diff --git a/packaging/pkgng b/packaging/pkgng
index 47e66328376..5bf8fb650f0 100644
--- a/packaging/pkgng
+++ b/packaging/pkgng
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ options:
         choices: [ 'yes', 'no' ]
         required: false
         default: no
+    annotation:
+        description:
+            - a comma-separated list of keyvalue-pairs of the form
+              <+/-/:><key>[=<value>]. A '+' denotes adding an annotation, a
+              '-' denotes removing an annotation, and ':' denotes modifying an 
+              annotation.
+              If setting or modifying annotations, a value must be provided.
+        required: false
     pkgsite:
         description:
             - for pkgng versions before 1.1.4, specify packagesite to use
@@ -63,6 +71,9 @@ EXAMPLES = '''
 # Install package foo
 - pkgng: name=foo state=present
 
+# Annotate package foo and bar
+- pkgng: name=foo,bar annotation=+test1=baz,-test2,:test3=foobar
+
 # Remove packages foo and bar 
 - pkgng: name=foo,bar state=absent
 '''
@@ -119,9 +130,9 @@ def remove_packages(module, pkgng_path, packages):
 
     if remove_c > 0:
 
-        module.exit_json(changed=True, msg="removed %s package(s)" % remove_c)
+        return (True, "removed %s package(s)" % remove_c)
 
-    module.exit_json(changed=False, msg="package(s) already absent")
+    return (False, "package(s) already absent")
 
 
 def install_packages(module, pkgng_path, packages, cached, pkgsite):
@@ -159,17 +170,97 @@ def install_packages(module, pkgng_path, packages, cached, pkgsite):
         install_c += 1
     
     if install_c > 0:
-        module.exit_json(changed=True, msg="present %s package(s)" % (install_c))
+        return (True, "added %s package(s)" % (install_c))
 
-    module.exit_json(changed=False, msg="package(s) already present")
+    return (False, "package(s) already present")
 
+def annotation_query(module, pkgng_path, package, tag):
+    rc, out, err = module.run_command("%s info -g -A %s" % (pkgng_path, package))
+    match = re.search(r'^\s*(?P<tag>%s)\s*:\s*(?P<value>\w+)' % tag, out, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+    if match:
+        return match.group('value')
+    return False
+
+
+def annotation_add(module, pkgng_path, package, tag, value):
+    _value = annotation_query(module, pkgng_path, package, tag)
+    if not _value:
+        # Annotation does not exist, add it.
+        rc, out, err = module.run_command('%s annotate -y -A %s %s "%s"'
+            % (pkgng_path, package, tag, value))
+        if rc != 0:
+            module.fail_json("could not annotate %s: %s"
+                % (package, out), stderr=err)
+        return True
+    elif _value != value:
+        # Annotation exists, but value differs
+        module.fail_json(
+            mgs="failed to annotate %s, because %s is already set to %s, but should be set to %s"
+            % (package, tag, _value, value))
+        return False
+    else:
+        # Annotation exists, nothing to do
+        return False
+
+def annotation_delete(module, pkgng_path, package, tag, value):
+    _value = annotation_query(module, pkgng_path, package, tag)
+    if _value:
+        rc, out, err = module.run_command('%s annotate -y -D %s %s'
+            % (pkgng_path, package, tag))
+        if rc != 0:
+            module.fail_json("could not delete annotation to %s: %s"
+                % (package, out), stderr=err)
+        return True
+    return False
+
+def annotation_modify(module, pkgng_path, package, tag, value):
+    _value = annotation_query(module, pkgng_path, package, tag)
+    if not value:
+        # No such tag
+        module.fail_json("could not change annotation to %s: tag %s does not exist"
+            % (package, tag))
+    elif _value == value:
+        # No change in value
+        return False
+    else:
+        rc,out,err = module.run_command('%s annotate -y -M %s %s "%s"'
+            % (pkgng_path, package, tag, value))
+        if rc != 0:
+            module.fail_json("could not change annotation annotation to %s: %s"
+                % (package, out), stderr=err)
+        return True
+
+
+def annotate_packages(module, pkgng_path, packages, annotation):
+    annotate_c = 0
+    annotations = map(lambda _annotation:
+        re.match(r'(?P<operation>[\+-:])(?P<tag>\w+)(=(?P<value>\w+))?',
+            _annotation).groupdict(),
+        re.split(r',', annotation))
+
+    operation = {
+        '+': annotation_add,
+        '-': annotation_delete,
+        ':': annotation_modify
+    }
+
+    for package in packages:
+        for _annotation in annotations:
+            annotate_c += ( 1 if operation[_annotation['operation']](
+                module, pkgng_path, package,
+                _annotation['tag'], _annotation['value']) else 0 )
+
+    if annotate_c > 0:
+        return (True, "added %s annotations." % annotate_c)
+    return (False, "changed no annotations")
 
 def main():
     module = AnsibleModule(
             argument_spec       = dict(
-                state           = dict(default="present", choices=["present","absent"]),
+                state           = dict(default="present", choices=["present","absent"], required=False),
                 name            = dict(aliases=["pkg"], required=True),
                 cached          = dict(default=False, type='bool'),
+                annotation      = dict(default="", required=False),
                 pkgsite         = dict(default="", required=False)),
             supports_check_mode = True)
 
@@ -179,11 +270,27 @@ def main():
 
     pkgs = p["name"].split(",")
 
+    changed = False
+    msgs = []
+
     if p["state"] == "present":
-        install_packages(module, pkgng_path, pkgs, p["cached"], p["pkgsite"])
+        _changed, _msg = install_packages(module, pkgng_path, pkgs, p["cached"], p["pkgsite"])
+        changed = changed or _changed
+        msgs.append(_msg)
 
     elif p["state"] == "absent":
-        remove_packages(module, pkgng_path, pkgs)
+        _changed, _msg = remove_packages(module, pkgng_path, pkgs)
+        changed = changed or _changed
+        msgs.append(_msg)
+
+    if p["annotation"]:
+        _changed, _msg = annotate_packages(module, pkgng_path, pkgs, p["annotation"])
+        changed = changed or _changed
+        msgs.append(_msg)
+
+    module.exit_json(changed=changed, msg=", ".join(msgs))
+
+
 
 # import module snippets
 from ansible.module_utils.basic import *