diff --git a/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix b/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix
index 6b7e63a..0b42215 100644
--- a/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix
+++ b/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix
@@ -157,10 +157,6 @@
 
           CMDLINE_PARTITION = "y";
           EARLY_PRINTK = "y";
-          FW_LOADER = "y";
-          # we don't have a user helper, so we get multiple 60s pauses
-          # at boot time unless we disable trying to call it
-          FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER = "n";
 
           PARTITION_ADVANCED = "y";
           PRINTK_TIME = "y";
diff --git a/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix b/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix
index f343a0c..369cfa7 100644
--- a/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix
+++ b/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix
@@ -99,10 +99,6 @@
 
           CMDLINE_PARTITION = "y";
           EARLY_PRINTK = "y";
-          FW_LOADER = "y";
-          # we don't have a user helper, so we get multiple 60s pauses
-          # at boot time unless we disable trying to call it
-          FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER = "n";
 
           PARTITION_ADVANCED = "y";
           PRINTK_TIME = "y";
diff --git a/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix b/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix
index 5d5bbae..114b40c 100644
--- a/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix
+++ b/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix
@@ -108,10 +108,6 @@
 
           CMDLINE_PARTITION = "y";
           EARLY_PRINTK = "y";
-          FW_LOADER = "y";
-          # we don't have a user helper, so we get multiple 60s pauses
-          # at boot time unless we disable trying to call it
-          FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER = "n";
 
           PARTITION_ADVANCED = "y";
           PRINTK_TIME = "y";
diff --git a/modules/base.nix b/modules/base.nix
index a1c2e0b..ad221ab 100644
--- a/modules/base.nix
+++ b/modules/base.nix
@@ -105,6 +105,13 @@ in {
         TMPFS = "y";
         TMPFS_POSIX_ACL = "y";
         TMPFS_XATTR = "y";
+
+        FW_LOADER = "y";
+        FW_LOADER_COMPRESS = "y";
+        # We don't have a user helper, so we get multiple 60s pauses
+        # at boot time unless we disable trying to call it.
+        # https://lkml.org/lkml/2013/8/5/175
+        FW_LOADER_USER_HELPER = "n";
       };
     };
     boot.commandLine = [