diff --git a/config/options b/config/options
index 9d66bb0d68..229f674294 100644
--- a/config/options
+++ b/config/options
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ PROJECT_DIR="$ROOT/projects"
    . $PROJECT_DIR/$PROJECT/devices/$DEVICE/options
  fi
 
+# projects can set KERNEL_NAME (kernel.img)
+[ -z "$KERNEL_NAME" ] && KERNEL_NAME="KERNEL"
+
 LINUX_DEPENDS="$PROJECT_DIR/$PROJECT/linux $PROJECT_DIR/$PROJECT/patches/linux $ROOT/packages/linux"
 [ -n "$DEVICE" ] && LINUX_DEPENDS+=" $PROJECT_DIR/$PROJECT/devices/$DEVICE/linux $PROJECT_DIR/$PROJECT/devices/$DEVICE/patches/linux"
 [ "$TARGET_ARCH" = "x86_64" ] && LINUX_DEPENDS+=" $ROOT/packages/linux-firmware/intel-ucode $ROOT/packages/linux-firmware/kernel-firmware"
diff --git a/packages/sysutils/busybox/scripts/init b/packages/sysutils/busybox/scripts/init
index 5659f4f20c..c8a26afb68 100755
--- a/packages/sysutils/busybox/scripts/init
+++ b/packages/sysutils/busybox/scripts/init
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 
   UPDATE_KERNEL="KERNEL"
   UPDATE_SYSTEM="SYSTEM"
-  IMAGE_KERNEL="KERNEL"
+  IMAGE_KERNEL="@KERNEL_NAME@"
   IMAGE_SYSTEM="SYSTEM"
 
   BOOT_STEP="start"
@@ -914,11 +914,7 @@
       # don't make temporary files but instead copy
       # directly from mountpoint to /flash
       UPDATE_DIR=$UPDATE_ROOT/.tmp/mnt
-      if [ ! -b $IMAGE_KERNEL -o -z "@KERNEL_NAME@" ]; then
-        UPDATE_KERNEL=$(basename $IMAGE_KERNEL)
-      else
-        UPDATE_KERNEL="@KERNEL_NAME@"
-      fi
+      UPDATE_KERNEL="@KERNEL_NAME@"
     else
       UPDATE_FILENAME="$UPDATE_DIR/$UPDATE_SYSTEM"
     fi
diff --git a/projects/RPi/devices/RPi/linux/linux.arm.conf b/projects/RPi/devices/RPi/linux/linux.arm.conf
index d92669dfa5..b068dd5883 100644
--- a/projects/RPi/devices/RPi/linux/linux.arm.conf
+++ b/projects/RPi/devices/RPi/linux/linux.arm.conf
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ CONFIG_ATAGS=y
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_TEXT=0x0
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_BSS=0x0
 # CONFIG_ARM_APPENDED_DTB is not set
-CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init BOOT_IMAGE=/kernel.img usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
+CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
 CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
diff --git a/projects/RPi/devices/RPi2/linux/linux.arm.conf b/projects/RPi/devices/RPi2/linux/linux.arm.conf
index 3c6bd4659f..31f295f233 100644
--- a/projects/RPi/devices/RPi2/linux/linux.arm.conf
+++ b/projects/RPi/devices/RPi2/linux/linux.arm.conf
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ CONFIG_ATAGS=y
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_TEXT=0x0
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_BSS=0x0
 # CONFIG_ARM_APPENDED_DTB is not set
-CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init BOOT_IMAGE=/kernel.img usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
+CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
 CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
diff --git a/projects/Rockchip/devices/MiQi/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf b/projects/Rockchip/devices/MiQi/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf
index 3893452633..47854b1df8 100644
--- a/projects/Rockchip/devices/MiQi/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf
+++ b/projects/Rockchip/devices/MiQi/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ CONFIG_ATAGS=y
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_TEXT=0x0
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_BSS=0x0
 # CONFIG_ARM_APPENDED_DTB is not set
-CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init BOOT_IMAGE=/zImage usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
+CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
 CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
diff --git a/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3328/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf b/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3328/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf
index bf7917d79b..adb9c5dac9 100644
--- a/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3328/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf
+++ b/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3328/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ CONFIG_ARM64_MODULE_CMODEL_LARGE=y
 #
 # Boot options
 #
-CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init BOOT_IMAGE=/Image usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
+CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
 CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
diff --git a/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3399/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf b/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3399/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf
index 99a13dbe0a..f86ccff892 100644
--- a/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3399/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf
+++ b/projects/Rockchip/devices/RK3399/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.aarch64.conf
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ CONFIG_ARM64_MODULE_CMODEL_LARGE=y
 #
 # Boot options
 #
-CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init BOOT_IMAGE=/Image usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
+CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
 CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
diff --git a/projects/Rockchip/devices/TinkerBoard/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf b/projects/Rockchip/devices/TinkerBoard/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf
index 4bd2169da8..8dbf7b314e 100644
--- a/projects/Rockchip/devices/TinkerBoard/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf
+++ b/projects/Rockchip/devices/TinkerBoard/linux/rockchip-4.4/linux.arm.conf
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ CONFIG_ATAGS=y
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_TEXT=0x0
 CONFIG_ZBOOT_ROM_BSS=0x0
 # CONFIG_ARM_APPENDED_DTB is not set
-CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init BOOT_IMAGE=/zImage usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
+CONFIG_CMDLINE="root=/dev/ram0 rdinit=/init usbcore.autosuspend=-1"
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FROM_BOOTLOADER is not set
 CONFIG_CMDLINE_EXTEND=y
 # CONFIG_CMDLINE_FORCE is not set
diff --git a/scripts/image b/scripts/image
index e52bdaf24b..4ef7fe892d 100755
--- a/scripts/image
+++ b/scripts/image
@@ -326,11 +326,6 @@ if [ "$1" = "release" -o "$1" = "mkimage" -o "$1" = "amlpkg" -o "$1" = "noobs" ]
 
   # create image files if requested
   if [[ ( "$1" = "amlpkg" || "$1" = "noobs" || "$1" = "mkimage" ) && -n "$BOOTLOADER" ]]; then
-    # projects can set KERNEL_NAME (kernel.img)
-    if [ -z "$KERNEL_NAME" ] ; then
-      KERNEL_NAME="KERNEL"
-    fi
-
     # INSTALL_SRC_DIR can be board specific
     if [ -n "$DEVICE" -a -d "$PROJECT_DIR/$PROJECT/devices/$DEVICE/install" ]; then
       INSTALL_SRC_DIR="$PROJECT_DIR/$PROJECT/devices/$DEVICE/install"