diff --git a/configs/qemu_sh4_r2d_defconfig b/configs/qemu_sh4_r2d_defconfig
index 57d55786b9..c7f4ec1de2 100644
--- a/configs/qemu_sh4_r2d_defconfig
+++ b/configs/qemu_sh4_r2d_defconfig
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION=y
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION_VALUE="4.5"
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_USE_CUSTOM_CONFIG=y
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE="board/qemu/sh4-r2d/linux-4.5.config"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_ZIMAGE=y
diff --git a/configs/qemu_sh4eb_r2d_defconfig b/configs/qemu_sh4eb_r2d_defconfig
index d356434f9e..06215c9ae5 100644
--- a/configs/qemu_sh4eb_r2d_defconfig
+++ b/configs/qemu_sh4eb_r2d_defconfig
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION=y
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_VERSION_VALUE="4.5"
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_USE_CUSTOM_CONFIG=y
 BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_CONFIG_FILE="board/qemu/sh4eb-r2d/linux-4.5.config"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_ZIMAGE=y