diff --git a/docs/grub.texi b/docs/grub.texi
index 0f2ab91fc..2adfa97be 100644
--- a/docs/grub.texi
+++ b/docs/grub.texi
@@ -1214,10 +1214,11 @@ GRUB is configured using @file{grub.cfg}, usually located under
 need to write the whole thing by hand.
 
 @menu
-* Simple configuration::        Recommended for most users
-* Shell-like scripting::        For power users and developers
-* Multi-boot manual config::    For non-standard multi-OS scenarios
-* Embedded configuration::      Embedding a configuration file into GRUB
+* Simple configuration::            Recommended for most users
+* Root Identifcation Heuristics::   Summary on how the root file system is identified.
+* Shell-like scripting::            For power users and developers
+* Multi-boot manual config::        For non-standard multi-OS scenarios
+* Embedded configuration::          Embedding a configuration file into GRUB
 @end menu
 
 
@@ -1425,6 +1426,17 @@ the Linux kernel, using a @samp{root=UUID=...} kernel parameter.  This is
 usually more reliable, but in some cases it may not be appropriate.  To
 disable the use of UUIDs, set this option to @samp{true}.
 
+@item GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID
+If @command{grub-mkconfig} cannot identify the root filesystem via its
+universally-unique indentifier (UUID), @command{grub-mkconfig} can use the UUID
+of the partition containing the filesystem to identify the root filesystem to
+the Linux kernel via a @samp{root=PARTUUID=...} kernel parameter.  This is not
+as reliable as using the filesystem UUID, but is more reliable than using the
+Linux device names. When @samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID} is set to
+@samp{false}, the Linux kernel version must be 2.6.37 (3.10 for systems using
+the MSDOS partition scheme) or newer.  This option defaults to @samp{true}.  To
+enable the use of partition UUIDs, set this option to @samp{false}.
+
 @item GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY
 If this option is set to @samp{true}, disable the generation of recovery
 mode menu entries.
@@ -1556,6 +1568,53 @@ edit the scripts in @file{/etc/grub.d} directly.
 menu entries; simply type the menu entries you want to add at the end of
 that file, making sure to leave at least the first two lines intact.
 
+@node Root Identifcation Heuristics
+@section Root Identifcation Heuristics
+If the target operating system uses the Linux kernel, @command{grub-mkconfig}
+attempts to identify the root file system via a heuristic algoirthm.  This
+algorithm selects the identification method of the root file system by
+considering three factors.  The first is if an initrd for the target operating
+system is also present.  The second is @samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID} and if set
+to @samp{true}, prevents @command{grub-mkconfig} from identifying the root file
+system by its UUID.  The third is @samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID} and if set
+to @samp{true}, prevents @command{grub-mkconfig} from identifying the root file
+system via the UUID of its enclosing partition.  If the variables are assigned
+any other value, that value is considered equivalent to @samp{false}.  The
+variables are also considered to be set to @samp{false} if they are not set.
+
+When booting, the Linux kernel will delegate the task of mounting the root
+filesystem to the initrd.  Most initrd images determine the root file system by
+checking the Linux kernel's command-line for the @samp{root} key and use its
+value as the identification method of the root file system.  To improve the
+reliability of booting, most initrd images also allow the root file system to be
+identified by its UUID.  Because of this behavior, the @command{grub-mkconfig}
+command will set @samp{root} to @samp{root=UUID=...} to provide the initrd with
+the filesystem UUID of the root file system.
+
+If no initrd is detected or @samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID} is set to @samp{true}
+then @command{grub-command} will identify the root filesystem by setting the
+kernel command-line variable @samp{root} to @samp{root=PARTUUID=...} unless
+@samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID} is also set to @samp{true}.  If
+@samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID} is also set to @samp{true},
+@command{grub-command} will identify by its Linux device name.
+
+The following table summarizes the behavior of the @command{grub-mkconfig}
+command.
+
+@multitable {detected} {GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID} {GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID} {Linux Root}
+@headitem Initrd detected @tab GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID Set To @tab GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID Set To @tab Linux Root ID Method
+@item false         @tab false                       @tab false                   @tab part UUID
+@item false         @tab false                       @tab true                    @tab part UUID
+@item false         @tab true                        @tab false                   @tab dev name
+@item false         @tab true                        @tab true                    @tab dev name
+@item true          @tab false                       @tab false                   @tab fs UUID
+@item true          @tab false                       @tab true                    @tab part UUID
+@item true          @tab true                        @tab false                   @tab fs UUID
+@item true          @tab true                        @tab true                    @tab dev name
+@end multitable
+
+Remember, @samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID} and @samp{GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}
+are also considered to be set to @samp{false} when they are unset.
 
 @node Shell-like scripting
 @section Writing full configuration files directly
diff --git a/util/grub-mkconfig.in b/util/grub-mkconfig.in
index 35ef583b0..33332360e 100644
--- a/util/grub-mkconfig.in
+++ b/util/grub-mkconfig.in
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ fi
 # Device containing our userland.  Typically used for root= parameter.
 GRUB_DEVICE="`${grub_probe} --target=device /`"
 GRUB_DEVICE_UUID="`${grub_probe} --device ${GRUB_DEVICE} --target=fs_uuid 2> /dev/null`" || true
+GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID="`${grub_probe} --device ${GRUB_DEVICE} --target=partuuid 2> /dev/null`" || true
 
 # Device containing our /boot partition.  Usually the same as GRUB_DEVICE.
 GRUB_DEVICE_BOOT="`${grub_probe} --target=device /boot`"
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ if [ "x${GRUB_ACTUAL_DEFAULT}" = "xsaved" ] ; then GRUB_ACTUAL_DEFAULT="`"${grub
 # override them.
 export GRUB_DEVICE \
   GRUB_DEVICE_UUID \
+  GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID \
   GRUB_DEVICE_BOOT \
   GRUB_DEVICE_BOOT_UUID \
   GRUB_FS \
@@ -223,6 +225,7 @@ export GRUB_DEFAULT \
   GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT \
   GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND \
   GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID \
+  GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID \
   GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY \
   GRUB_VIDEO_BACKEND \
   GRUB_GFXMODE \
diff --git a/util/grub.d/10_linux.in b/util/grub.d/10_linux.in
index faedf74e1..146499f22 100644
--- a/util/grub.d/10_linux.in
+++ b/util/grub.d/10_linux.in
@@ -43,12 +43,22 @@ case ${GRUB_DEVICE} in
   ;;
 esac
 
+# Default to disabling partition uuid support to maintian compatibility with
+# older kernels.
+GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID=${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID-true}
+
 # btrfs may reside on multiple devices. We cannot pass them as value of root= parameter
 # and mounting btrfs requires user space scanning, so force UUID in this case.
-if [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" = "x" ] || [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}" = "xtrue" ] \
-    || ! test -e "/dev/disk/by-uuid/${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" \
+if ( [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" = "x" ] && [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}" = "x" ) \
+    || ( [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}" = "xtrue" ] \
+	&& [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID}" = "xtrue" ] ) \
+    || ( ! test -e "/dev/disk/by-uuid/${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" \
+	&& ! test -e "/dev/disk/by-partuuid/${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}" ) \
     || ( test -e "${GRUB_DEVICE}" && uses_abstraction "${GRUB_DEVICE}" lvm ); then
   LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=${GRUB_DEVICE}
+elif [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" = "x" ] \
+    || [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}" = "xtrue" ]; then
+  LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=PARTUUID=${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}
 else
   LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=UUID=${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}
 fi
@@ -242,7 +252,13 @@ while [ "x$list" != "x" ] ; do
   if test -z "${initramfs}" && test -z "${initrd_real}" ; then
     # "UUID=" and "ZFS=" magic is parsed by initrd or initramfs.  Since there's
     # no initrd or builtin initramfs, it can't work here.
-    linux_root_device_thisversion=${GRUB_DEVICE}
+    if [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}" = "x" ] \
+	|| [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID}" = "xtrue" ]; then
+
+	linux_root_device_thisversion=${GRUB_DEVICE}
+    else
+	linux_root_device_thisversion=PARTUUID=${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}
+    fi
   fi
 
   if [ "x$is_top_level" = xtrue ] && [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU}" != xy ]; then
diff --git a/util/grub.d/20_linux_xen.in b/util/grub.d/20_linux_xen.in
index 0cb0f4e49..e8143b079 100644
--- a/util/grub.d/20_linux_xen.in
+++ b/util/grub.d/20_linux_xen.in
@@ -43,12 +43,22 @@ case ${GRUB_DEVICE} in
   ;;
 esac
 
+# Default to disabling partition uuid support to maintian compatibility with
+# older kernels.
+GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID=${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID-true}
+
 # btrfs may reside on multiple devices. We cannot pass them as value of root= parameter
 # and mounting btrfs requires user space scanning, so force UUID in this case.
-if [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" = "x" ] || [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}" = "xtrue" ] \
-    || ! test -e "/dev/disk/by-uuid/${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" \
+if ( [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" = "x" ] && [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}" = "x" ] ) \
+    || ( [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}" = "xtrue" ] \
+	&& [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID}" = "xtrue" ] ) \
+    || ( ! test -e "/dev/disk/by-uuid/${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" \
+	&& ! test -e "/dev/disk/by-partuuid/${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}" ) \
     || ( test -e "${GRUB_DEVICE}" && uses_abstraction "${GRUB_DEVICE}" lvm ); then
   LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=${GRUB_DEVICE}
+elif [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}" = "x" ] \
+    || [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID}" = "xtrue" ]; then
+  LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=PARTUUID=${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}
 else
   LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE=UUID=${GRUB_DEVICE_UUID}
 fi
@@ -246,7 +256,13 @@ while [ "x${xen_list}" != "x" ] ; do
 	    gettext_printf "Found initrd image: %s\n" "${dirname}/${initrd}" >&2
 	else
     # "UUID=" magic is parsed by initrds.  Since there's no initrd, it can't work here.
-	    linux_root_device_thisversion=${GRUB_DEVICE}
+	    if [ "x${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}" = "x" ] \
+		|| [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_PARTUUID}" = "xtrue" ]; then
+
+		linux_root_device_thisversion=${GRUB_DEVICE}
+	    else
+		linux_root_device_thisversion=PARTUUID=${GRUB_DEVICE_PARTUUID}
+	    fi
 	fi
 
 	if [ "x$is_top_level" = xtrue ] && [ "x${GRUB_DISABLE_SUBMENU}" != xy ]; then