diff --git a/man/kernel-install.xml b/man/kernel-install.xml
index bb76074d2e..685617863e 100644
--- a/man/kernel-install.xml
+++ b/man/kernel-install.xml
@@ -180,6 +180,10 @@
     This should be configured as <varname>initrd_generator=</varname> in <filename>install.conf</filename>.
     </para>
 
+    <para><varname>KERNEL_INSTALL_STAGING_AREA=...</varname> is set for plugins to a path to a directory.
+    Plugins may drop files in that directory, and they will be installed as part of the loader entry, based
+    on the file name and extension.</para>
+
     <variablelist>
       <varlistentry>
         <term>bls</term>
diff --git a/src/kernel-install/90-loaderentry.install b/src/kernel-install/90-loaderentry.install
index 6a396910cb..0888c260e2 100644
--- a/src/kernel-install/90-loaderentry.install
+++ b/src/kernel-install/90-loaderentry.install
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 # You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
 # along with systemd; If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
+shopt -s nullglob
+
 COMMAND="$1"
 KERNEL_VERSION="$2"
 ENTRY_DIR_ABS="$3"
@@ -88,7 +90,8 @@ install -g root -o root -m 0644 "$KERNEL_IMAGE" "$ENTRY_DIR_ABS/linux" || {
 }
 
 shift "$INITRD_OPTIONS_SHIFT"
-for initrd; do
+# All files listed as arguments, and staged files called "initrd*" are installed as initrds.
+for initrd in "$@" "${KERNEL_INSTALL_STAGING_AREA}"/initrd*; do
     [ -f "$initrd" ] || {
         echo "Error: initrd '$initrd' not a file." >&2
         exit 1
@@ -114,11 +117,15 @@ mkdir -p "${LOADER_ENTRY%/*}" || {
     echo "machine-id $MACHINE_ID"
     echo "options    $BOOT_OPTIONS"
     echo "linux      $ENTRY_DIR/linux"
-    for initrd; do
+
+    have_initrd=
+    for initrd in "${@}" "${KERNEL_INSTALL_STAGING_AREA}"/initrd*; do
         echo "initrd     $ENTRY_DIR/${initrd##*/}"
+        have_initrd=yes
     done
+
     # Try "initrd", generated by dracut in its kernel-install hook, if no initrds were supplied
-    [ $# -eq 0 ] && [ -f "$ENTRY_DIR_ABS/initrd" ] && echo "initrd     $ENTRY_DIR/initrd"
+    [ -z "$have_initrd" ] && [ -f "$ENTRY_DIR_ABS/initrd" ] && echo "initrd     $ENTRY_DIR/initrd"
     :
 } >"$LOADER_ENTRY" || {
     echo "Error: could not create loader entry '$LOADER_ENTRY'." >&2
diff --git a/src/kernel-install/kernel-install b/src/kernel-install/kernel-install
index a73a205d79..8cfef3208d 100755
--- a/src/kernel-install/kernel-install
+++ b/src/kernel-install/kernel-install
@@ -128,10 +128,20 @@ fi
 
 ENTRY_DIR_ABS="$BOOT_ROOT/$MACHINE_ID/$KERNEL_VERSION"
 
+# Provide a directory where to store generated initrds
+cleanup() {
+    [ -n "$KERNEL_INSTALL_STAGING_AREA" ] && rm -rf "$KERNEL_INSTALL_STAGING_AREA"
+}
+
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+KERNEL_INSTALL_STAGING_AREA="$(mktemp -d -t -p /tmp kernel-install.staging.XXXXXXX)"
+
 export KERNEL_INSTALL_MACHINE_ID="$MACHINE_ID"
 export KERNEL_INSTALL_BOOT_ROOT="$BOOT_ROOT"
 export KERNEL_INSTALL_LAYOUT="$layout"
 export KERNEL_INSTALL_INITRD_GENERATOR="$initrd_generator"
+export KERNEL_INSTALL_STAGING_AREA
 
 [ "$layout" = "bls" ]
 MAKE_ENTRY_DIR_ABS=$?