diff --git a/buildscript b/buildscript
index 6ad4b112..b2b3fd93 100755
--- a/buildscript
+++ b/buildscript
@@ -126,20 +126,9 @@ prepare() {
 
     patch_target
 
-    # apply variant to ensure the included file "variant.mk"
-    # exists in builddir.
-    apply_variant
-
     update_feeds
 }
 
-apply_variant() {
-    # set the variant for this build
-    export FFF_VARIANT=$(cat selected_variant)
-    # force the reevaluation of this Makefile to make note of the new variant
-    touch ./src/packages/fff/fff/Makefile
-}
-
 update_feeds() {
     ## generate own feeds.conf
     #this local variable should be globally configure variable used in get_source and here
@@ -174,8 +163,6 @@ update_feeds() {
 }
 
 prebuild() {
-    apply_variant
-
     #create filesdir for our config
     /bin/rm -rf "$builddir"/files
     mkdir "$builddir"/files
@@ -193,6 +180,9 @@ prebuild() {
         version="$variant-$version"
     fi
 
+    # select variant packages
+    echo "CONFIG_PACKAGE_fff-${variant}=y" >> "$builddir"/.config
+
     {
         echo "FIRMWARE_VERSION=\"$version\""
         echo "VARIANT=\"$variant\""
diff --git a/src/packages/fff/fff-base/Makefile b/src/packages/fff/fff-base/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..027b8663
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/packages/fff/fff-base/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
+
+PKG_NAME:=fff-base
+PKG_RELEASE:=$(COMMITCOUNT)
+
+include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
+
+define Package/fff-base
+	SECTION:=base
+	CATEGORY:=Freifunk
+	TITLE:=Freifunk-Franken base dependencies
+	URL:=https://www.freifunk-franken.de
+	DEFAULT:=y
+	DEPENDS:= \
+		+iptables \
+		+ip6tables \
+		+micrond \
+		+odhcp6c \
+		+fff-config \
+		+fff-network \
+		+fff-nodewatcher \
+		+fff-simple-tc \
+		+fff-support \
+		+fff-sysupgrade \
+		+fff-timeserver \
+		+fff-web-ui \
+		+fff-wireless
+endef
+
+define Package/fff-variant/description
+	This package includes base packages used in the Freifunk-Franken firmware
+endef
+
+$(eval $(call BuildPackage,fff-base))
diff --git a/src/packages/fff/fff/Makefile b/src/packages/fff/fff/Makefile
deleted file mode 100644
index 49157934..00000000
--- a/src/packages/fff/fff/Makefile
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,56 +0,0 @@
-include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
-
-PKG_NAME:=fff
-PKG_RELEASE:=$(COMMITCOUNT)
-
-include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/package.mk
-
-define Package/fff-variant/default
-	SECTION:=base
-	CATEGORY:=Freifunk
-	URL:=https://www.freifunk-franken.de
-	DEFAULT:=$(if $(filter fff-variant-$(FFF_VARIANT),$(1)),y,n)
-	DEPENDS:= \
-		+iptables \
-		+ip6tables \
-		+micrond \
-		+odhcp6c \
-		+fff-config \
-		+fff-network \
-		+fff-nodewatcher \
-		+fff-simple-tc \
-		+fff-support \
-		+fff-sysupgrade \
-		+fff-timeserver \
-		+fff-web-ui \
-		+fff-wireless
-endef
-
-define Package/fff-variant/default/description
-	This package is used to switch one of the variants on by default
-endef
-
-define Package/fff-variant-layer3
-	$(Package/fff-variant/default)
-	TITLE:=Freifunk-Franken Layer3 Variant
-	DEPENDS+=+fff-layer3
-	VARIANT:=layer3
-endef
-
-define Package/fff-variant-layer3/description
-	$(Package/fff-variant/default/description)
-endef
-
-define Package/fff-variant-node
-	$(Package/fff-variant/default)
-	TITLE:=Freifunk-Franken Node Variant
-	DEPENDS+=+fff-node
-	VARIANT:=node
-endef
-
-define Package/fff-variant-node/description
-	$(Package/fff-variant/default/description)
-endef
-
-$(eval $(call BuildPackage,fff-variant-layer3))
-$(eval $(call BuildPackage,fff-variant-node))