diff --git a/src/cmd/linuxkit/build.go b/src/cmd/linuxkit/build.go
index 6c991a15e..37a00bbac 100644
--- a/src/cmd/linuxkit/build.go
+++ b/src/cmd/linuxkit/build.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ func build(args []string) {
 	buildSize := buildCmd.String("size", "1024M", "Size for output image, if supported and fixed size")
 	buildPull := buildCmd.Bool("pull", false, "Always pull images")
 	buildDisableTrust := buildCmd.Bool("disable-content-trust", false, "Skip image trust verification specified in trust section of config (default false)")
+	buildDecompressKernel := buildCmd.Bool("decompress-kernel", false, "Decompress the Linux kernel (default false)")
 	buildCmd.Var(&buildFormats, "format", "Formats to create [ "+strings.Join(outputTypes, " ")+" ]")
 
 	if err := buildCmd.Parse(args); err != nil {
@@ -203,7 +204,7 @@ func build(args []string) {
 	if moby.Streamable(buildFormats[0]) {
 		tp = buildFormats[0]
 	}
-	err = moby.Build(m, w, *buildPull, tp)
+	err = moby.Build(m, w, *buildPull, tp, *buildDecompressKernel)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("%v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build.go b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build.go
index 932e6d8d4..8f307557a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build.go
+++ b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/build.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func outputImage(image *Image, section string, prefix string, m Moby, idMap map[
 }
 
 // Build performs the actual build process
-func Build(m Moby, w io.Writer, pull bool, tp string) error {
+func Build(m Moby, w io.Writer, pull bool, tp string, decompressKernel bool) error {
 	if MobyDir == "" {
 		MobyDir = defaultMobyConfigDir()
 	}
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ func Build(m Moby, w io.Writer, pull bool, tp string) error {
 	if m.Kernel.ref != nil {
 		// get kernel and initrd tarball and ucode cpio archive from container
 		log.Infof("Extract kernel image: %s", m.Kernel.ref)
-		kf := newKernelFilter(iw, m.Kernel.Cmdline, m.Kernel.Binary, m.Kernel.Tar, m.Kernel.UCode)
+		kf := newKernelFilter(iw, m.Kernel.Cmdline, m.Kernel.Binary, m.Kernel.Tar, m.Kernel.UCode, decompressKernel)
 		err := ImageTar(m.Kernel.ref, "", kf, enforceContentTrust(m.Kernel.ref.String(), &m.Trust), pull, "")
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("Failed to extract kernel image and tarball: %v", err)
@@ -255,20 +255,21 @@ func Build(m Moby, w io.Writer, pull bool, tp string) error {
 
 // kernelFilter is a tar.Writer that transforms a kernel image into the output we want on underlying tar writer
 type kernelFilter struct {
-	tw          *tar.Writer
-	buffer      *bytes.Buffer
-	hdr         *tar.Header
-	cmdline     string
-	kernel      string
-	tar         string
-	ucode       string
-	discard     bool
-	foundKernel bool
-	foundKTar   bool
-	foundUCode  bool
+	tw               *tar.Writer
+	buffer           *bytes.Buffer
+	hdr              *tar.Header
+	cmdline          string
+	kernel           string
+	tar              string
+	ucode            string
+	decompressKernel bool
+	discard          bool
+	foundKernel      bool
+	foundKTar        bool
+	foundUCode       bool
 }
 
-func newKernelFilter(tw *tar.Writer, cmdline string, kernel string, tar, ucode *string) *kernelFilter {
+func newKernelFilter(tw *tar.Writer, cmdline string, kernel string, tar, ucode *string, decompressKernel bool) *kernelFilter {
 	tarName, kernelName, ucodeName := "kernel.tar", "kernel", ""
 	if tar != nil {
 		tarName = *tar
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@ func newKernelFilter(tw *tar.Writer, cmdline string, kernel string, tar, ucode *
 	if ucode != nil {
 		ucodeName = *ucode
 	}
-	return &kernelFilter{tw: tw, cmdline: cmdline, kernel: kernelName, tar: tarName, ucode: ucodeName}
+	return &kernelFilter{tw: tw, cmdline: cmdline, kernel: kernelName, tar: tarName, ucode: ucodeName, decompressKernel: decompressKernel}
 }
 
 func (k *kernelFilter) finishTar() error {
diff --git a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/linuxkit.go b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/linuxkit.go
index c77764ab9..56cde4619 100644
--- a/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/linuxkit.go
+++ b/src/cmd/linuxkit/moby/linuxkit.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func ensureLinuxkitImage(name string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	defer os.Remove(tf.Name())
-	Build(m, tf, false, "")
+	Build(m, tf, false, "", false)
 	if err := tf.Close(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}