diff --git a/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go b/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go
index bb4d60e2a..c30a16a46 100644
--- a/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go
+++ b/internal/blueprint/blueprint.go
@@ -104,13 +104,10 @@ func (b *Blueprint) GetPackages() []string {
 		packages = append(packages, "@"+group.Name)
 	}
 
-	if kc := b.Customizations.GetKernel(); kc != nil && kc.Name != "" {
-		kpkg := Package{Name: b.Customizations.Kernel.Name}
-		packages = append(packages, kpkg.ToNameVersion())
-	} else { // no Kernel specified; add default
-		kpkg := Package{Name: "kernel"}
-		packages = append(packages, kpkg.ToNameVersion())
-	}
+	kc := b.Customizations.GetKernel()
+	kpkg := Package{Name: kc.Name}
+	packages = append(packages, kpkg.ToNameVersion())
+
 	return packages
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/blueprint/customizations.go b/internal/blueprint/customizations.go
index f6867d7e0..ad88c51f9 100644
--- a/internal/blueprint/customizations.go
+++ b/internal/blueprint/customizations.go
@@ -155,11 +155,21 @@ func (c *Customizations) GetGroups() []GroupCustomization {
 }
 
 func (c *Customizations) GetKernel() *KernelCustomization {
-	if c == nil {
-		return nil
+	var name string
+	var append string
+	if c != nil && c.Kernel != nil {
+		name = c.Kernel.Name
+		append = c.Kernel.Append
 	}
 
-	return c.Kernel
+	if name == "" {
+		name = "kernel"
+	}
+
+	return &KernelCustomization{
+		Name:   name,
+		Append: append,
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *Customizations) GetFirewall() *FirewallCustomization {
diff --git a/internal/blueprint/customizations_test.go b/internal/blueprint/customizations_test.go
index 1ebe21c3c..8415dc473 100644
--- a/internal/blueprint/customizations_test.go
+++ b/internal/blueprint/customizations_test.go
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 package blueprint
 
 import (
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
 func TestGetHostname(t *testing.T) {
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ func TestGetKernel(t *testing.T) {
 
 	expectedKernel := KernelCustomization{
 		Append: "--test",
+		Name:   "kernel",
 	}
 
 	TestCustomizations := Customizations{
@@ -214,7 +216,7 @@ func TestNoCustomizationsInBlueprint(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Nil(t, TestBP.Customizations.GetHostname())
 	assert.Nil(t, TestBP.Customizations.GetUsers())
 	assert.Nil(t, TestBP.Customizations.GetGroups())
-	assert.Nil(t, TestBP.Customizations.GetKernel())
+	assert.Equal(t, &KernelCustomization{Name: "kernel"}, TestBP.Customizations.GetKernel())
 	assert.Nil(t, TestBP.Customizations.GetFirewall())
 	assert.Nil(t, TestBP.Customizations.GetServices())
 
diff --git a/internal/distro/fedora32/distro.go b/internal/distro/fedora32/distro.go
index 22b642c6d..69618b029 100644
--- a/internal/distro/fedora32/distro.go
+++ b/internal/distro/fedora32/distro.go
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ func (t *imageType) fsTabStageOptions(uefi bool) *osbuild.FSTabStageOptions {
 func (t *imageType) grub2StageOptions(kernelOptions string, kernel *blueprint.KernelCustomization, uefi bool) *osbuild.GRUB2StageOptions {
 	id := uuid.MustParse("76a22bf4-f153-4541-b6c7-0332c0dfaeac")
 
-	if kernel != nil {
+	if kernel != nil && kernel.Append != "" {
 		kernelOptions += " " + kernel.Append
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/distro/fedora33/distro.go b/internal/distro/fedora33/distro.go
index f7cd66e5b..a1867daaa 100644
--- a/internal/distro/fedora33/distro.go
+++ b/internal/distro/fedora33/distro.go
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ func (t *imageType) fsTabStageOptions(uefi bool) *osbuild.FSTabStageOptions {
 func (t *imageType) grub2StageOptions(kernelOptions string, kernel *blueprint.KernelCustomization, uefi bool) *osbuild.GRUB2StageOptions {
 	id := uuid.MustParse("76a22bf4-f153-4541-b6c7-0332c0dfaeac")
 
-	if kernel != nil {
+	if kernel != nil && kernel.Append != "" {
 		kernelOptions += " " + kernel.Append
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel8/distro.go b/internal/distro/rhel8/distro.go
index b019c5131..c1a154cd5 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel8/distro.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel8/distro.go
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ func (t *imageType) fsTabStageOptions(uefi bool) *osbuild.FSTabStageOptions {
 func (t *imageType) grub2StageOptions(kernelOptions string, kernel *blueprint.KernelCustomization, uefi bool) *osbuild.GRUB2StageOptions {
 	id := uuid.MustParse("0bd700f8-090f-4556-b797-b340297ea1bd")
 
-	if kernel != nil {
+	if kernel != nil && kernel.Append != "" {
 		kernelOptions += " " + kernel.Append
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/distro/rhel84/distro.go b/internal/distro/rhel84/distro.go
index 0f706f2e8..e4acbaa9e 100644
--- a/internal/distro/rhel84/distro.go
+++ b/internal/distro/rhel84/distro.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func (t *imageType) pipeline(c *blueprint.Customizations, options distro.ImageOp
 
 	if t.bootable {
 		if t.arch.Name() != "s390x" {
-			p.AddStage(osbuild.NewGRUB2Stage(t.grub2StageOptions(pt, t.kernelOptions, c.GetKernel(), t.arch.uefi, t.arch.legacy)))
+			p.AddStage(osbuild.NewGRUB2Stage(t.grub2StageOptions(pt, t.kernelOptions, c.GetKernel(), packageSpecs, t.arch.uefi, t.arch.legacy)))
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ func (t *imageType) systemdStageOptions(enabledServices, disabledServices []stri
 	}
 }
 
-func (t *imageType) grub2StageOptions(pt *disk.PartitionTable, kernelOptions string, kernel *blueprint.KernelCustomization, uefi bool, legacy string) *osbuild.GRUB2StageOptions {
+func (t *imageType) grub2StageOptions(pt *disk.PartitionTable, kernelOptions string, kernel *blueprint.KernelCustomization, packages []rpmmd.PackageSpec, uefi bool, legacy string) *osbuild.GRUB2StageOptions {
 	if pt == nil {
 		panic("partition table must be defined for grub2 stage, this is a programming error")
 	}
@@ -532,13 +532,12 @@ func (t *imageType) grub2StageOptions(pt *disk.PartitionTable, kernelOptions str
 		panic("root partition must be defined for grub2 stage, this is a programming error")
 	}
 
-	id := uuid.MustParse(rootPartition.Filesystem.UUID)
-
-	if kernel != nil {
-		kernelOptions += " " + kernel.Append
+	stageOptions := osbuild.GRUB2StageOptions{
+		RootFilesystemUUID: uuid.MustParse(rootPartition.Filesystem.UUID),
+		KernelOptions:      kernelOptions,
+		Legacy:             legacy,
 	}
 
-	var uefiOptions *osbuild.GRUB2UEFI
 	if uefi {
 		var vendor string
 		if t.arch.distro.isCentos {
@@ -546,21 +545,28 @@ func (t *imageType) grub2StageOptions(pt *disk.PartitionTable, kernelOptions str
 		} else {
 			vendor = "redhat"
 		}
-		uefiOptions = &osbuild.GRUB2UEFI{
+		stageOptions.UEFI = &osbuild.GRUB2UEFI{
 			Vendor: vendor,
 		}
 	}
 
 	if !uefi {
-		legacy = t.arch.legacy
+		stageOptions.Legacy = t.arch.legacy
 	}
 
-	return &osbuild.GRUB2StageOptions{
-		RootFilesystemUUID: id,
-		KernelOptions:      kernelOptions,
-		Legacy:             legacy,
-		UEFI:               uefiOptions,
+	if kernel != nil {
+		if kernel.Append != "" {
+			stageOptions.KernelOptions += " " + kernel.Append
+		}
+		for _, pkg := range packages {
+			if pkg.Name == kernel.Name {
+				stageOptions.SavedEntry = "ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff-" + pkg.Version + "-" + pkg.Release + "." + pkg.Arch
+				break
+			}
+		}
 	}
+
+	return &stageOptions
 }
 
 func (t *imageType) selinuxStageOptions() *osbuild.SELinuxStageOptions {
diff --git a/internal/osbuild/grub2_stage.go b/internal/osbuild/grub2_stage.go
index c52297381..1998b519e 100644
--- a/internal/osbuild/grub2_stage.go
+++ b/internal/osbuild/grub2_stage.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ type GRUB2StageOptions struct {
 	KernelOptions      string     `json:"kernel_opts,omitempty"`
 	Legacy             string     `json:"legacy,omitempty"`
 	UEFI               *GRUB2UEFI `json:"uefi,omitempty"`
+	SavedEntry         string     `json:"saved_entry,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type GRUB2UEFI struct {