--- a/src/client.py	Thu Mar 24 09:01:53 2011 +0000
+++ b/src/client.py	Thu Mar 24 11:06:45 2011 -0700
@@ -3120,6 +3120,7 @@
         updated = []
         failed = []
 
+        last_pub = None
         for src_pub in pubs:
                 prefix = src_pub.prefix
                 if name and prefix != name:
@@ -3148,6 +3149,15 @@
                             unset_props=unset_props)
                         if rval == EXIT_OK:
                                 added.append(prefix)
+
+                        if preferred:
+                                if not last_pub:
+                                        api_inst.set_preferred_publisher(
+                                            prefix=prefix)
+                                else:
+                                        api_inst.set_pub_search_after(prefix,
+                                            last_pub)
+                                        last_pub = prefix
                 else:
                         # The update case is special and requires some
                         # finesse.  In particular, the update should

--- a/src/man/pkg.1.txt	Thu Mar 24 09:01:53 2011 +0000
+++ b/src/man/pkg.1.txt	Thu Mar 24 11:06:45 2011 -0700
@@ -765,7 +765,8 @@
           new packages, this publisher will be searched first.
           Updates to already installed packages will come from the
           same publisher that originally provided the package so long
-          as that publisher remains sticky.
+          as that publisher remains sticky.  When used with -p, only new
+          publishers added will be placed first in search order.
 
           With --non-sticky, specify that higher ranked publishers than
           this one may provide updates to packages originally installed
@@ -776,11 +777,13 @@
 
           With --search-before, alter the publisher search order so that
           the publisher being modified is now searched before the specified
-          publisher.
+          publisher.  When used with -p, it is only applied to new
+          publishers.
 
           With --search-after, alter the publisher search order so that
           the publisher being modified is now searched after the specified
-          publisher.
+          publisher.  When used with -p, it is only applied to new
+          publishers.
 
           With --approve-ca-cert, add the given certificate as a CA certificate
           that is trusted.  The hashes of the user approved CA certificates are

--- a/src/tests/cli/t_pkg_publisher.py	Thu Mar 24 09:01:53 2011 +0000
+++ b/src/tests/cli/t_pkg_publisher.py	Thu Mar 24 11:06:45 2011 -0700
@@ -677,8 +677,30 @@
                     self.dcs[6].get_repodir())
                 self.pkg("unset-publisher test3")
                 self.dcs[6].refresh()
-                self.pkg("set-publisher -p %s" % durl6)
-                self.pkg("publisher test3 test2")
+                self.pkg("set-publisher -P -p %s" % durl6)
+
+                # Determine publisher order from output and then verify it
+                # matches expected.
+                def get_pubs():
+                        self.pkg("publisher -HF tsv")
+                        pubs = []
+                        for l in self.output.splitlines():
+                                pub, ignored = l.split("\t", 1)
+                                if pub not in pubs:
+                                        pubs.append(pub)
+                        return pubs
+
+                # Since -P was used, new publishers should be set first in
+                # search order alphabetically.
+                self.assertEqual(get_pubs(), ["test2", "test3", "test1"])
+
+                # Now change search order and verify that using -P and -p again
+                # won't change it since publishers already exist.
+                self.pkg("set-publisher --search-after=test1 test2")
+                self.pkg("set-publisher --search-after=test2 test3")
+                self.assertEqual(get_pubs(), ["test1", "test2", "test3"])
+                self.pkg("set-publisher -P -p %s" % durl6)
+                self.assertEqual(get_pubs(), ["test1", "test2", "test3"])
 
         def test_set_mirrors_origins(self):
                 """Test set-publisher functionality for mirrors and origins."""