diff --git a/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md b/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
index 1826667a..1a5eba31 100644
--- a/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/RECIPE-API-CHANGELOG.md
@@ -797,3 +797,17 @@ root file modifications) are required.
 A new class called `opensbi` has been introduced that shall help writing
 shorter recipes for custom OpenSBI builds. Usage examples can be found in
 `meta-isar/recipes/bsp/opensbi`.
+
+### Rework `no-generate-initrd` rootfs feature
+
+This negative feature is being replaced with a positive one:
+`generate-initrd`. The default behavior remains unchanged, as `generate-initrd`
+is now a default rootfs feature. Disabling initrd creation can be done in the
+following way:
+```
+ROOTFS_FEATURE:remove = "generate-initrd"
+```
+instead of
+```
+ROOTFS_FEATURE += "no-generate-initrd"
+```
diff --git a/meta/classes/image.bbclass b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
index 441ea936..b58711d0 100644
--- a/meta/classes/image.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/image.bbclass
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ IMAGE_FULLNAME = "${PN}-${DISTRO}-${MACHINE}"
 
 # These variables are used by wic and start_vm
 KERNEL_IMAGE ?= "${IMAGE_FULLNAME}-${KERNEL_FILE}"
-INITRD_IMAGE ?= ""
 INITRD_DEPLOY_FILE = "${@ d.getVar('INITRD_IMAGE') or '${IMAGE_FULLNAME}-initrd.img'}"
 
 # This defines the deployed dtbs for reuse by imagers
@@ -67,8 +66,6 @@ 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 ?= "${DEPLOY_DIR_IMAGE}"
diff --git a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
index 2fef3120..32d49146 100644
--- a/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/rootfs.bbclass
@@ -8,14 +8,16 @@ ROOTFS_DISTRO ?= "${DISTRO}"
 ROOTFS_PACKAGES ?= ""
 ROOTFS_BASE_DISTRO ?= "${BASE_DISTRO}"
 
+INITRD_IMAGE ?= ""
+
 # Features of the rootfs creation:
 # available features are:
 # 'clean-package-cache' - delete package cache from rootfs
 # 'generate-manifest' - generate a package manifest of the rootfs into ${ROOTFS_MANIFEST_DEPLOY_DIR}
 # 'export-dpkg-status' - exports /var/lib/dpkg/status file to ${ROOTFS_DPKGSTATUS_DEPLOY_DIR}
 # 'clean-log-files' - delete log files that are not owned by packages
-# 'no-generate-initrd' - do not generate debian default initrd
-ROOTFS_FEATURES ?= ""
+# 'generate-initrd' - generate debian default initrd
+ROOTFS_FEATURES += "${@ 'generate-initrd' if d.getVar('INITRD_IMAGE') == '' else ''}"
 
 ROOTFS_APT_ARGS="install --yes -o Debug::pkgProblemResolver=yes"
 
@@ -349,7 +351,7 @@ rootfs_restore_initrd_tooling() {
 EOSUDO
 }
 
-ROOTFS_INSTALL_COMMAND += "${@bb.utils.contains('ROOTFS_FEATURES', 'no-generate-initrd', 'rootfs_clear_initrd_symlinks', '', d)}"
+ROOTFS_INSTALL_COMMAND += "${@bb.utils.contains('ROOTFS_FEATURES', 'generate-initrd', '', 'rootfs_clear_initrd_symlinks', d)}"
 rootfs_clear_initrd_symlinks() {
     sudo rm -f ${ROOTFSDIR}/initrd.img
     sudo rm -f ${ROOTFSDIR}/initrd.img.old
@@ -594,7 +596,7 @@ rootfs_generate_initramfs() {
 }
 
 python() {
-    if 'no-generate-initrd' not in d.getVar('ROOTFS_FEATURES', True).split():
+    if 'generate-initrd' in d.getVar('ROOTFS_FEATURES', True).split():
         bb.build.addtask('do_generate_initramfs', 'do_rootfs', 'do_rootfs_postprocess', d)
         bb.build.addtask('do_generate_initramfs_setscene', None, None, d)
 }
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc b/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc
index 479aa91d..61d37760 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/sbuild-chroot/sbuild-chroot.inc
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ SBUILD_CHROOT_PREINSTALL_COMMON = " \
 SBUILD_CHROOT_DIR = "${WORKDIR}/rootfs"
 ROOTFSDIR = "${SBUILD_CHROOT_DIR}"
 ROOTFS_PACKAGES = "${SBUILD_CHROOT_PREINSTALL}"
-ROOTFS_FEATURES += "no-generate-initrd"
+ROOTFS_FEATURES:remove = "generate-initrd"
 
 ROOTFS_INSTALL_COMMAND:remove = "rootfs_restore_initrd_tooling"