diff --git a/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md b/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
index e48c98c7..1e8dbfc8 100644
--- a/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
@@ -476,3 +476,11 @@ Bitbake 2.0 for better performance. It also requires isar-sstate script to be
 migrated to zstd.
 Mixing old Gzip-based and new ZStandatd-based sstate cache is not recommended
 and should be avoid for correct compatibility.
+
+### Working with a custom initramfs
+
+The existing `INITRD_IMAGE` variable is defaulted to the empty string and used to
+control if a custom initrd is requrested. Only if this variable is empty, the
+default one is deployed. By that, the variable cannot be used to get the name of
+the images initramfs. Instead, the variable `INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE` is provided which
+always povides the name of the initrd file (also when the default one is used).
diff --git a/meta/classes/image.bbclass b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
index 6277069f..7b3551b0 100644
--- a/meta/classes/image.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ IMAGE_FULLNAME = "${PN}-${DISTRO}-${MACHINE}"
 
 # These variables are used by wic and start_vm
 KERNEL_IMAGE ?= "${IMAGE_FULLNAME}-${KERNEL_FILE}"
-INITRD_IMAGE ?= "${IMAGE_FULLNAME}-initrd.img"
+INITRD_IMAGE ?= ""
+INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE = "${@ d.getVar('INITRD_IMAGE', True) or '${IMAGE_FULLNAME}-initrd.img'}"
 
 # This defines the deployed dtbs for reuse by imagers
 DTB_FILES ?= ""
@@ -353,7 +354,7 @@ EOF
 
 # Default kernel, initrd and dtb image deploy paths (inside imager)
 KERNEL_IMG = "${PP_DEPLOY}/${KERNEL_IMAGE}"
-INITRD_IMG = "${PP_DEPLOY}/${INITRD_IMAGE}"
+INITRD_IMG = "${PP_DEPLOY}/${INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE}"
 # only one dtb file supported, pick the first
 DTB_IMG = "${PP_DEPLOY}/${@(d.getVar('DTB_FILES').split() or [''])[0]}"
 
@@ -370,12 +371,15 @@ do_copy_boot_files() {
         sudo cat "$kernel" > "${DEPLOYDIR}/${KERNEL_IMAGE}"
     fi
 
-    initrd="$(realpath -q '${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/initrd.img')"
-    if [ ! -f "$initrd" ]; then
-        initrd="$(realpath -q '${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/boot/initrd.img')"
-    fi
-    if [ -f "$initrd" ]; then
-        cp -f "$initrd" '${DEPLOYDIR}/${INITRD_IMAGE}'
+    if [ -e "${INITRD_IMAGE}" ]; then
+        # deploy default initrd if no custom one is build
+        initrd="$(realpath -q '${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/initrd.img')"
+        if [ ! -f "$initrd" ]; then
+            initrd="$(realpath -q '${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/boot/initrd.img')"
+        fi
+        if [ -f "$initrd" ]; then
+            cp -f "$initrd" '${DEPLOYDIR}/${INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE}'
+        fi
     fi
 
     for file in ${DTB_FILES}; do
diff --git a/scripts/start_vm b/scripts/start_vm
index 17091d72..8c696a4a 100755
--- a/scripts/start_vm
+++ b/scripts/start_vm
@@ -125,10 +125,10 @@ case "$IMAGE_FSTYPES" in
     readonly ROOTFS_IMAGE=$IMAGE_FULLNAME.ext4
 
     eval $(bitbake -e mc:qemu$ARCH-$DISTRO:isar-image-base | grep "^KERNEL_IMAGE=")
-    eval $(bitbake -e mc:qemu$ARCH-$DISTRO:isar-image-base | grep "^INITRD_IMAGE=")
+    eval $(bitbake -e mc:qemu$ARCH-$DISTRO:isar-image-base | grep "^INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE=")
     QKERNEL=$IMAGE_DIR/${KERNEL_IMAGE}
     QINITRD=/dev/null
-    [ -n "$INITRD_IMAGE" ] && QINITRD=$IMAGE_DIR/${INITRD_IMAGE}
+    [ -n "$INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE" ] && QINITRD=$IMAGE_DIR/${INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE}
     if [ "$ARCH" = "riscv64" ]; then
         EXTRA_ARGS="$EXTRA_ARGS -device loader,file=$QKERNEL,addr=0x80200000"
         QKERNEL="/usr/lib/riscv64-linux-gnu/opensbi/qemu/virt/fw_jump.elf"
diff --git a/testsuite/start_vm.py b/testsuite/start_vm.py
index 82ecc17d..ba1ba127 100755
--- a/testsuite/start_vm.py
+++ b/testsuite/start_vm.py
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ def format_qemu_cmdline(arch, build, distro, out, pid, enforce_pcbios=False):
     if image_type == 'ext4':
         rootfs_image = 'isar-image-base-' + base + '-' + distro + '-qemu' + arch + '.ext4'
         kernel_image = deploy_dir_image + '/' + get_bitbake_var(bb_output, 'KERNEL_IMAGE')
-        initrd_image = get_bitbake_var(bb_output, 'INITRD_IMAGE')
+        initrd_image = get_bitbake_var(bb_output, 'INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE')
 
         if not initrd_image:
             initrd_image = '/dev/null'