diff --git a/xCAT-client/bin/genimage b/xCAT-client/bin/genimage
index f3b6abed5..7de6bac5e 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 +390,11 @@ 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 6fe3cff34..4939d195c 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/genimage.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/genimage.pm
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ sub process_request {
    my $permission; #the permission works only for statelite mode currently
    my $krpmver;
    my $interactive;
+   my $onlyinitrd;
    my $tempfile;
 
    GetOptions(
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ sub process_request {
        'kerneldir=s' => \$kerneldir,   
        'permission=s' => \$permission,
        'interactive' => \$interactive,
+       'onlyinitrd' => \$onlyinitrd,
        'tempfile=s' => \$tempfile,
        );
 
@@ -288,6 +290,7 @@ sub process_request {
    if ($permission) { $cmd .= " --permission $permission"; }
    if ($kerneldir) { $cmd .= " --kerneldir $kerneldir"; }
    if ($interactive) { $cmd .= " --interactive" }
+   if ($onlyinitrd) { $cmd .= " --onlyinitrd" }
    
    if ($srcdir) { $cmd .= " --srcdir $srcdir";}
    if ($pkglist) { $cmd .= " --pkglist $pkglist";}
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/genimage
index 327ed22f1..6ff2337c7 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/debian/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, 
 );
 
 if (@ARGV > 0) {
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/fedora12/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/fedora12/genimage
index 02e23a836..335e4137a 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 0cce03a42..09fa0ab7f 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/rh/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/rh/genimage
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ 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;
 }
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'driverupdatesrc=s' => \$driverupdatesrc, #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 6219cd3b4..bcea75bf9 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;
 }
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'driverupdatesrc=s' => \$driverupdatesrc, #internal flag
    'interactive' =>\$prompt, 
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd,
  );
 
 if (@ARGV > 0) {
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/suse/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/suse/genimage
index f6961efff..04f5fa9ae 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/suse/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/suse/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;
 }
@@ -77,7 +78,8 @@ GetOptions(
    'r=s' => \$othernics,
    'l=s' => \$rootlimit,
    't=s' => \$tmplimit,
-   'k=s' => \$kernelver
+   'k=s' => \$kernelver,
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd,
 );
 if (@ARGV > 0) {
     $imagename=$ARGV[0];
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage
index c55749728..069540640 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/ubuntu/genimage
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ 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;
 }
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ GetOptions(
    'postinstall=s' => \$postinstall_filename,  #internal flag
    'rootimgdir=s' => \$destdir,   #internal flag
    'interactive' =>\$prompt, 
+   'onlyinitrd' =>\$onlyinitrd,
 );
 
 if (@ARGV > 0) {