diff --git a/doc/configuration.rst b/doc/configuration.rst
index 149bf6b1..ae010266 100644
--- a/doc/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/configuration.rst
@@ -383,6 +383,11 @@ Options
 **filter_packages**
     (*list*) -- packages to be excluded from a variant and architecture; format: [(variant_uid_regex, {arch|*: [package_globs]})]
 
+**filter_system_release_packages**
+    (*bool*) -- for each variant, figure out the best system release package
+    and filter out all others. This will not work if a variant needs more than
+    one system release package. In such case, set this option to ``False``.
+
 **multilib_blacklist**
     (*dict*) -- multilib blacklist; format: {arch|*: [package_globs]}
 
diff --git a/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py b/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
index 532edf60..09c6e4fc 100644
--- a/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
+++ b/pungi/phases/gather/__init__.py
@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ class GatherPhase(PhaseBase):
             "expected_types": [bool],
             "optional": True,
         },
+        {
+            "name": "filter_system_release_packages",
+            "expected_types": [bool],
+            "optional": True,
+        },
         # DEPRECATED OPTIONS
         {
             "name": "additional_packages_multiarch",
@@ -446,9 +451,11 @@ def get_variant_packages(compose, arch, variant, package_sets=None):
     packages |= get_additional_packages(compose, arch, variant)
     filter_packages |= get_filter_packages(compose, arch, variant)
 
-    system_release_packages, system_release_filter_packages = get_system_release_packages(compose, arch, variant, package_sets)
-    packages |= system_release_packages
-    filter_packages |= system_release_filter_packages
+    if not compose.conf.get('filter_system_release_packages', False):
+        system_release_packages, system_release_filter_packages = get_system_release_packages(
+            compose, arch, variant, package_sets)
+        packages |= system_release_packages
+        filter_packages |= system_release_filter_packages
 
     # if the variant is "optional", include all groups and packages
     # from the main "variant" and all "addons"