diff --git a/meta/classes/image.bbclass b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
index b537dfa9..513d7389 100644
--- a/meta/classes/image.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ inherit essential
 
 ROOTFSDIR = "${IMAGE_ROOTFS}"
 ROOTFS_FEATURES += "clean-package-cache clean-pycache generate-manifest export-dpkg-status clean-log-files clean-debconf-cache"
+# when using a custom initrd, do not generate one as part of the image rootfs
+ROOTFS_FEATURES += "${@ '' if d.getVar('INITRD_IMAGE') == '' else 'no-generate-initrd'}"
 ROOTFS_PACKAGES += "${IMAGE_PREINSTALL} ${@isar_multiarch_packages('IMAGE_INSTALL', d)}"
 ROOTFS_MANIFEST_DEPLOY_DIR ?= "${DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE}"
 ROOTFS_DPKGSTATUS_DEPLOY_DIR ?= "${DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE}"
@@ -475,6 +477,8 @@ do_rootfs_quality_check() {
     args="${ROOTFS_QA_FIND_ARGS}"
     # rootfs_finalize chroot-setup.sh
     args="${args} ! -path ${ROOTFSDIR}/var/lib/dpkg/diversions"
+    # initramfs is generated outside of the image rootfs
+    args="${args} ! -path ${ROOTFSDIR}/boot/initrd.img*"
     for cmd in ${ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND}; do
         case "${cmd}" in
 	    image_postprocess_mark)
diff --git a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
index 498fbfd6..fb14f3ca 100644
--- a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ ROOTFS_BASE_DISTRO ?= "${BASE_DISTRO}"
 # 'generate-manifest' - generate a package manifest of the rootfs into ${ROOTFS_MANIFEST_DEPLOY_DIR}
 # 'export-dpkg-status' - exports /var/lib/dpkg/status file to ${ROOTFS_DPKGSTATUS_DEPLOY_DIR}
 # 'clean-log-files' - delete log files that are not owned by packages
+# 'no-generate-initrd' - do not generate debian default initrd
 ROOTFS_FEATURES ?= ""
 
 ROOTFS_APT_ARGS="install --yes -o Debug::pkgProblemResolver=yes"
@@ -117,6 +118,16 @@ rootfs_configure_apt() {
 EOSUDO
 }
 
+ROOTFS_CONFIGURE_COMMAND += "rootfs_disable_initrd_generation"
+rootfs_disable_initrd_generation[weight] = "1"
+rootfs_disable_initrd_generation() {
+    # fully disable initrd generation
+    echo "replace update-initramfs with stub"
+    sudo mv "${ROOTFSDIR}/usr/sbin/update-initramfs" \
+            "${ROOTFSDIR}/usr/sbin/update-initramfs.isar"
+    sudo chroot "${ROOTFSDIR}" ln -s "/usr/bin/true" "/usr/sbin/update-initramfs"
+}
+
 
 ROOTFS_INSTALL_COMMAND += "rootfs_install_pkgs_update"
 rootfs_install_pkgs_update[weight] = "5"
@@ -318,6 +329,27 @@ rootfs_cleanup_base_apt() {
 EOSUDO
 }
 
+ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND += "rootfs_restore_initrd_tooling"
+rootfs_restore_initrd_tooling[weight] = "1"
+rootfs_restore_initrd_tooling() {
+    if [ -e "${ROOTFSDIR}/usr/sbin/update-initramfs.isar" ]; then
+        sudo mv -f "${ROOTFSDIR}/usr/sbin/update-initramfs.isar" \
+            "${ROOTFSDIR}/usr/sbin/update-initramfs"
+    fi
+}
+
+ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND += "${@bb.utils.contains('ROOTFS_FEATURES', 'no-generate-initrd', '', 'rootfs_generate_initrd', d)}"
+rootfs_generate_initrd[weight] = "10"
+rootfs_generate_initrd() {
+    if [ -n "$(sudo find '${ROOTFSDIR}/boot' -type f -name 'vmlinu[xz]*')" ]; then
+        sudo -E chroot "${ROOTFSDIR}" sh -c '\
+            export kernel_version=$(basename /boot/vmlinu[xz]* | cut -d'-' -f2-); \
+            update-initramfs -u -v -k "$kernel_version";'
+    else
+        echo "no kernel in this rootfs, do not generate initrd"
+    fi
+}
+
 do_rootfs_postprocess[vardeps] = "${ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND}"
 do_rootfs_postprocess[network] = "${TASK_USE_SUDO}"
 python do_rootfs_postprocess() {
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
index 17f19fd8..f548e202 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/isar-bootstrap/isar-bootstrap.inc
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_KEYFILES = ""
 THIRD_PARTY_APT_KEYFILES = ""
 DEPLOY_ISAR_BOOTSTRAP ?= ""
 DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_BASE_PACKAGES = "locales"
+# install early, so we can stub the update-initramfs script before rootfs install
+DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_BASE_PACKAGES:append = ",initramfs-tools"
 DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_BASE_PACKAGES:append:gnupg = ",gnupg"
 DISTRO_BOOTSTRAP_BASE_PACKAGES:append:https-support = ",ca-certificates"
 DISTRO_VARS_PREFIX ?= "${@'HOST_' if bb.utils.to_boolean(d.getVar('BOOTSTRAP_FOR_HOST')) else ''}"