diff --git a/script/generate-packages-json.py b/script/generate-packages-json.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea663df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/script/generate-packages-json.py
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Parse RPM repodata and emit a packages.json manifest for the UI."""
+
+import argparse
+import gzip
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+
+RPM_NS = "http://linux.duke.edu/metadata/common"
+OTHER_NS = "http://linux.duke.edu/metadata/other"
+REPO_NS = "http://linux.duke.edu/metadata/repo"
+
+
+def find_repodata_file(repodata_dir, data_type):
+    """Read repomd.xml and return the path to a specific data type's file."""
+    repomd_path = os.path.join(repodata_dir, "repomd.xml")
+    tree = ET.parse(repomd_path)
+    root = tree.getroot()
+
+    for data in root.findall(f"{{{REPO_NS}}}data"):
+        if data.get("type") == data_type:
+            location = data.find(f"{{{REPO_NS}}}location")
+            if location is not None:
+                href = location.get("href", "")
+                return os.path.join(os.path.dirname(repodata_dir), href)
+
+    return None
+
+
+def open_compressed(path):
+    """Open a gzip or zstd compressed file for reading."""
+    if path.endswith(".zst"):
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["zstdcat", path], capture_output=True, check=True
+        )
+        import io
+        return io.BytesIO(result.stdout)
+    else:
+        return gzip.open(path, "rb")
+
+
+def parse_primary(repodata_dir):
+    """Parse primary.xml.{gz,zst} and return package metadata."""
+    path = find_repodata_file(repodata_dir, "primary")
+    if not path:
+        print("error: primary metadata not found in repomd.xml", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    packages = {}
+    with open_compressed(path) as f:
+        tree = ET.parse(f)
+
+    for pkg in tree.getroot().findall(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}package"):
+        if pkg.get("type") != "rpm":
+            continue
+
+        name = pkg.findtext(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}name", "")
+        version_el = pkg.find(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}version")
+        ver = version_el.get("ver", "") if version_el is not None else ""
+        rel = version_el.get("rel", "") if version_el is not None else ""
+        arch = pkg.findtext(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}arch", "")
+
+        size_el = pkg.find(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}size")
+        size = int(size_el.get("package", "0")) if size_el is not None else 0
+
+        time_el = pkg.find(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}time")
+        build_time = int(time_el.get("build", "0")) if time_el is not None else 0
+
+        location_el = pkg.find(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}location")
+        filename = os.path.basename(location_el.get("href", "")) if location_el is not None else ""
+
+        key = f"{name}-{ver}-{rel}"
+        packages[key] = {
+            "name": name,
+            "version": ver,
+            "release": rel,
+            "arch": arch,
+            "summary": pkg.findtext(f"{{{RPM_NS}}}summary", ""),
+            "size": size,
+            "buildTime": build_time,
+            "rpmFilename": filename,
+            "changelog": [],
+        }
+
+    return packages
+
+
+def parse_other(repodata_dir, packages):
+    """Parse other.xml.gz and attach changelog entries to packages."""
+    path = find_repodata_file(repodata_dir, "other")
+    if not path:
+        return
+
+    with open_compressed(path) as f:
+        tree = ET.parse(f)
+
+    for pkg in tree.getroot().findall(f"{{{OTHER_NS}}}package"):
+        name = pkg.get("name", "")
+        version_el = pkg.find(f"{{{OTHER_NS}}}version")
+        ver = version_el.get("ver", "") if version_el is not None else ""
+        rel = version_el.get("rel", "") if version_el is not None else ""
+        key = f"{name}-{ver}-{rel}"
+
+        if key not in packages:
+            continue
+
+        for entry in pkg.findall(f"{{{OTHER_NS}}}changelog"):
+            packages[key]["changelog"].append({
+                "author": entry.get("author", ""),
+                "date": int(entry.get("date", "0")),
+                "text": (entry.text or "").strip(),
+            })
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--repodata-dir",
+        required=True,
+        help="path to the repodata/ directory",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--output",
+        required=True,
+        help="path to write packages.json",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--base-url",
+        required=True,
+        help="public base URL for the repo (e.g. https://rpm.lair.cafe/fedora/43/x86_64)",
+    )
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    packages = parse_primary(args.repodata_dir)
+    parse_other(args.repodata_dir, packages)
+
+    manifest = {
+        "generated": datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat(),
+        "baseUrl": args.base_url,
+        "packages": list(packages.values()),
+    }
+
+    with open(args.output, "w") as f:
+        json.dump(manifest, f, indent=2)
+
+    print(f"wrote {len(packages)} packages to {args.output}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()