diff --git a/src/pylorax/__init__.py b/src/pylorax/__init__.py
index 776c4b4d..e6465f43 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/__init__.py
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ class Lorax(BaseLoraxClass):
         if not os.path.isdir("/tmp/pkglists"):
             os.makedirs("/tmp/pkglists")
 
-        for pkg in self.installtree.yum.installed_packages:
-            with open("/tmp/pkglists/%s" % pkg.name, "w") as f:
-                for filename in self.installtree.yum.get_file_list(pkg):
+        for pkgobj in self.installtree.yum.installed_packages.values():
+            with open("/tmp/pkglists/%s" % pkgobj.name, "w") as f:
+                for filename in pkgobj.filelist:
                     f.write("%s\n" % filename)
 
         self.installtree.run_ldconfig()
@@ -623,7 +623,12 @@ class YumHelper(object):
     @property
     def installed_packages(self):
         pl = self.yb.doPackageLists()
-        return pl.installed
+
+        d = {}
+        for pkgobj in pl.installed:
+            d[pkgobj.name] = pkgobj
+
+        return d
 
     def get_file_list(self, package):
         return package.returnFileEntries()
diff --git a/src/pylorax/base.py b/src/pylorax/base.py
index ef90be70..a19979a3 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/base.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/base.py
@@ -103,8 +103,14 @@ class BaseImageClass(BaseLoraxClass):
             fname = os.path.join(self.dsttree, fname)
             remove_(fname)
 
-    def removepkg(self, pkgname):
-        self.pkgs_to_remove.add(pkgname)
+    def removepkg(self, *args):
+        pkgname = args[0]
+        try:
+            mask = args[1]
+        except IndexError:
+            mask = "*"
+
+        self.pkgs_to_remove.add((pkgname, mask))
 
     def symlink(self, link_target, link_name):
         link_name = os.path.join(self.dsttree, link_name)
diff --git a/src/pylorax/images.py b/src/pylorax/images.py
index 44224342..89d8275d 100644
--- a/src/pylorax/images.py
+++ b/src/pylorax/images.py
@@ -640,12 +640,20 @@ class Install(BaseImageClass):
                      "libdir": self.conf.libdir}
         self.parse_template(self.template_file, variables)
 
-        # XXX remove whole packages
-        for pkg in self.installtree.yum.installed_packages:
-            if pkg.name in self.pkgs_to_remove:
-                self.pinfo("removing not needed package %s" % pkg.name)
-                for fname in pkg.filelist:
-                    self.pdebug("removing file %s%s" % (self.srctree, fname))
+        # XXX remove packages
+        installed_packages = self.installtree.yum.installed_packages
+        for pkgname, mask in self.pkgs_to_remove:
+            if pkgname not in installed_packages:
+                continue
+
+            self.pinfo("removing files from package %s matching mask %s" \
+                       % (pkgname, mask))
+
+            pkgobj = installed_packages.get(pkgname)
+            for fname in pkgobj.filelist:
+                if fnmatch.fnmatch(fname, mask):
+                    self.pdebug("removing file %s%s" \
+                                % (self.srctree, fname))
                     remove_("%s%s" % (self.srctree, fname))
 
         self.copy_stubs()