--- elilo/x86_64/bzimage.c
+++ elilo/x86_64/bzimage.c
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@
 
 	if (alloc_kmem(kernel_start, EFI_SIZE_TO_PAGES(kernel_size))) {
 		ERR_PRT((L"Could not allocate kernel memory."));
-		return -1;
+		if (x86_64_allow_alloc_fail() != 1) {
+			return -1;
+		} 
 	} else {
 		VERB_PRT(3, Print(L"kernel_start: 0x%x  kernel_size: %d\n", 
 			kernel_start, kernel_size));
@@ -169,7 +171,7 @@
 	 * Now read the rest of the kernel image into memory.
 	 */
 
-	DBG_PRT((L"reading kernel image...\n"));
+	Print(L"Loading kernel %s... ", kname);
 
 	size = kernel_size;
 	efi_status = fops_read(fd, kernel_start, &size);
@@ -181,6 +183,8 @@
 		fops_close(fd);
 		free_kmem();
 		return -1;
+	} else {
+		Print(L" done\n");
 	}
 
 	DBG_PRT((L"kernel image read:  %d bytes, %d Kbytes\n", size, size / 1024));
--- elilo/x86_64/config.c
+++ elilo/x86_64/config.c
@@ -33,15 +33,24 @@
 
 typedef struct {
 	UINTN legacy_free_boot;
+	UINTN allow_alloc_fail;
 } x86_64_global_config_t;
 
 
+#define x86_64_opt_offsetof(option)    (&((sys_img_options_t *)(0x0))->option)
+
 static x86_64_global_config_t x86_64_gconf;
 
 static config_option_t sysdeps_global_options[]={
-	{OPT_BOOL,	OPT_GLOBAL, L"legacy-free",	NULL,	NULL,	&x86_64_gconf.legacy_free_boot}
+	{OPT_BOOL,	OPT_GLOBAL, L"legacy-free",	NULL,	NULL,	&x86_64_gconf.legacy_free_boot},
+	{OPT_BOOL,	OPT_GLOBAL, L"skid-alloc",	NULL,	NULL,	&x86_64_gconf.allow_alloc_fail},
+};
+
+static config_option_t sysdeps_image_options[]={
+	{OPT_BOOL,	OPT_IMAGE_SYS, L"skid-alloc",	NULL,	NULL,	x86_64_opt_offsetof(allow_alloc_fail)},
 };
 
+
 /*
  * X86_64 operations that need to be done only once and just before 
  * entering the main loop of the loader
@@ -82,6 +91,13 @@
 }
 
 INTN
+x86_64_allow_alloc_fail(VOID)
+{
+	return x86_64_gconf.allow_alloc_fail == TRUE
+	    || (elilo_opt.sys_img_opts && elilo_opt.sys_img_opts->allow_alloc_fail ==TRUE) ? 1 : 0;
+}
+
+INTN
 sysdeps_register_options(VOID)
 {
 	INTN ret;
@@ -89,14 +105,11 @@
 	ret = register_config_options(sysdeps_global_options, 
 				      sizeof(sysdeps_global_options)/sizeof(config_option_t),
 				      OPTIONS_GROUP_GLOBAL);
-#if 0
-	/* no per image options yet */
 	if (ret == -1 ) return ret;
 
 	ret = register_config_options(sysdeps_image_options, 
 				      sizeof(sysdeps_image_options)/sizeof(config_option_t),
 				      OPTIONS_GROUP_IMAGE);
-#endif
 
 	return ret;
 }
--- elilo/x86_64/sysdeps.h
+++ elilo/x86_64/sysdeps.h
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@
 extern UINTN rmswitch_size;
 
 extern INTN x86_64_use_legacy_free_boot();
+extern INTN x86_64_allow_alloc_fail();
 
 /*
  * How to jump to kernel code
@@ -449,7 +450,8 @@
 }
 
 typedef struct sys_img_options {
-	UINT8 nothing_yet;
+	UINT8 dummy;		/* forces non-zero offset for first field */
+	UINT8 allow_alloc_fail;	/* ignore failure of alloc_kmem */
 } sys_img_options_t;
 
 #endif /* __ELILO_SYSDEPS_X86_64_H__ */