diff --git a/droid-hal-device-img-boot.inc b/droid-hal-device-img-boot.inc
index eb87368..7d7e732 100644
--- a/droid-hal-device-img-boot.inc
+++ b/droid-hal-device-img-boot.inc
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 # battery_capacity_file:      Path to read current battery charge from.
 # battery_capacity_threshold: Battery threshold for factory reset [0, 100].
 #                             Default 0 (no threshold).
+# embed_recovery: in case the recovery needs to embedded inside
+#                 the regular initramfs
 #
 # Adding device specific files to initrd folder:
 #
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ Requires: oneshot
 %description
 %{summary}
 
+%if 0%{!?embed_recovery:1}
 %package -n droid-hal-%{device}-img-recovery
 
 Summary:    Recovery boot image for Sailfish OS devices
@@ -111,6 +114,7 @@ Requires:       droid-config-flashing
 
 %description -n droid-hal-%{device}-img-recovery
 %{summary}
+%endif
 
 %prep
 %setup -q -n %{name}-%{version}
@@ -172,16 +176,20 @@ sed --in-place 's|@DISPLAY_BRIGHTNESS@|%{display_brightness}|' %{_local_initrd_d
 sed --in-place 's|@BATTERY_CAPACITY_FILE@|%{battery_capacity_file}|' %{_local_initrd_dir}/etc/sysconfig/recovery
 sed --in-place 's|@BATTERY_CAPACITY_THRESHOLD@|%{battery_capacity_threshold}|' %{_local_initrd_dir}/etc/sysconfig/recovery
 
+sed -e 's/@embed_recovery@/%{?embed_recovery:1}%{!?embed_recovery:0}/g' initrd/jolla-init \
+      %{_local_initrd_dir}/jolla-init
+
 # Create a hybris-boot.img image from the zImage
 pushd %{_local_initrd_dir}
-./mksfosinitrd.sh
+./mksfosinitrd.sh %{?embed_recovery:combined}
 popd
 %{mkbootimg_cmd} hybris-boot.img
-
+%if 0%{!?embed_recovery:1}
 pushd %{_local_initrd_dir}
 ./mksfosinitrd.sh recovery
 popd
 %{mkbootimg_cmd} hybris-recovery.img
+%endif
 
 rm -rf %{_local_build_dir}
 
@@ -190,7 +198,9 @@ rm -rf %{buildroot}
 
 # /boot
 install -D -m 644 hybris-boot.img %{buildroot}/boot/hybris-boot.img
+%if 0%{!?embed_recovery:1}
 install -D -m 644 hybris-recovery.img %{buildroot}/boot/hybris-recovery.img
+%endif
 
 # /lib/modules
 mkdir -p %{buildroot}/lib/modules
@@ -204,9 +214,11 @@ touch %{buildroot}/lib/modules/%{kernelver}/{modules.order,modules.builtin}
 %defattr(644,root,root,-)
 /lib/modules/%{kernelver}
 
+%if 0%{!?embed_recovery:1}
 %files -n droid-hal-%{device}-img-recovery
 %defattr(-,root,root,-)
 /boot/hybris-recovery.img
+%endif
 
 %post
 # When doing install that is done during the image creation thus we don't add
@@ -217,7 +229,9 @@ fi
 
 /sbin/depmod %{kernelver} || :
 
+%if 0%{!?embed_recovery:1}
 %post -n droid-hal-%{device}-img-recovery
 if [ $1 -ne 1 ] ; then
   add-preinit-oneshot /var/lib/platform-updates/flash-recoveryimg.sh
 fi
+%endif
diff --git a/jolla-init b/jolla-init
index 220b751..00b8a65 100755
--- a/jolla-init
+++ b/jolla-init
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@
 
 # IRC: Sage @ #mer & #nemomobile @ Freenode
 
+# disable unneded shellcheck variables:
+# shellcheck disable=SC2050
+# reason: warning isn't relevant as constants get replaced later
+
 # Location of the device init script, if not set, few defaults are tried.
 INITBIN=/sbin/preinit
 
@@ -34,15 +38,25 @@ ROOTMNTDIR="/rootfs"
 # for where to mount the root.
 MNTSCRIPT="/sbin/root-mount"
 
+mkdir -p /proc
+mount -t proc proc /proc
+
 fail()
 {
 	echo "initrd: Failed" > /dev/kmsg
 	echo "initrd: $1" > /dev/kmsg
-	reboot2 recovery
+        if [ @embed_recovery@ = 1 ] ; then
+            exec ./recovery-init
+        else
+	    reboot2 recovery
+        fi
 }
 
-mkdir -p /proc
-mount -t proc proc /proc
+if [ @embed_recovery@ = 1 ] ; then
+    if ! grep -q skip_initramfs /proc/cmdline  ; then
+        exec ./recovery-init
+    fi
+fi
 
 mkdir -p /sys
 mount -t sysfs sys /sys
diff --git a/mksfosinitrd.sh b/mksfosinitrd.sh
index 6c0c830..7d17d03 100755
--- a/mksfosinitrd.sh
+++ b/mksfosinitrd.sh
@@ -52,27 +52,34 @@ chmod 0600 $FIX_FILE_PERMISSIONS
 
 TOOL_LIST="$TOOL_LIST $(cat tools.files 2> /dev/null)"
 
-if test x"$1" = x"recovery"; then
-	TOOL_LIST="$TOOL_LIST $RECOVERY_FILES $(cat recovery.files 2> /dev/null)"
-	DEF_INIT="recovery-init"
+OLD_DIR=$(pwd)
+TMP_DIR=/tmp/sfosinitrd
+
+if [ "$1" = "recovery" ]; then
+    DEF_INIT="recovery-init"
 else
-	# The default init script
-	DEF_INIT="jolla-init"
+    # The default init script
+    DEF_INIT="jolla-init"
+fi
+
+if [ "$1" = "combined" ] || [ "$1" = "recovery" ] ; then
+    TOOL_LIST="$TOOL_LIST $RECOVERY_FILES $(cat recovery.files 2> /dev/null)"
 fi
 
-# Remove duplicates.
-TOOL_LIST="$(echo $TOOL_LIST | sort | uniq)"
 
 set -e
 
-OLD_DIR=$(pwd)
-TMP_DIR=/tmp/sfosinitrd
+rm -rf "$TMP_DIR"
+mkdir "$TMP_DIR"
+
+# Remove duplicates.
+TOOL_LIST="$(echo $TOOL_LIST | sort | uniq)"
 
 check_files()
 {
 	local FILES=$1
 	for f in $FILES; do
-		if test ! -e "$f"; then
+		if [ ! -e "$f" ]; then
 			echo "File \"$f\" does not exist!"
 			echo "Please install required RPM package or add \"$f\" manually"
 			return 1
@@ -83,8 +90,10 @@ check_files()
 
 check_files "$TOOL_LIST" || exit 1
 
-rm -rf "$TMP_DIR"
-mkdir "$TMP_DIR"
+if [ "$1" = "combined" ] ; then
+    cp "$OLD_DIR"/recovery-init "$TMP_DIR"/.
+fi
+
 cd "$TMP_DIR"
 
 # Copy local files to be added to initrd. If you add more, add also to TOOL_LIST.
@@ -94,7 +103,7 @@ mkdir -p etc
 cp -a "$OLD_DIR"/etc/sysconfig etc
 
 # Copy recovery files
-if test x"$1" = x"recovery"; then
+if [ "$1" = "recovery" ] || [ "$1" = "combined" ]; then
 	cp -a "$OLD_DIR"/usr/ "$OLD_DIR"/etc/ -t ./
 fi