diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index c6c3fbcb..926c0d0e 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -101,10 +101,7 @@ ifneq ($(EXCLUDE_FROM_BUILD),)
 endif
 
 # non-interactive mode
-INTERACTIVE                 ?= true
-ifneq ($(INTERACTIVE),true)
-  DASH_Y                    := -y
-endif
+INTERACTIVE                 ?= auto
 
 # ------------ external programs II
 
@@ -119,6 +116,7 @@ endif
 JW_PKG_PY                    = $(TIME) python3 $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/jw-pkg.py --prefix $(shell pwd) $(JW_PKG_PY_EXTRA_OPTS)
 JW_PKG_PY_PROJECTS           = $(JW_PKG_PY) projects
 JW_PKG_PY_BUILD              = $(JW_PKG_PY_PRJECTS) build $(JW_PKG_PY_EXTRA_BUILD_OPTS)
+PKG_MANAGER                 ?= $(JW_PKG_PY) distro --interactive=$(INTERACTIVE)
 
 PGIT_SH                     := /bin/bash $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/pgit.sh
 ifneq ($(origin PROJECTS_DIR_REMOTE_BASE),undefined)
@@ -140,7 +138,6 @@ ifneq ($(JANWARE_USER),)
 endif
 
 PURGE_SH                     = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/purge-stale-projects.sh $(JW_PKG_BINDIR)/purge-stale-projects.sh) purge-not-found)
-PKG_MANAGER_SH              ?= /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/pkg-manager.sh $(JW_PKG_BINDIR)/pkg-manager.sh) pkg-manager-not-found)
 CREATE_PROJECT_SH           ?= /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/jw-pkg-create-project.sh $(JW_PKG_BINDIR)/jw-pkg-create-project.sh) jw-pkg-create-project-not-found)
 LIST_VCS_FILES_SH            = /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/scm.sh $(JW_PKG_BINDIR)/scm.sh) scm-sh-not-found) ls-files
 GIT_SRV_ADMIN_SH             = JW_PKG_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS="$(JW_PKG_SSH_EXTRA_OPTS)" $(GIT_SSH) $(JANWARE_USER)@git.janware.com $(JW_PKG_REMOTE_BINDIR)/git-srv-admin.sh
@@ -241,13 +238,13 @@ cloc:
 # --- package-related targets
 
 pkg-manager-refresh:
-	$(PKG_MANAGER_SH) refresh $(DASH_Y)
+	$(PKG_MANAGER) refresh
 
 pkg-install-build-deps:
-	$(PKG_MANAGER_SH) install $(DASH_Y) "$(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(JW_PKG_PY_PROJECTS) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours build $(TARGET_PROJECTS))"
+	$(PKG_MANAGER) install $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(JW_PKG_PY_PROJECTS) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours build $(TARGET_PROJECTS))
 
 pkg-install-release-deps:
-	$(PKG_MANAGER_SH) install $(DASH_Y) "$(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(JW_PKG_PY_PROJECTS) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours 'build run release' $(TARGET_PROJECTS))"
+	$(PKG_MANAGER) install $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(JW_PKG_PY_PROJECTS) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours 'build run release' $(TARGET_PROJECTS))
 
 pkg-release-reinstall: $(PREREQ_RELEASE)
 
diff --git a/make/topdir.mk b/make/topdir.mk
index 09e3aac1..58a18c98 100644
--- a/make/topdir.mk
+++ b/make/topdir.mk
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ GIT_DESCR                    = $(TOPDIR)/.git/description
 GIT_MAIN_BRANCH             ?= master
 
 OPT_JANWARE_PROJECT         ?= -j
-PKG_MANAGER_SH              ?= /bin/bash $(firstword $(wildcard $(JWB_SCRIPT_DIR)/pkg-manager.sh /opt/jw-pkg/bin/pkg-manager.sh) pkg-manager-not-found)
+INTERACTIVE                 ?= auto
+PKG_MANAGER                 ?= $(JW_PKG_PY) distro --interactive=$(INTERACTIVE)
 
 ifeq ($(OPT_JANWARE_PROJECT),-j)
 REMOTE_GIT_FLAVOUR          ?= proj
@@ -209,16 +210,16 @@ git-pull-%:
 	fi
 
 pkg-manager-refresh:
-	$(PKG_MANAGER_SH) refresh $(DASH_Y)
+	$(PKG_MANAGER) refresh
 
 pkg-install-build-deps:
-	$(PKG_MANAGER_SH) install $(DASH_Y) $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(proj_query_cmd) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours "build" $(PROJECT))
+	$(PKG_MANAGER) install $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(proj_query_cmd) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours "build" $(PROJECT))
 
 pkg-install-release-deps:
-	$(PKG_MANAGER_SH) install $(DASH_Y) $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(proj_query_cmd) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours "build run release" $(PROJECT))
+	$(PKG_MANAGER) install $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(proj_query_cmd) required-os-pkg --skip-excluded --flavours "build run release" $(PROJECT))
 
 pkg-install-testbuild-deps:
-	$(PKG_MANAGER_SH) install $(DASH_Y) $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(proj_query_cmd) pkg-requires --delimiter=' ' --no-version build,run,release $(PROJECT))
+	$(PKG_MANAGER) install $(BASE_PKGS) $(shell $(proj_query_cmd) pkg-requires --delimiter=' ' --no-version build,run,release $(PROJECT))
 
 echo-hash:
 	$(Q)/bin/bash $(PKG_SH_EXE) hash
diff --git a/scripts/pkg-manager.sh b/scripts/pkg-manager.sh
deleted file mode 100644
index 50c9cc4d..00000000
--- a/scripts/pkg-manager.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,168 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-log()
-{
-	echo $@ >&2
-}
-
-err()
-{
-	echo $@ >&2
-}
-
-fatal()
-{
-	err "Giving up: $@"
-	exit 1
-}
-
-usage()
-{
-	cat<<-EOT
-	$myname cmd args
-	EOT
-}
-
-run()
-{
-	log "Running ==== $@"
-	"$@"
-}
-
-cmd_dup()
-{
-	local env opts global_opts
-	local non_interactive
-
-	set -- `getopt 'y' $*`
-	while [ "$1" != -- ] ; do
-		case "$1" in
-		-y)
-			non_interactive=1
-			;;
-		esac
-		shift
-	done
-	shift
-
-	[ "$sudo" ] && sudo="$sudo $env -S"
-
-	case $ID in
-	opensuse|suse)
-		[ "$non_interactive" = 1 ] && {
-			opts="--force-resolution --auto-agree-with-licenses"
-			global_opts="$global_opts --non-interactive --gpg-auto-import-keys --no-gpg-checks"
-		}
-		run $sudo zypper $global_opts dup $opts "$@"
-		;;
-	debian|ubuntu|raspbian)
-		fatal "Tried to run distribution upgrade on unsupported platform \"$ID\""
-		;;
-	arch)
-		fatal "Tried to run distribution upgrade on unsupported platform \"$ID\""
-		;;
-	centos)
-		fatal "Tried to run distribution upgrade on unsupported platform \"$ID\""
-		;;
-	*)
-		fatal "Tried to install on unsupported platform \"$ID\""
-		;;
-	esac
-}
-
-cmd_install()
-{
-	local env opts global_opts
-	local non_interactive
-
-	set -- `getopt 'y' $*`
-	while [ "$1" != -- ] ; do
-		case "$1" in
-		-y)
-			non_interactive=1
-			;;
-		esac
-		shift
-	done
-	shift
-
-	[ "$sudo" ] && sudo="$sudo $env -S"
-
-	case $ID in
-	opensuse|suse)
-		[ "$non_interactive" = 1 ] && {
-			opts="--force-resolution --auto-agree-with-licenses"
-			global_opts="$global_opts --non-interactive --gpg-auto-import-keys --no-gpg-checks"
-		}
-		run $sudo zypper $global_opts install $opts "$@"
-		;;
-	debian|ubuntu|raspbian)
-		[ "$non_interactive" = 1 ] && {
-			global_opts="$global_opts -yq"
-			env="$env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive"
-		}
-		run $sudo apt-get $global_opts install "$@"
-		;;
-	arch)
-		[ "$non_interactive" = 1 ] && {
-			global_opts="$global_opts --noconfirm"
-			env="$env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive"
-		}
-		run $sudo pacman $global_opts -S --needed "$@"
-		;;
-	centos)
-		run $sudo yum $global_opts install -y "$@"
-		;;
-	*)
-		fatal "Tried to install on unsupported platform \"$ID\""
-		;;
-	esac
-}
-
-cmd_refresh()
-{
-	local env opts global_opts
-	local non_interactive
-
-	set -- `getopt 'y' $*`
-	while [ "$1" != -- ] ; do
-		case "$1" in
-		-y)
-			non_interactive=1
-			;;
-		esac
-		shift
-	done
-	shift
-
-	[ "$sudo" ] && sudo="$sudo $env -S"
-
-	case $ID in
-	opensuse|suse)
-		[ "$non_interactive" = 1 ] && {
-			global_opts="$global_opts --non-interactive --gpg-auto-import-keys --no-gpg-checks"
-		}
-		run $sudo zypper $global_opts refresh $opts "$@"
-		;;
-	debian|ubuntu|raspbian)
-		run $sudo apt-get $global_opts update "$@"
-		;;
-	centos)
-		run $sudo yum $global_opts clean expire-cache "$@"
-		run $sudo yum $global_opts makecache "$@"
-		;;
-	*)
-		fatal "Tried to update unsupported platform \"$ID\""
-		;;
-	esac
-}
-
-# -- here we go
-myname=`basename $0`
-. /etc/os-release
-ID=${ID%%-*}
-[ "$EUID" ] || EUID=$(id -un)
-[ "$EUID" = 0 ] || sudo=/usr/bin/sudo
-cmd="$1"
-shift
-cmd_$cmd "$@"