diff --git a/tool/run/boot_dir/linux b/tool/run/boot_dir/linux
index bbdcebda7..2c6498d06 100644
--- a/tool/run/boot_dir/linux
+++ b/tool/run/boot_dir/linux
@@ -30,6 +30,36 @@ proc run_boot_dir {binaries} {
 
 	# Save config part of the image.elf for easy inspection
 	exec cp -f [run_dir]/genode/config [run_dir].config
+
+        if {[board] == "pc"} {
+
+            build_initrd $binaries
+
+            file copy -force [genode_dir]/tool/boot/vmlinuz [run_dir]/vmlinuz
+
+            if {[have_include "image/iso"]} {
+                install_iso_bootloader_to_run_dir
+            }
+
+            if {[have_include "image/uefi"]} {
+
+                exec mkdir -p [run_dir]/efi/boot
+                exec cp [get_grub2_dir]/boot/grub2/grub2_32.efi [run_dir]/efi/boot/bootia32.efi
+                exec cp [get_grub2_dir]/boot/grub2/grub2_64.efi [run_dir]/efi/boot/bootx64.efi
+                exec mkdir -p [run_dir]/boot/grub
+            }
+
+            set fh [open "[run_dir]/boot/grub/grub.cfg" "WRONLY CREAT TRUNC"]
+            puts $fh "set timeout=0"
+            puts $fh "menuentry 'Genode on Linux' {"
+            puts $fh " insmod linux"
+            puts $fh " linux /vmlinuz console=ttyS0,115200 amd_iommu=off intel_iommu=off"
+            puts $fh " initrd /initrd"
+            puts $fh "}"
+            close $fh
+
+            run_image
+        }
 }
 
 
diff --git a/tool/run/image/uefi b/tool/run/image/uefi
index 77354137d..7b5088355 100644
--- a/tool/run/image/uefi
+++ b/tool/run/image/uefi
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ proc image_uefi_size { } { return [get_cmd_arg --image-uefi_size 0] }
 #
 proc run_image { {unused ""} } {
 
-	set run_size [expr [regsub {\s.*} [exec du -sm [run_dir]] {}]]
+	set run_size [expr [regsub {\s.*} [exec du -smL [run_dir]] {}]]
 
 	if {[image_uefi_size] > 0} {
 		set disk_size  [image_uefi_size]
diff --git a/tool/run/qemu.inc b/tool/run/qemu.inc
index a8851cb38..645be0239 100644
--- a/tool/run/qemu.inc
+++ b/tool/run/qemu.inc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ proc qemu_args { } {
 # XXX should by removed in favor of [have_include "exec/qemu"]
 #
 proc is_qemu_available { } {
-	if {[have_spec linux]} { return false }
+	if {[expr [have_spec linux] && {"[board]"} == {"linux"}]} { return false }
 
 	if {[have_spec panda]
 	 || [have_spec arndale]
diff --git a/tool/run/run b/tool/run/run
index 7850ec056..b56204953 100755
--- a/tool/run/run
+++ b/tool/run/run
@@ -987,6 +987,37 @@ proc build_core_image { modules } {
 	exec cp -f [run_dir]/genode/config [run_dir].config
 }
 
+proc build_initrd { modules } {
+
+    copy_genode_binaries_to_run_dir $modules
+
+    set modules [glob -nocomplain -tails -directory [run_dir]/genode/ *]
+    set excluded_modules [kernel_files]
+
+    foreach file [glob -nocomplain [run_dir]/genode/*.config] {
+		check_xml_syntax $file }
+
+    exec cp -f [run_dir]/genode/config [run_dir].config
+
+    set here [pwd]
+    cd [run_dir]
+    puts "generating initrd"
+    exec cp genode/initramfs init
+    exec mkdir tmp
+    exec mkdir dev
+    set files "init\ntmp\ndev\ngenode\n"
+    append files [exec find genode -type f,l -printf "genode/%f\n"]
+    exec -ignorestderr echo $files | [installed_command cpio] -o -L -H newc > initrd
+
+    #workaround because cpio fails to compress broken links sometimes
+    exec touch dev/platform_info
+    cd genode
+    exec ln -s ../dev/platform_info platform_info
+    cd ..
+    exec -ignorestderr echo "genode/platform_info" | [installed_command cpio] -o -A -H newc -O initrd
+    cd ${here}
+}
+
 source [genode_dir]/tool/run/depot.inc