diff --git a/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-deploy.c b/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-deploy.c
index 77a7e21f..f4246943 100644
--- a/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-deploy.c
+++ b/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-deploy.c
@@ -548,6 +548,8 @@ do_update_kernel (OtAdminDeploy     *self,
                         "--ostree-dir", ot_gfile_get_path_cached (self->ostree_dir),
                         "update-kernel",
                         ot_gfile_get_path_cached (deploy_path), NULL);
+  if (opt_no_kernel)
+    g_ptr_array_add (args, "--modules-only");
   g_ptr_array_add (args, NULL);
 
   if (!ot_spawn_sync_checked (ot_gfile_get_path_cached (self->ostree_dir),
@@ -606,11 +608,8 @@ ot_admin_builtin_deploy (int argc, char **argv, GFile *ostree_dir, GError **erro
                     cancellable, error))
     goto out;
 
-  if (!opt_no_kernel)
-    {
-      if (!do_update_kernel (self, deploy_path, cancellable, error))
-        goto out;
-    }
+  if (!do_update_kernel (self, deploy_path, cancellable, error))
+    goto out;
 
   ret = TRUE;
  out:
diff --git a/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-update-kernel.c b/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-update-kernel.c
index 57f23283..699456c5 100644
--- a/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-update-kernel.c
+++ b/src/ostree/ot-admin-builtin-update-kernel.c
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ typedef struct {
   GFile       *ostree_dir;
 } OtAdminUpdateKernel;
 
+static gboolean opt_modules_only;
+
 static GOptionEntry options[] = {
+  { "modules-only", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_modules_only, "Only copy kernel modules", NULL },
   { NULL }
 };
 
@@ -322,12 +325,15 @@ ot_admin_builtin_update_kernel (int argc, char **argv, GFile *ostree_dir, GError
   
   if (!copy_modules (self, release, cancellable, error))
     goto out;
-  
-  if (!update_initramfs (self, release, deploy_path, cancellable, error))
-    goto out;
-  
-  if (!update_grub (self, release, cancellable, error))
-    goto out;
+
+  if (!opt_modules_only)
+    {
+      if (!update_initramfs (self, release, deploy_path, cancellable, error))
+        goto out;
+      
+      if (!update_grub (self, release, cancellable, error))
+        goto out;
+    }
 
   ret = TRUE;
  out: