diff --git a/config/types.go b/config/types.go
index 0d878803..287cc50e 100644
--- a/config/types.go
+++ b/config/types.go
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ const (
 	SystemDockerHost = "unix:///var/run/system-docker.sock"
 	DockerHost       = "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"
 	ImagesPath       = "/usr/share/ros"
-	ImagesPattern    = "images*.tar"
+	InitImages       = "images-init.tar"
+	SystemImages     = "images-system.tar"
 	ModulesArchive   = "/modules.tar"
 	Debug            = false
 	SystemDockerLog  = "/var/log/system-docker.log"
diff --git a/init/bootstrap.go b/init/bootstrap.go
index f1c8788d..2dae2b5b 100644
--- a/init/bootstrap.go
+++ b/init/bootstrap.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func bootstrap(cfg *config.CloudConfig) error {
 
 	_, err = config.ChainCfgFuncs(cfg,
 		[]config.CfgFuncData{
-			config.CfgFuncData{"bootstrap loadImages", loadImages},
+			config.CfgFuncData{"bootstrap loadImages", loadBootstrapImages},
 			config.CfgFuncData{"bootstrap Services", bootstrapServices},
 		})
 	return err
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func runCloudInitServices(cfg *config.CloudConfig) error {
 
 	_, err = config.ChainCfgFuncs(cfg,
 		[]config.CfgFuncData{
-			config.CfgFuncData{"cloudinit loadImages", loadImages},
+			config.CfgFuncData{"cloudinit loadImages", loadBootstrapImages},
 			config.CfgFuncData{"cloudinit Services", runCloudInitServiceSet},
 		})
 	return err
diff --git a/init/recovery.go b/init/recovery.go
index d0ed940c..f73cf96a 100644
--- a/init/recovery.go
+++ b/init/recovery.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func recovery(initFailure error) {
 
 	_, err = config.ChainCfgFuncs(&recoveryConfig,
 		[]config.CfgFuncData{
-			config.CfgFuncData{"loadImages", loadImages},
+			config.CfgFuncData{"loadSystemImages", loadSystemImages},
 			config.CfgFuncData{"recovery console", recoveryServices},
 		})
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/init/sysinit.go b/init/sysinit.go
index c8446f77..a6a2a129 100644
--- a/init/sysinit.go
+++ b/init/sysinit.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"syscall"
 
 	"golang.org/x/net/context"
@@ -29,62 +30,47 @@ func hasImage(name string) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-func findImages(cfg *config.CloudConfig) ([]string, error) {
-	log.Debugf("Looking for images at %s", config.ImagesPath)
-
-	result := []string{}
-
-	dir, err := os.Open(config.ImagesPath)
-	if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		log.Debugf("Not loading images, %s does not exist", config.ImagesPath)
-		return result, nil
-	}
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+func getImagesArchive(bootstrap bool) string {
+	var archive string
+	if bootstrap {
+		archive = path.Join(config.ImagesPath, config.InitImages)
+	} else {
+		archive = path.Join(config.ImagesPath, config.SystemImages)
 	}
 
-	defer dir.Close()
-
-	files, err := dir.Readdirnames(0)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
-	for _, fileName := range files {
-		if ok, _ := path.Match(config.ImagesPattern, fileName); ok {
-			log.Debugf("Found %s", fileName)
-			result = append(result, fileName)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return result, nil
+	return archive
 }
 
-func loadImages(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
-	images, err := findImages(cfg)
-	if err != nil || len(images) == 0 {
-		return cfg, err
-	}
+func loadBootstrapImages(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
+	return loadImages(cfg, true)
+}
+
+func loadSystemImages(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
+	return loadImages(cfg, false)
+}
+
+func loadImages(cfg *config.CloudConfig, bootstrap bool) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
+	archive := getImagesArchive(bootstrap)
 
 	client, err := docker.NewSystemClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		return cfg, err
 	}
 
-	for _, image := range images {
-		if hasImage(image) {
-			continue
+	if !hasImage(filepath.Base(archive)) {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(archive); os.IsNotExist(err) {
+			log.Fatalf("FATAL: Could not load images from %s (file not found)", archive)
 		}
 
 		// client.ImageLoad is an asynchronous operation
 		// To ensure the order of execution, use cmd instead of it
-		inputFileName := path.Join(config.ImagesPath, image)
-		log.Infof("Loading images from %s", inputFileName)
-		if err = exec.Command("/usr/bin/system-docker", "load", "-q", "-i", inputFileName).Run(); err != nil {
-			log.Fatalf("FATAL: failed loading images from %s: %s", inputFileName, err)
+		log.Infof("Loading images from %s", archive)
+		cmd := exec.Command("/usr/bin/system-docker", "load", "-q", "-i", archive)
+		if out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("FATAL: Error loading images from %s (%v)\n%s ", archive, err, out)
 		}
 
-		log.Infof("Done loading images from %s", inputFileName)
+		log.Infof("Done loading images from %s", archive)
 	}
 
 	dockerImages, _ := client.ImageList(context.Background(), types.ImageListOptions{})
@@ -104,7 +90,7 @@ func SysInit() error {
 
 	_, err := config.ChainCfgFuncs(cfg,
 		[]config.CfgFuncData{
-			config.CfgFuncData{"loadImages", loadImages},
+			config.CfgFuncData{"loadSystemImages", loadSystemImages},
 			config.CfgFuncData{"start project", func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 				p, err := compose.GetProject(cfg, false, true)
 				if err != nil {
diff --git a/scripts/layout-initrd b/scripts/layout-initrd
index c22dbb4b..b15aa69f 100755
--- a/scripts/layout-initrd
+++ b/scripts/layout-initrd
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ mkdir -p ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/{etc,lib,bin,share/ros}
 ./scripts/template
 
 cp -rf assets/selinux          ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/etc
-cp build/images.tar            ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/share/ros/
+cp build/images*.tar           ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/share/ros/
 cp bin/ros                     ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/bin/
 ln -s usr/bin/ros              ${INITRD_DIR}/init
 ln -s bin                      ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/sbin
diff --git a/scripts/package-rootfs b/scripts/package-rootfs
index c5800bd2..a68d6e86 100755
--- a/scripts/package-rootfs
+++ b/scripts/package-rootfs
@@ -12,24 +12,28 @@ PREPOP_DIR=${IMAGE_CACHE}/var/lib/system-docker
 INITRD_DIR=${BUILD}/initrd
 ARTIFACTS=$(pwd)/dist/artifacts
 INITRD=${ARTIFACTS}/initrd
+INIT_IMAGES="images-init.tar"
+SYSTEM_IMAGES="images-system.tar"
 
 mkdir -p ${ARTIFACTS} ${PREPOP_DIR}
 
 if [ "$(docker info | grep 'Storage Driver: ' | sed 's/Storage Driver: //')" != "overlay" ]; then
-    echo Overlay storage driver is required to prepackage exploded images
-    echo packaging images.tar instead
+    echo Overlay storage driver is require to prepackage exploded images
+    echo packaging image tar archives instead
     tar czf ${ARTIFACTS}/rootfs${SUFFIX}.tar.gz --exclude lib/modules --exclude lib/firmware -C ${INITRD_DIR} .
     exit 0
 fi
 
 DFS=$(docker run -d --privileged -v /lib/modules/$(uname -r):/lib/modules/$(uname -r) ${DFS_IMAGE}${SUFFIX} ${DFS_ARGS})
 trap "docker rm -fv ${DFS_ARCH} ${DFS}" EXIT
-docker exec -i ${DFS} docker load < ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/share/ros/images.tar
+docker exec -i ${DFS} docker load < ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/share/ros/${INIT_IMAGES}
+docker exec -i ${DFS} docker load < ${INITRD_DIR}/usr/share/ros/${SYSTEM_IMAGES}
 docker stop ${DFS}
 docker run --rm --volumes-from=${DFS} --entrypoint /bin/bash rancher/os-base -c "tar -c -C /var/lib/docker ./image" | tar -x -C ${PREPOP_DIR}
 docker run --rm --volumes-from=${DFS} --entrypoint /bin/bash rancher/os-base -c "tar -c -C /var/lib/docker ./overlay" | tar -x -C ${PREPOP_DIR}
 
-tar -cf ${ARTIFACTS}/rootfs${SUFFIX}.tar --exclude usr/share/ros/images.tar  --exclude lib/modules --exclude lib/firmware -C ${INITRD_DIR} .
+tar -cf ${ARTIFACTS}/rootfs${SUFFIX}.tar --exclude usr/share/ros/${INIT_IMAGES} --exclude usr/share/ros/${SYSTEM_IMAGES} --exclude lib/modules --exclude
+lib/firmware -C ${INITRD_DIR} .
 tar -rf ${ARTIFACTS}/rootfs${SUFFIX}.tar -C ${IMAGE_CACHE} .
 rm -f ${ARTIFACTS}/rootfs${SUFFIX}.tar.gz
 gzip ${ARTIFACTS}/rootfs${SUFFIX}.tar
diff --git a/scripts/tar-images b/scripts/tar-images
index 6882a171..de991432 100755
--- a/scripts/tar-images
+++ b/scripts/tar-images
@@ -1,29 +1,48 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -ex
 
+INIT_DEP="rancher/os-bootstrap"
+SHARED_DEP="rancher/os-base"
+INIT_IMAGES_DST="build/images-init.tar"
+SYSTEM_IMAGES_DST="build/images-system.tar"
+
 cd $(dirname $0)/..
 
 IMAGES=$(bin/host_ros c images -i build/initrd/usr/share/ros/os-config.yml)
-echo "tar-image: IMAGES=$IMAGES"
-for i in $IMAGES; do
+INIT_IMAGES=""
+SYSTEM_IMAGES=""
+for i in ${IMAGES}; do
     echo "tar-image: pull($i)"
     if [ "${FORCE_PULL}" = "1" ] || ! docker inspect $i >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        docker pull $i
+        docker pull ${i}
+    fi
+
+    if [ "${i%%:*}" != "$INIT_DEP" ] ; then
+        SYSTEM_IMAGES="$SYSTEM_IMAGES $i"
+    fi
+
+    if [ "${i%%:*}" = "$INIT_DEP" ] || [ "${i%%:*}" = "$SHARED_DEP" ] ; then
+        INIT_IMAGES="$INIT_IMAGES $i"
     fi
 done
 
 if [ -e ".make-vmware" ]; then
     docker pull rancher/os-openvmtools:${OPEN_VMTOOLS_VERSION}
-    IMAGES="$IMAGES rancher/os-openvmtools:${OPEN_VMTOOLS_VERSION}"
+    SYSTEM_IMAGES="$SYSTEM_IMAGES rancher/os-openvmtools:${OPEN_VMTOOLS_VERSION}"
 fi
 
-echo "tar-images: docker save ${IMAGES}"
+echo "tar-image: SYSTEM_IMAGES=$SYSTEM_IMAGES"
+echo "tar-image: INIT_IMAGES=$INIT_IMAGES"
+
 if [ "$COMPRESS" == "" ]; then
-    docker save ${IMAGES} | gzip > build/images.tar
+    ARCHIVE_CMD="gzip"
 else
     # system-docker can not load images which compressed by xz with a compression level of 9
     # decompression consumes more memory if using level 9
     # the default compression level for xz is 6
-    docker save ${IMAGES} | xz -6 -e > build/images.tar
+    ARCHIVE_CMD="xz -4 -e"
 fi
+
+docker save ${INIT_IMAGES} | ${ARCHIVE_CMD} > ${INIT_IMAGES_DST}
+docker save ${SYSTEM_IMAGES} | ${ARCHIVE_CMD} > ${SYSTEM_IMAGES_DST}
 echo "tar-images: DONE"