diff --git a/distro.mk b/distro.mk
index b23b3288..03c0a9e8 100644
--- a/distro.mk
+++ b/distro.mk
@@ -30,13 +30,14 @@ distro/syslinux: distro/.init distro/.branding sub/stage1 \
 #         and their value requested (so the variable referenced
 #         can change its value during configuration _before_
 #         it's actually used); just peek inside $(CONFIG) ;-)
+# BASE_PACKAGES, BASE_LISTS, MAIN_PACKAGES, MAIN_LISTS: see sub.in/main/
 
 # something actually useful (as a network-only installer)
 distro/installer: distro/.base use/installer
 	@$(call set,INSTALLER,altlinux-generic)
 	@$(call set,INSTALLER_KMODULES_REGEXP,drm.*)	# for KMS
 
-# BASE_PACKAGES, BASE_LISTS, MAIN_PACKAGES, MAIN_LISTS: see sub.in/main/
+# server distributions
 
 distro/server-base: distro/installer sub/main use/syslinux/ui-menu use/memtest
 	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,server-base)
@@ -55,7 +56,15 @@ distro/server-ovz: distro/server-base use/hdt use/firmware/server
 	@$(call add,GROUPS,monitoring diag-tools)
 
 distro/minicd: distro/server-base
-	@$(call set,KFLAVOURS,pure-emerald)	# we might need the most recent drivers
+	@$(call set,KFLAVOURS,pure-emerald)	# usually recent drivers
 	@$(call add,MAIN_PACKAGES,etcnet-full)
 
-# if there are too many screens above, it might make sense to distro.d/
+# desktop distributions
+
+distro/desktop-base: distro/installer sub/main \
+	use/syslinux/ui-vesamenu use/x11/xorg
+
+distro/icewm: distro/desktop-base use/lowmem use/x11/xdm use/x11/runlevel5
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,icewm desktop))
+
+# NB: if there are too many screens above, it might make sense to distro.d/
diff --git a/features.in/x11/config.mk b/features.in/x11/config.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1eb42421
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features.in/x11/config.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+use/x11/xorg:
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,xorg)
+
+### strictly speaking, runlevel5 should require a *dm, not vice versa
+use/x11/runlevel5: use/x11/xorg
+	@$(call add,BASE_PACKAGES,installer-feature-runlevel5-stage3)
+
+### xdm: see also #23108
+use/x11/xdm: use/x11/runlevel5
+	@$(call add,BASE_PACKAGES,xdm installer-feature-no-xconsole)
diff --git a/pkg.in/lists/tagged/desktop,icewm b/pkg.in/lists/tagged/desktop,icewm
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8bddfb81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg.in/lists/tagged/desktop,icewm
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+icewm
diff --git a/pkg.in/lists/xorg b/pkg.in/lists/xorg
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f9989fe1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg.in/lists/xorg
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+xorg-server
+xorg-drv-ati
+xorg-drv-cirrus
+xorg-drv-evdev
+xorg-drv-fbdev
+xorg-drv-intel
+xorg-drv-joystick
+xorg-drv-mga
+xorg-drv-multimedia
+xorg-drv-nouveau
+xorg-drv-nv
+#I586_ONLY@xorg-drv-s3
+#I586_ONLY@xorg-drv-s3virge
+#I586_ONLY@xorg-drv-savage
+xorg-drv-sis
+xorg-drv-synaptics
+xorg-drv-vesa
+xorg-drv-video
+xorg-drv-void
+xorg-drv-wacom
+xorg-drv-qxl
+
+# for those who need these
+xorg-drv-keyboard
+xorg-drv-mouse
+
+#xorg-dri-*
+
+xauth
+xorg-utils
+#xorg-extensions*
+xinit
+
+# TODO: split these into a separate packagelist or no sense?
+wm-select
+
+fonts-ttf-dejavu
+fonts-bitmap-terminus
+fonts-otf-stix
+fonts-ttf-droid
+x-cursor-theme-jimmac
+
+menu-icons-default
+
+# :-/
+#*-debuginfo-