diff --git a/dev-tools/releng/src/main.rs b/dev-tools/releng/src/main.rs
index b20b7729fb..78efa3bbe6 100644
--- a/dev-tools/releng/src/main.rs
+++ b/dev-tools/releng/src/main.rs
@@ -454,8 +454,12 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
                     artifacts_path.as_str(),
                     "target",
                     "create",
+                    "--preset",
+                    target.as_str(),
                 ])
-                .args(target.target_args())
+                // Note: Do not override the preset here! All release targets
+                // must be configured entirely via the `target.preset` table
+                // in `package-manifest.toml`.
                 .env_remove("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"),
         )
         .after("omicron-package");
@@ -639,22 +643,6 @@ impl Target {
         }
     }
 
-    fn target_args(self) -> &'static [&'static str] {
-        match self {
-            Target::Host => &[
-                "--image",
-                "standard",
-                "--machine",
-                "gimlet",
-                "--switch",
-                "asic",
-                "--rack-topology",
-                "multi-sled",
-            ],
-            Target::Recovery => &["--image", "trampoline"],
-        }
-    }
-
     fn proto_packages(
         self,
     ) -> &'static [(&'static PackageName, InstallMethod)] {