diff --git a/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass b/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass
index 3b697cdd..38b5f0e1 100644
--- a/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/imagetypes_wic.bbclass
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ WICVARS += "\
            ROOTFS_SIZE STAGING_DATADIR STAGING_DIR STAGING_LIBDIR TARGET_SYS TRANSLATED_TARGET_ARCH"
 
 # Isar specific vars used in our plugins
-WICVARS += "DISTRO DISTRO_ARCH"
+WICVARS += "DISTRO DISTRO_ARCH KERNEL_FILE"
 
 python do_rootfs_wicenv () {
     wicvars = d.getVar('WICVARS')
diff --git a/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/isarpluginbase.py b/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/isarpluginbase.py
index 99e552e0..76df733d 100644
--- a/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/isarpluginbase.py
+++ b/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/isarpluginbase.py
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@ def isar_populate_boot_cmd(rootfs_dir, hdddir):
     # no not copy symlinks (ubuntu places them here) because targetfs is fat
     return "find %s/boot -type f -exec cp -a {} %s ;" % (rootfs_dir, hdddir)
 
-def isar_get_filenames(rootfs_dir):
+
+def isar_get_filenames(rootfs_dir, kernel_file=None):
     # figure out the real filename in /boot by following debian symlinks
-    for kernel_symlink in ["vmlinuz", "vmlinux" ]:
+    possible_kernel_files = ["vmlinuz", "vmlinux"]
+    if kernel_file:
+        possible_kernel_files.insert(0, kernel_file)
+    for kernel_symlink in possible_kernel_files:
         kernel_file_abs = os.path.join(rootfs_dir, kernel_symlink)
         if os.path.isfile(kernel_file_abs):
             break
diff --git a/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-efi-isar.py b/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-efi-isar.py
index 079b70d6..50f4187d 100644
--- a/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-efi-isar.py
+++ b/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-efi-isar.py
@@ -108,7 +108,9 @@ class BootimgEFIPlugin(SourcePlugin):
             if label:
                 label_conf = "LABEL=%s" % label
 
-            kernel, initrd = isar_get_filenames(get_bitbake_var("IMAGE_ROOTFS"))
+            kernel, initrd = isar_get_filenames(
+                get_bitbake_var("IMAGE_ROOTFS"), get_bitbake_var("KERNEL_FILE")
+            )
             grubefi_conf += "linux /%s %s rootwait %s\n" \
                 % (kernel, label_conf, bootloader.append)
 
@@ -186,7 +188,9 @@ class BootimgEFIPlugin(SourcePlugin):
             title = source_params.get('title')
 
             temp_initrd = initrd
-            kernel, initrd = isar_get_filenames(get_bitbake_var("IMAGE_ROOTFS"))
+            kernel, initrd = isar_get_filenames(
+                get_bitbake_var("IMAGE_ROOTFS"), get_bitbake_var("KERNEL_FILE")
+            )
             if temp_initrd:
                 initrd = temp_initrd
 
diff --git a/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-pcbios-isar.py b/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-pcbios-isar.py
index 43f4bec4..d5040b72 100644
--- a/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-pcbios-isar.py
+++ b/meta/scripts/lib/wic/plugins/source/bootimg-pcbios-isar.py
@@ -134,7 +134,9 @@ class BootimgPcbiosIsarPlugin(SourcePlugin):
 
             kernel = "/vmlinuz"
 
-            kernel, initrd = isar_get_filenames(get_bitbake_var("IMAGE_ROOTFS"))
+            kernel, initrd = isar_get_filenames(
+                get_bitbake_var("IMAGE_ROOTFS"), get_bitbake_var("KERNEL_FILE")
+            )
 
             syslinux_conf += "KERNEL " + kernel + "\n"