diff --git a/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix b/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix
index 9e4b2b6b..77dbaa03 100644
--- a/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix
+++ b/devices/gl-ar750/default.nix
@@ -154,13 +154,6 @@
           CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_DEFAULT = "8";
           CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_QUIET = "4";
 
-          # "empty" initramfs source should create an initial
-          # filesystem that has a /dev/console node and not much
-          # else.  Note that pid 1 is started *before* the root
-          # filesystem is mounted and it expects /dev/console to
-          # be present already
-          BLK_DEV_INITRD = "n";
-
           NET = "y";
           NETDEVICES = "y";
           ETHERNET = "y";
diff --git a/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix b/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix
index 5e6545c7..2cd72b93 100644
--- a/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix
+++ b/devices/gl-mt300a/default.nix
@@ -107,13 +107,6 @@
           CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_DEFAULT = "8";
           CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_QUIET = "4";
 
-          # "empty" initramfs source should create an initial
-          # filesystem that has a /dev/console node and not much
-          # else.  Note that pid 1 is started *before* the root
-          # filesystem is mounted and it expects /dev/console to
-          # be present already
-          BLK_DEV_INITRD = "n";
-
           NET = "y";
           NETDEVICES = "y";
           ETHERNET = "y";
diff --git a/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix b/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix
index b011570c..959dce3b 100644
--- a/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix
+++ b/devices/gl-mt300n-v2/default.nix
@@ -123,13 +123,6 @@
           CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_DEFAULT = "8";
           CONSOLE_LOGLEVEL_QUIET = "4";
 
-          # "empty" initramfs source should create an initial
-          # filesystem that has a /dev/console node and not much
-          # else.  Note that pid 1 is started *before* the root
-          # filesystem is mounted and it expects /dev/console to
-          # be present already
-          BLK_DEV_INITRD = "n";
-
           MTD = "y";
           MTD_CMDLINE_PARTS = "y";
           MTD_BLOCK = "y";          # fix undefined ref to register_mtd_blktrans_dev
diff --git a/modules/base.nix b/modules/base.nix
index bd249f64..b2d18575 100644
--- a/modules/base.nix
+++ b/modules/base.nix
@@ -95,6 +95,13 @@ in {
         PACKET = "y";           # for ppp, tcpdump ...
         SYSVIPC= "y";
 
+        # disabling this option causes the kernel to use an "empty"
+        # initramfs instead: it has a /dev/console node and not much
+        # else.  Note that pid 1 is started *before* the root
+        # filesystem is mounted and it expects /dev/console to be
+        # present already
+        BLK_DEV_INITRD = lib.mkDefault "n"; # overriden by initramfs module
+
         # s6-linux-init mounts this on /dev
         DEVTMPFS = "y";
         # some or all of these may be fix for "tmpfs: Unknown parameter 'mode'" error