diff --git a/include/package-defaults.mk b/include/package-defaults.mk
index a0f859c6e3f0d8680c6a00e4c0569f4a13bd385c..0505a43c4fdc4a508891121c30aea25d7498d6db 100644
--- a/include/package-defaults.mk
+++ b/include/package-defaults.mk
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ define Package/Default
   else
     PKGARCH:=$(BOARD)
   endif
-  PRIORITY:=optional
   DEFAULT:=
   MENU:=
   SUBMENU:=
diff --git a/include/package-ipkg.mk b/include/package-ipkg.mk
index 5de51ebb58fad98365beb868f529f21d530d3a39..b4b83fea5c0b8cb2438f048909a210192dd6d5e8 100644
--- a/include/package-ipkg.mk
+++ b/include/package-ipkg.mk
@@ -146,18 +146,17 @@ ifeq ($(DUMP),)
 		for depend in $$(filter-out @%,$$(IDEPEND_$(1))); do \
 			DEPENDS=$$$${DEPENDS:+$$$$DEPENDS, }$$$${depend##+}; \
 		done; \
-		echo "Depends: $$$$DEPENDS"; \
-		echo "Provides: $(PROVIDES)"; \
+		[ -z "$$$$DEPENDS" ] || echo "Depends: $$$$DEPENDS"; \
+		$(if $(PROVIDES), echo "Provides: $(PROVIDES)"; ) \
 		echo "Source: $(SOURCE)"; \
-		echo "SourceFile: $(PKG_SOURCE)"; \
-		echo "SourceURL: $(PKG_SOURCE_URL)"; \
-		echo "License: $(PKG_LICENSE)"; \
-		echo "LicenseFiles: $(PKG_LICENSE_FILES)"; \
+		$(if $(PKG_SOURCE), echo "SourceFile: $(PKG_SOURCE)"; ) \
+		$(if $(PKG_SOURCE_URL), echo "SourceURL: $(PKG_SOURCE_URL)"; ) \
+		$(if $(PKG_LICENSE), echo "License: $(PKG_LICENSE)"; ) \
+		$(if $(PKG_LICENSE_FILES), echo "LicenseFiles: $(PKG_LICENSE_FILES)"; ) \
 		echo "Section: $(SECTION)"; \
-		echo "Status: unknown $(if $(filter hold,$(PKG_FLAGS)),hold,ok) not-installed"; \
-		echo "Essential: $(if $(filter essential,$(PKG_FLAGS)),yes,no)"; \
-		echo "Priority: $(PRIORITY)"; \
-		echo "Maintainer: $(MAINTAINER)"; \
+		$(if $(filter hold,$(PKG_FLAGS)),echo "Status: unknown hold not-installed"; ) \
+		$(if $(filter essential,$(PKG_FLAGS)), echo "Essential: yes"; ) \
+		$(if $(MAINTAINER),echo "Maintainer: $(MAINTAINER)"; ) \
 		echo "Architecture: $(PKGARCH)"; \
 		echo "Installed-Size: 0"; \
 		echo -n "Description: "; $(SH_FUNC) getvar $(call shvar,Package/$(1)/description) | sed -e 's,^[[:space:]]*, ,g'; \
diff --git a/include/package.mk b/include/package.mk
index c1fe088eced81acaa6769a64317d1f373770b475..99d2dd270ed3568e1c9368f11f30455552de979d 100644
--- a/include/package.mk
+++ b/include/package.mk
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ define Package/$(1)/description
 endef
 endif
 
-  $(foreach FIELD, TITLE CATEGORY PRIORITY SECTION VERSION,
+  $(foreach FIELD, TITLE CATEGORY SECTION VERSION,
     ifeq ($($(FIELD)),)
       $$(error Package/$(1) is missing the $(FIELD) field)
     endif