diff --git a/arch/s390/boot/startup.c b/arch/s390/boot/startup.c
index bbe4df6c2f8b..d0cf21641e3a 100644
--- a/arch/s390/boot/startup.c
+++ b/arch/s390/boot/startup.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ unsigned long __bootdata_preserved(vmemmap_size);
 unsigned long __bootdata_preserved(MODULES_VADDR);
 unsigned long __bootdata_preserved(MODULES_END);
 unsigned long __bootdata(ident_map_size);
+int __bootdata(is_full_image) = 1;
 
 u64 __bootdata_preserved(stfle_fac_list[16]);
 u64 __bootdata_preserved(alt_stfle_fac_list[16]);
diff --git a/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h b/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h
index a8b75da3c1b8..3a77aa96d092 100644
--- a/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h
+++ b/arch/s390/include/asm/setup.h
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ static inline unsigned long kaslr_offset(void)
 	return __kaslr_offset;
 }
 
+extern int is_full_image;
+
 static inline u32 gen_lpswe(unsigned long addr)
 {
 	BUILD_BUG_ON(addr > 0xfff);
diff --git a/arch/s390/kernel/early.c b/arch/s390/kernel/early.c
index c2cf79d353cf..fb84e3fc1686 100644
--- a/arch/s390/kernel/early.c
+++ b/arch/s390/kernel/early.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #include <asm/switch_to.h>
 #include "entry.h"
 
+int __bootdata(is_full_image);
+
 static void __init reset_tod_clock(void)
 {
 	union tod_clock clk;
@@ -279,7 +281,7 @@ static void __init setup_boot_command_line(void)
 
 static void __init check_image_bootable(void)
 {
-	if (!memcmp(EP_STRING, (void *)EP_OFFSET, strlen(EP_STRING)))
+	if (is_full_image)
 		return;
 
 	sclp_early_printk("Linux kernel boot failure: An attempt to boot a vmlinux ELF image failed.\n");