diff --git a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
index 16c6c4208..a0cdfec1e 100755
--- a/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
+++ b/debian/bin/gencontrol.py
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ class Gencontrol(Base):
 
         if config_entry_image.get('initramfs', True):
             generators = config_entry_image['initramfs-generators']
+            config_entry_commands_initramfs = self.config.merge('commands-image-initramfs-generators', arch, featureset, flavour)
+            commands = [config_entry_commands_initramfs[i] for i in generators if config_entry_commands_initramfs.has_key(i)]
+            makeflags['INITRD_CMD'] = ' '.join(commands)
             l = PackageRelationGroup()
             for i in generators:
                 i = config_entry_relations.get(i, i)
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index c1da645ad..f191f7873 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 linux-2.6 (2.6.38~rc7-1~experimental.1) experimental; urgency=low
 
-  [ Ben Hutchings ]
-  * postinst: Remove specific support for running a ramdisk creator;
-    warn users that specify one in /etc/kernel-img.conf
-  * Require initramfs-tools >= 0.94, which installs a postinst hook
-
   [ maximilian attems ]
   * New upstream release candidate
   * x86: Set DRM_I915_KMS on request by xorg team.
diff --git a/debian/config/defines b/debian/config/defines
index 7d9c8089d..b739b9df7 100644
--- a/debian/config/defines
+++ b/debian/config/defines
@@ -41,13 +41,16 @@ part-long-xen: This kernel also runs on a Xen hypervisor.
 initramfs-generators: initramfs-tools initramfs-fallback
 type: plain
 
+[commands-image-initramfs-generators]
+initramfs-tools: update-initramfs
+
 [relations]
 # compilers
 gcc-4.4: gcc-4.4
 
 # initramfs-generators
 initramfs-fallback: linux-initramfs-tool
-initramfs-tools: initramfs-tools (>= 0.94)
+initramfs-tools: initramfs-tools (>= 0.55)
 
 # bootloaders
 elilo: elilo (>= 3.12-3.1~)
diff --git a/debian/rules.real b/debian/rules.real
index 3a418e9cd..cb33113ce 100644
--- a/debian/rules.real
+++ b/debian/rules.real
@@ -414,6 +414,7 @@ install-image_$(ARCH)_$(FEATURESET)_$(FLAVOUR)_plain_templates:
 	    -e 's@=B@$(KERNEL_ARCH)@g' \
 	    -e 's/=I/$(ARG_INITRD)/g' \
 	    -e 's/=K/$(ARG_KIMAGE)/g' \
+	    -e 's@=MK@$(INITRD_CMD)@g' \
 	    -e 's/=V/$(REAL_VERSION)/g' \
 	    $$i > debian/$(PACKAGE_NAME).$$(basename $$i) || exit; \
 	done
diff --git a/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/postinst b/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/postinst
index 07ab01904..d93e0d636 100755
--- a/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/postinst
+++ b/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/postinst
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ my $relink_src_link   = 'YES'; # There is no harm in checking the link
 my $relink_build_link = 'YES'; # There is no harm in checking the link
 my $force_build_link  = '';    # There is no harm in checking the link
 my $kernel_arch       = "=B";
-my $ramdisk           = '';
+my $ramdisk           = "=MK";  # List of tools to create initial ram fs.
 my $package_name      = "linux-image-$version";
 my $explicit_do_loader = '';
 
@@ -704,32 +704,60 @@ if (-d "$modules_base/$version") {
 }
 
 
-# Warn if we are ignoring the old ramdisk setting
-if ($ramdisk =~ /\S/) {
-    my ($question, $ret, $seen);
-    $question = "${package_name}/postinst/ignoring-ramdisk";
-    ($ret,$seen) = input('high', "$question");
-    die "Error setting debconf question $question: $seen" if $ret && $ret != 30;
-    ($ret,$seen) = go();
-    die "Error asking debconf question $question: $seen" if $ret && $ret != 30;
+sub find_initramfs_tool {
+	my $ramdisk = shift;
+	my (@tools, $initramfs_cmd);
+
+	foreach $initramfs_cmd  (split(/[:,\s]+/, $ramdisk)) {
+		if (system("test -x \"\$(command -v $initramfs_cmd)\"") == 0) {
+			push(@tools, $initramfs_cmd);
+		}
+        }
+	return @tools;
+}
+
+
+if ($initrd) {
+my @ramdisklist;
+@ramdisklist = find_initramfs_tool($ramdisk) if $ramdisk;
+die "Failed to find suitable initramfs generation tool in $ramdisk\n"
+      if $#ramdisklist < 0;
+my $success = 0;
+for my $ramdisk_cmd (@ramdisklist) {
+    print STDERR "Running $ramdisk_cmd.\n";
+    print STDERR "Other valid candidates: @ramdisklist\n" if $#ramdisklist > 0;
+
+    my $initrd_path = $realimageloc . "initrd.img-$version";
+    my $ret = system("$ramdisk_cmd " .
+                     ($mkimage ? "-m '$mkimage' " : "") .
+                     "-c -t -k $version >&2");
+    if ($ret) {
+      warn "$ramdisk_cmd failed to create initrd image.\n";
+    } else {
+	$success = 1;
+	last;
+    }
+}
+die "Failed to create initrd image.\n" unless $success;
+if (! defined $ARGV[1] || ! $ARGV[1] || $ARGV[1] =~ m/<unknown>/o) {
+    image_magic("initrd.img", $image_dest);
+} else {
+    if (! -e "initrd.img") {
+      handle_missing_link("initrd.img", $image_dest, "initrd.img-$version",
+                          $realimageloc);
+    }
+}
 }
 
 # Only change the symlinks if we are not being upgraded
 if (! defined $ARGV[1] || ! $ARGV[1] || $ARGV[1] =~ m/<unknown>/o) {
   image_magic($kimage, $image_dest);
-  if ($initrd) {
-    image_magic("initrd.img", $image_dest);
-  }
 }
 else {
   if (! -e "$kimage") {
     handle_missing_link($kimage, $image_dest, "$kimage-$version", 
                         $realimageloc);
   }
-  if ($initrd && ! -e "initrd.img") {
-    handle_missing_link("initrd.img", $image_dest, "initrd.img-$version",
-			$realimageloc);
-  }
 }
 
 # set the env var stem
@@ -793,10 +821,6 @@ if ($explicit_do_loader) {
     die "Error asking debconf question $question: $seen" if $ret && $ret != 30;
 }
 
-if ($initrd && ! -e "initrd.img-$version") {
-  die "Failed to create initrd image.\n";
-}
-
 exit 0;
 
 __END__
diff --git a/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/templates b/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/templates
index cd90b3a88..7ae19dfe6 100644
--- a/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/templates
+++ b/debian/templates/temp.image.plain/templates
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# These templates have mostly been reviewed by the debian-l10n-english
+# These templates have been reviewed by the debian-l10n-english
 # team
 #
 # If modifications/additions/rewording are needed, please ask
@@ -61,19 +61,6 @@ _Description: Boot loader configuration must be updated
  .
  If the boot loader needs to be updated whenever a new kernel is
  installed, the boot loader package should install a script in
- /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
- .
- If the boot loader package does not yet do this, see
- <http://kernel-handbook.alioth.debian.org/ch-update-hooks.html>.
-
-# This has not yet been reviewed
-Template: linux-image-=V/postinst/ignoring-ramdisk
-Type: error
-_Description: Ramdisk configuration must be updated
- Kernel packages will no longer run a specific ramdisk creator.  The
- ramdisk creator package should install a script in
- /etc/kernel/postinst.d, and you should remove the line beginning
- 'ramdisk =' from /etc/kernel-img.conf.
- .
- If the ramdisk creator package does not yet do this, see
- <http://kernel-handbook.alioth.debian.org/ch-update-hooks.html>.
+ /etc/kernel/postinst.d.  Alternately, you can specify the command
+ to update the boot loader by setting the 'postinst_hook' variable
+ in /etc/kernel-img.conf.