diff --git a/debian/tree/zfs-initramfs/usr/share/initramfs-tools/conf.d/zfs b/debian/tree/zfs-initramfs/usr/share/initramfs-tools/conf.d/zfs
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..5103cc450
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debian/tree/zfs-initramfs/usr/share/initramfs-tools/conf.d/zfs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+for x in $(cat /proc/cmdline)
+do
+	case $x in
+		root=ZFS=*)
+			BOOT=zfs
+			;;
+	esac
+done
diff --git a/debian/tree/zfs-initramfs/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/zfs b/debian/tree/zfs-initramfs/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/zfs
index 2ff7a553a..d94ad38b6 100644
--- a/debian/tree/zfs-initramfs/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/zfs
+++ b/debian/tree/zfs-initramfs/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/zfs
@@ -75,6 +75,12 @@ mountroot()
 		ZFS_RPOOL=$(echo "$ZFS_RPOOL" | sed -e 's,/.*,,')
 	fi
 
+	if [ -z "$ZFS_RPOOL" ]
+	then
+		ZFS_BOOTFS=${ROOT#ZFS=}
+		ZFS_RPOOL=$(echo "$ZFS_BOOTFS" | sed -e 's,/.*,,')
+	fi
+
 	# Use "rpool" as the default, like on most Solaris systems.
 	[ -z "$ZFS_RPOOL" ] && ZFS_RPOOL='rpool'