diff --git a/board/raspberrypi/genimage-raspberrypi3-64.cfg b/board/raspberrypi/genimage-raspberrypi3-64.cfg
index 0d0ca750a7..af1d17cde7 100644
--- a/board/raspberrypi/genimage-raspberrypi3-64.cfg
+++ b/board/raspberrypi/genimage-raspberrypi3-64.cfg
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ image boot.vfat {
       "rpi-firmware/config.txt",
       "rpi-firmware/fixup.dat",
       "rpi-firmware/start.elf",
+      "rpi-firmware/overlays",
       "Image"
     }
   }
diff --git a/package/rpi-firmware/rpi-firmware.mk b/package/rpi-firmware/rpi-firmware.mk
index e41b3442e6..630bc670ca 100644
--- a/package/rpi-firmware/rpi-firmware.mk
+++ b/package/rpi-firmware/rpi-firmware.mk
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ define RPI_FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DTB_OVERLAYS
 		$(INSTALL) -D -m 0644 $${ovldtb} $(BINARIES_DIR)/rpi-firmware/overlays/$${ovldtb##*/} || exit 1; \
 	done
 endef
+else
+# Still create the directory, so a genimage.cfg can include it independently of
+# whether _INSTALL_DTB_OVERLAYS is selected or not.
+define RPI_FIRMWARE_INSTALL_DTB_OVERLAYS
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(BINARIES_DIR)/rpi-firmware/overlays
+endef
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_RPI_FIRMWARE_INSTALL_VCDBG),y)