU_DOWNLOAD_DIR) ;
+				packageFiles += $(packageFile) ;
+			}
+		}
+		RepositoryCache $(repositoryFile) : $(repositoryInfo)
+			: $(packageFiles) ;
+	} else {
+		# download repository info file
+		local repoUrl = [ on $(repository) return $(HAIKU_REPOSITORY_URL) ] ;
+		DownloadLocatedFile $(repositoryInfo)
+			: "$(repoUrl)/`cat $source`/repo.info"
+			: $(packagesChecksumFile) ;
+
+		# download repository file
+		DownloadLocatedFile $(repositoryFile)
+			: "$(repoUrl)/`cat $source`/repo"
+			: $(packagesChecksumFile) ;
+	}
 
 	# build repository config file
-	local repositoryConfig = $(repository:G=repository-config)-config ;
-	MakeLocate $(repositoryConfig) : $(repositoriesDir) ;
 	RepositoryConfig $(repositoryConfig) : $(repositoryInfo)
 		: $(repositoryUrl)/$version : $(packagesChecksumFile) ;
 
@@ -233,6 +258,23 @@ actions RepositoryConfig1
 }
 
 
+rule RepositoryCache repoCache : repoInfo : packageFiles
+{
+	Depends $(repoCache)
+		: <build>package_repo $(repoInfo) $(packageFiles) ;
+	RepositoryCache1 $(repoCache)
+		: <build>package_repo $(repoInfo) $(packageFiles) ;
+}
+
+
+actions RepositoryCache1
+{
+	$(HOST_ADD_BUILD_COMPATIBILITY_LIB_DIR)
+	$(2[1]) create -q $(2[2-])
+	mv $(1:B=repo) $(1)
+}
+
+
 #pragma mark - Bootstrap Repository
 
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index f411fe5f4f..a777e3867c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ options:
   -j<n>                       Only relevant for --build-cross-tools and
                               --build-cross-tools-gcc4. Is passed on to the
                               make building the build tools.
+  --no-downloads              Do not download anything. Useful when trying to
+                              bootstrap and build Haiku from source only.
   --remote-user <username>    Use given username when logging into
                               git.haiku-os.org (via ssh).
   --target=TARGET             Select build target platform.
@@ -528,6 +530,7 @@ HOST_HAIKU_PORTER=
 HAIKU_PORTS=
 HAIKU_PORTS_CROSS=
 HAIKU_BOOT_BOARD=
+HAIKU_NO_DOWNLOADS=0
 
 HAIKU_PACKAGING_ARCHS=
 
@@ -670,6 +673,7 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ] ; do
 		--include-sources)	HAIKU_INCLUDE_SOURCES=1; shift 1;;
 		--include-3rdparty)	HAIKU_INCLUDE_3RDPARTY=1; shift 1;;
         -j*)				buildCrossToolsJobs="$1"; shift 1;;
+		--no-downloads)	HAIKU_NO_DOWNLOADS=1; shift 1;;
 		--target=*)     TARGET_PLATFORM=`echo $1 | cut -d'=' -f2-`; shift 1;;
 		--target-arch)
 			assertparam "$1" $#
@@ -944,6 +948,8 @@ HAIKU_HOST_BUILD_ONLY				?= "${HAIKU_HOST_BUILD_ONLY}" ;
 
 HAIKU_PACKAGING_ARCHS		?= ${HAIKU_PACKAGING_ARCHS} ;
 
+HAIKU_NO_DOWNLOADS			?= "${HAIKU_NO_DOWNLOADS}" ;
+
 HAIKU_BUILD_ATTRIBUTES_DIR	?= ${HAIKU_BUILD_ATTRIBUTES_DIR} ;
 
 HAIKU_NASM					?= ${HAIKU_NASM} ;
diff --git a/src/data/repository_infos/haikuports b/src/data/repository_infos/haikuports
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c62733115
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/data/repository_infos/haikuports
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+name HaikuPorts
+vendor "Haiku Project"
+summary "The HaikuPorts repository (for Haiku %HAIKU_VERSION_NO_REVISION%)"
+priority 1
+url http://packages.haiku-os.org/haikuports/master/repo/%HAIKU_PACKAGING_ARCH%/dummy
+architecture %HAIKU_PACKAGING_ARCH%