diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 5b59350f..1fedbdf7 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 include AUTHORS
 include COPYING
 include GPL
+include RELEASE-NOTES
 include pungi.spec
 include share/*
 include share/multilib/*
diff --git a/RELEASE-NOTES b/RELEASE-NOTES
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b322178c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RELEASE-NOTES
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+DATE:   2015-08-08
+CHANGE: createrepo_c is config option now defaults to True.
+ACTION: You can safely remove 'createrepo_c = True' from config files.
+        Set 'createrepo_c = False' if you need legacy createrepo.
+
+DATE:   2015-08-08
+CHANGE: createrepo_checksum config option is now mandatory.
+ACTION: Add 'createrepo_checksum = "sha256"' (or "sha") to config files.
diff --git a/pungi/phases/createiso.py b/pungi/phases/createiso.py
index 1e1526f8..8d1392a7 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/createiso.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/createiso.py
@@ -375,8 +375,8 @@ def prepare_iso(compose, arch, variant, disc_num=1, disc_count=None, split_iso_d
             del ti.checksums.checksums["repodata/repomd.xml"]
 
         # rebuild repodata
-        createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", False)
-        createrepo_checksum = compose.conf.get("createrepo_checksum", None)
+        createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", True)
+        createrepo_checksum = compose.conf["createrepo_checksum"]
         repo = CreaterepoWrapper(createrepo_c=createrepo_c)
 
         file_list = "%s-file-list" % iso_dir
diff --git a/pungi/phases/createrepo.py b/pungi/phases/createrepo.py
index 6bcd83df..7f1dcbde 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/createrepo.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/createrepo.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class CreaterepoPhase(PhaseBase):
         {
             "name": "createrepo_checksum",
             "expected_types": [bool],
-            "optional": True,
+            "expected_values": ["sha256", "sha"],
         },
         {
             "name": "product_id",
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ class CreaterepoPhase(PhaseBase):
 
 
 def create_variant_repo(compose, arch, variant, pkg_type):
-    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", False)
-    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf.get("createrepo_checksum", None)
+    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", True)
+    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf["createrepo_checksum"]
     repo = CreaterepoWrapper(createrepo_c=createrepo_c)
     if pkg_type == "srpm":
         repo_dir_arch = compose.paths.work.arch_repo(arch="global")
diff --git a/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py b/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
index 025eadfa..22c52300 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/gather/methods/method_deps.py
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ def resolve_deps(compose, arch, variant):
     # https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=795137
     tmp_dir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="pungi_")
     try:
-        run(cmd, logfile=pungi_log, show_cmd=True, workdir=tmp_dir)
+        run(cmd, logfile=pungi_log, show_cmd=True, workdir=tmp_dir, env=os.environ)
     finally:
         rmtree(tmp_dir)
     result = pungi_wrapper.get_packages(open(pungi_log, "r").read())
diff --git a/pungi/phases/init.py b/pungi/phases/init.py
index 7dbdc650..16b20ce1 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/init.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/init.py
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ class InitPhase(PhaseBase):
             "name": "createrepo_checksum",
             "expected_types": [str],
             "expected_values": ["sha256", "sha"],
-            "optional": True,
         },
 
         # RUNROOT SETTINGS
@@ -252,8 +251,8 @@ def create_comps_repo(compose, arch):
     if not compose.has_comps:
         return
 
-    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", False)
-    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf.get("createrepo_checksum", None)
+    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", True)
+    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf["createrepo_checksum"]
     repo = CreaterepoWrapper(createrepo_c=createrepo_c)
     comps_repo = compose.paths.work.comps_repo(arch=arch)
     comps_path = compose.paths.work.comps(arch=arch)
diff --git a/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py b/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py
index 1458fff2..975c8c86 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/pkgset/common.py
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ def populate_arch_pkgsets(compose, path_prefix, global_pkgset):
 
 
 def create_global_repo(compose, path_prefix):
-    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", False)
-    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf.get("createrepo_checksum", None)
+    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", True)
+    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf["createrepo_checksum"]
     repo = CreaterepoWrapper(createrepo_c=createrepo_c)
     repo_dir_global = compose.paths.work.arch_repo(arch="global")
     msg = "Running createrepo for the global package set"
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ def create_global_repo(compose, path_prefix):
 
 
 def create_arch_repos(compose, arch, path_prefix):
-    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", False)
-    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf.get("createrepo_checksum", None)
+    createrepo_c = compose.conf.get("createrepo_c", True)
+    createrepo_checksum = compose.conf["createrepo_checksum"]
     repo = CreaterepoWrapper(createrepo_c=createrepo_c)
     repo_dir_global = compose.paths.work.arch_repo(arch="global")
     repo_dir = compose.paths.work.arch_repo(arch=arch)
diff --git a/pungi/wrappers/createrepo.py b/pungi/wrappers/createrepo.py
index 7b24c14f..2b2dcc85 100644
--- a/pungi/wrappers/createrepo.py
+++ b/pungi/wrappers/createrepo.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from kobo.shortcuts import force_list
 
 
 class CreaterepoWrapper(object):
-    def __init__(self, createrepo_c=False):
+    def __init__(self, createrepo_c=True):
         if createrepo_c:
             self.createrepo = "createrepo_c"
             self.mergerepo = "mergerepo_c"
diff --git a/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf b/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf
index 09d65f06..9e900dc6 100644
--- a/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf
+++ b/tests/data/dummy-pungi.conf
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ greedy_method = "build"
 
 
 # CREATEREPO
-# TODO: checksum type - mandatory
-createrepo_c = True
+createrepo_checksum = "sha256"
 
 
 # BUILDINSTALL