diff --git a/xCAT-client/bin/genimage b/xCAT-client/bin/genimage
index b474f906f..7490431cb 100755
--- a/xCAT-client/bin/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-client/bin/genimage
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ my $krpmver;
 my $kerneldir;
 my $mode;
 my $interactive;
-
+my $onlyinitrd;
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 =head3 print_usage   - usage message
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ sub print_usage
 {
     print "Usage:\n";
     print "    genimage\n\n";
-    print '    genimage  -o <osver> [-a <arch>] -p <profile> -i <nodebootif> -n <nodenetdrivers> [-r <otherifaces>] [-k <kernelver>] [-g <krpmver>] [-m statelite] [-l rootlimitsize] [-t tmplimitsize] [--permission <permission>] [--interactive]'."\n\n";
-    print '    genimage [-o <osver>] [-a <arch>] [-p <profile>] [-i <nodebootif>] [-n <nodenetdrivers>] [-r <otherifaces>] [-k <kernelver>] [-g <krpmver>] [-m statelite] [-l rootlimitsize] [-t tmplimitsize] [--permission <permission>] [--interactive] <imagename>'."\n\n";
+    print '    genimage  -o <osver> [-a <arch>] -p <profile> -i <nodebootif> -n <nodenetdrivers> [--onlyinitrd]  [-r <otherifaces>] [-k <kernelver>] [-g <krpmver>] [-m statelite] [-l rootlimitsize] [-t tmplimitsize] [--permission <permission>] [--interactive]'."\n\n";
+    print '    genimage [-o <osver>] [-a <arch>] [-p <profile>] [-i <nodebootif>] [-n <nodenetdrivers>] [--onlyinitrd]  [-r <otherifaces>] [-k <kernelver>] [-g <krpmver>] [-m statelite] [-l rootlimitsize] [-t tmplimitsize] [--permission <permission>] [--interactive] <imagename>'."\n\n";
     print "      --permission is used for statelite only\n";
     print "      -g is used for SLES only\n\n";
     print "      -m is used for urbuntu, debian and fedora12 only\n\n";
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ sub print_usage
     print "    genimage\n";
     print "    genimage --interactive\n";
     print "    genimage -i eth0 -n tg3 -o sles11 -p compute\n";
+    print "    genimage -i eth0 -n tg3 -o sles11 -p compute --onlyinitrd\n";
     print "    genimage -i eth0 -r eth1,eth2 -n tg3,bnx2 -o centos5.1 -p compute --interactive\n";
     print "    genimage -i eth0 -n tg3,bnx2 -o sles11 -p compute\n";
     print "    genimage -i eth0 -n igb,e1000e,e1000,bnx2,tg3 -o centos5.4 -p nfsroot --permission 777\n";
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ if (!GetOptions(
 	 'permission=s' => \$permission,
 	 'kerneldir=s' => \$kerneldir, 
          'interactive' => \$interactive,  
+	 'onlyinitrd' => \$onlyinitrd,
 	 'h|help' => \$help,
 	 'v|version' => \$version,
 )) {
@@ -388,6 +390,10 @@ if ($interactive) {
     push @arg, "--interactive";
 }
 
+if ($onlyinitrd) {
+    push @arg, "--onlyinitrd";
+}
+
 my $cmdref;
 push (@{$cmdref->{arg}}, @arg);
 $cmdref->{command}->[0] = "genimage";   
diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/genimage.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/genimage.pm
index 5db295fb9..3910c0f03 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/genimage.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/genimage.pm
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ sub process_request {
    my $permission; #the permission works only for statelite mode currently
    my $krpmver;
    my $interactive;
+   my $onlyinitrd;
    my $tempfile;
 
    GetOptions(
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ sub process_request {
        'kerneldir=s' => \$kerneldir,   
        'permission=s' => \$permission,
        'interactive' => \$interactive,
+       'onlyinitrd' => \$onlyinitrd,
        'tempfile=s' => \$tempfile,
        );
 
@@ -285,8 +287,9 @@ sub process_request {
    if ($mode) { $cmd .= " -m $mode";}
    if ($permission) { $cmd .= " --permission $permission"; }
    if ($kerneldir) { $cmd .= " --kerneldir $kerneldir"; }
-   if ($interactive) { $cmd .= " --interactive" }
-   
+   if ($interactive) { $cmd .= " --interactive"; }
+   if ($onlyinitrd) { $cmd .= " --onlyinitrd"; }   
+
    if ($srcdir) { $cmd .= " --srcdir $srcdir";}
    if ($pkglist) { $cmd .= " --pkglist $pkglist";}
    if ($srcdir_otherpkgs) { $cmd .= " --otherpkgdir $srcdir_otherpkgs"; }
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/genimage
index 327ed22f1..e5d59d5d8 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/genimage
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ my $pathtofiles=dirname($0);
 my $fullpath=realpath($pathtofiles);
 my $name = basename($0);
 my $onlyinitrd=0;
+
+#that this method of calling genimage is no longer used
 if ($name =~ /geninitrd/) {
    $onlyinitrd=1;
 }
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'postinstall=s' => \$postinstall_filename,  #internal flag
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'interactive' =>\$prompt, 
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd, 
 );
 
 if (@ARGV > 0) {
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/fedora12/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/fedora12/genimage
index 02e23a836..679a05107 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/fedora12/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/fedora12/genimage
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ my $pathtofiles=dirname($0);
 my $fullpath=realpath($pathtofiles);
 my $name = basename($0);
 my $onlyinitrd=0;
+#that this method of calling genimage is no longer used
 if ($name =~ /geninitrd/) {
    $onlyinitrd=1;
 }
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'postinstall=s' => \$postinstall_filename,  #internal flag
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'interactive' =>\$prompt, 
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd,
 );
 
 if (@ARGV > 0) {
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/rh/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/rh/genimage
index 3e40ab7c8..8eb9b72ab 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/rh/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/rh/genimage
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ my $pathtofiles=dirname($0);
 my $fullpath=realpath($pathtofiles);
 my $name = basename($0);
 my $onlyinitrd=0;
+#that this method of calling genimage is no longer used
 if ($name =~ /geninitrd/) {
    $onlyinitrd=1;
 }
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'postinstall=s' => \$postinstall_filename,  #internal flag
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'interactive' =>\$prompt, 
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd, 
 );
 
 if (@ARGV > 0) {
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/sles/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/sles/genimage
index c09a8d249..7d76d6371 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/sles/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/sles/genimage
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ my $pathtofiles=dirname($0);
 my $fullpath=realpath($pathtofiles);
 my $name = basename($0);
 my $onlyinitrd=0;
+#that this method of calling genimage is no longer used
 if ($name =~ /geninitrd/) {
    $onlyinitrd=1;
 }
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'postinstall=s' => \$postinstall_filename,  #internal flag
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'interactive' =>\$prompt, 
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd,
  );
 
 if (@ARGV > 0) {
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage
index 99d1c34e1..5bdb6b572 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ my $pathtofiles=dirname($0);
 my $fullpath=realpath($pathtofiles);
 my $name = basename($0);
 my $onlyinitrd=0;
+#that this method of calling genimage is no longer used
 if ($name =~ /geninitrd/) {
    $onlyinitrd=1;
 }
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'postinstall=s' => \$postinstall_filename,  #internal flag
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'interactive' =>\$prompt, 
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd,
 );