diff --git a/package_manifest.yaml b/package_manifest.yaml
index 725fac16fa..4237a46939 100644
--- a/package_manifest.yaml
+++ b/package_manifest.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 all:
   vars:
+    bootstrap: false
     foremandist: .fm3_18
     foreman_version: 'nightly'
     katello_version: 'nightly'
@@ -17,8 +18,7 @@ copr_projects:
   vars:
     core_modules_el9:
       - 'nodejs:22'
-    core_buildroot_packages:
-      - 'foreman-build'
+    core_buildroot_packages: "{{ [] if bootstrap|bool else ['foreman-build']}}"
     plugins_buildroot_packages:
       - 'foreman-build'
       - python3.12-rpm-macros
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ copr_projects:
       copr_project_chroots:
         - name: "rhel-{{ rhel_9 }}-x86_64"
           modules: "{{ core_modules_el9 }}"
+          rpmbuild_with: "{{ ['bootstrap'] if bootstrap|bool else []}}"
           external_repos:
             - "{{ puppet_baseurl }}/el/{{ rhel_9 }}/x86_64/"
             - "{{ foreman_staging }}/rhel-{{ rhel_9 }}-x86_64"
diff --git a/packages/foreman/foreman/foreman.spec b/packages/foreman/foreman/foreman.spec
index 0589aae6b8..9611e6bdd2 100644
--- a/packages/foreman/foreman/foreman.spec
+++ b/packages/foreman/foreman/foreman.spec
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
+%bcond bootstrap 0
+
 %global homedir %{_datadir}/%{name}
 %global confdir extras/packaging/rpm/sources
 %global foreman_rake %{_sbindir}/%{name}-rake
 %global dynflow_sidekiq_service_name dynflow-sidekiq@
 %global rake /usr/bin/rake
 
-%global release 2
+%global release 3
 %global prereleasesource develop
 %global prerelease %{?prereleasesource}
 
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ Source4: %{name}.cron.d
 Source5: %{name}.tmpfiles
 BuildArch:  noarch
 
+%if %{without bootstrap}
 # Plugin was removed in Foreman 3.3, 3.5 includes DB cleanup
 Obsoletes: rubygem-foreman_docker < 5.0.0-4
 
@@ -352,6 +355,8 @@ Meta package with support for plugins.
 %{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.%{name}-plugin
 %{_datadir}/%{name}/schema.rb.nulldb
 %{_datadir}/%{name}/bundler.d/nulldb.rb
+# endif without bootstrap
+%endif
 
 %package build
 Summary: Foreman package RPM support
@@ -363,6 +368,7 @@ Meta package with support for building RPMs in the Foreman release cycle.
 %files build
 %{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.%{name}-dist
 
+%if %{without bootstrap}
 %package console
 Summary: Foreman console support
 Group:  Applications/System
@@ -497,6 +503,8 @@ Configuration files for the Performance Co-Pilot integration
 %files pcp
 %{_sysconfdir}/pcp/proc/%{name}-hotproc.conf
 %{_sharedstatedir}/pcp/config/pmlogconf/%{name}-hotproc
+# endif without bootstrap
+%endif
 
 %description
 Foreman is aimed to be a Single Address For All Machines Life Cycle Management.
@@ -505,15 +513,19 @@ plugins required for Foreman to work.
 
 %prep
 %setup -q -n %{name}-%{version}%{?prerelease:-}%{?prerelease}
+%if %{without bootstrap}
 %generate_buildrequires
 # Generate rubygem BuildRequires with a script that uses bundler
 %{SOURCE1}
 # Generate NPM BuildRequires
 /usr/libexec/platform-python script/filter-package-json.py
 %{SOURCE2}
+# endif without bootstrap
+%endif
 
 
 %build
+%if %{without bootstrap}
 #build man pages
 %{rake} -f Rakefile.dist build \
   PREFIX=%{_prefix} \
@@ -536,10 +548,13 @@ export NODE_ENV=production
 %{rake} webpack:compile DATABASE_URL=nulldb://nohost
 %{rake} assets:precompile RAILS_ENV=production DATABASE_URL=nulldb://nohost --trace
 rm db/schema.rb
+# endif without bootstrap
+%endif
 
 %install
 rm -rf %{buildroot}
 
+%if %{without bootstrap}
 #install man pages
 %{rake} -f Rakefile.dist install \
   PREFIX=%{buildroot}%{_prefix} \
@@ -633,7 +648,15 @@ ln -sv %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/plugins %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%{name}/config/set
 install -pm0644 VERSION %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%{name}/VERSION
 
 # Create RPM macros for plugin packages to use at build time
+# endif without bootstrap
+%endif
 mkdir -p %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/rpm
+cat > %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.%{name}-dist << EOF
+# Version to use like a dist tag
+%%%{name}dist .fm$(echo %{version} | awk -F. '{print $1 "_" $2}')
+EOF
+
+%if %{without bootstrap}
 cat > %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.%{name} << EOF
 # Common locations
 %%%{name}_dir %{_datadir}/%{name}
@@ -644,11 +667,6 @@ cat > %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.%{name} << EOF
 %%%{name}_rake         %{foreman_rake}
 EOF
 
-cat > %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.%{name}-dist << EOF
-# Version to use like a dist tag
-%%%{name}dist .fm$(echo %{version} | awk -F. '{print $1 "_" $2}')
-EOF
-
 cat > %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/rpm/macros.%{name}-plugin << EOF
 # Generate bundler.d file for a plugin
 # -n<plugin_name>   Overrides default of gem_name
@@ -720,11 +738,15 @@ rm -rf ./usr \\
 %%{?-s:rm -rf %%{buildroot}%%{gem_instdir}/public/webpack/fonts} \\
 %%{?-s:rm -rf %%{buildroot}%%{gem_instdir}/public/webpack/images}
 EOF
+# endif without bootstrap
+%endif
 
 
 %clean
 rm -rf %{buildroot}
 
+
+%if %{without bootstrap}
 %files
 %defattr(-,root,root,0755)
 %doc CHANGELOG Contributors README.md VERSION
@@ -837,8 +859,13 @@ exit 0
 %postun service
 %systemd_postun_with_restart %{name}.service
 %systemd_postun %{name}.socket
+# endif without bootstrap
+%endif
 
 %changelog
+* Sat Nov 22 2025 Ewoud Kohl van Wijngaarden <ewoud@kohlvanwijngaarden.nl> - 3.18.0-0.3.develop
+- Allow bootstrapping the package
+
 * Thu Nov 20 2025 Evgeni Golov - 3.18.0-0.2.develop
 - Support limiting loaded plugins via FOREMAN_ENABLED_PLUGINS
 
@@ -852,7 +879,7 @@ exit 0
 - Remove Obsoletes entry to fix migration to new ovirt plugin
 
 * Tue Sep 30 2025 Odilon Sousa <osousa@redhat.com> - 3.17.0-0.2.develop
-- Update %generate_buildrequires macro section after the %prep phase
+- Update generate_buildrequires macro section after the prep phase
 
 * Wed Aug 13 2025 Ondřej Gajdušek <ogajduse@redhat.com> - 3.17.0-0.1.develop
 - Bump version to 3.17-develop