diff --git a/genprotimg/src/pv/pv_image.c b/genprotimg/src/pv/pv_image.c
index 75aeb5e4..94ebb620 100644
--- a/genprotimg/src/pv/pv_image.c
+++ b/genprotimg/src/pv/pv_image.c
@@ -684,7 +684,26 @@ gint pv_img_add_component(PvImage *img, const PvArg *arg, GError **err)
 {
 	g_autoptr(PvComponent) comp = NULL;
 
-	comp = pv_component_new_file(arg->type, arg->path, err);
+	switch (arg->type) {
+	case PV_COMP_TYPE_INITRD:
+	case PV_COMP_TYPE_KERNEL:
+	case PV_COMP_TYPE_STAGE3B:
+		comp = pv_component_new_file(arg->type, arg->path, err);
+		break;
+	case PV_COMP_TYPE_CMDLINE: {
+		g_autoptr(PvBuffer) buf = NULL;
+		g_autofree char *data = NULL;
+		gsize length;
+
+		if (!g_file_get_contents(arg->path, &data, &length, err))
+			return -1;
+
+		/* Add one for the null terminator */
+		buf = pv_buffer_take(g_steal_pointer(&data), length + 1);
+		comp = pv_component_new_buf(arg->type, buf, err);
+	} break;
+	}
+
 	if (!comp)
 		return -1;
 
diff --git a/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.c b/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.c
index 509dc0de..d7a10844 100644
--- a/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.c
+++ b/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.c
@@ -26,6 +26,15 @@ PvBuffer *pv_buffer_alloc(gsize size)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+PvBuffer *pv_buffer_take(char *data, gsize size)
+{
+	PvBuffer *ret = g_new0(PvBuffer, 1);
+
+	ret->data = data;
+	ret->size = size;
+	return ret;
+}
+
 PvBuffer *pv_buffer_dup(const PvBuffer *buf, gboolean page_aligned)
 {
 	PvBuffer *ret;
diff --git a/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.h b/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.h
index 824b72cb..3fb870a0 100644
--- a/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.h
+++ b/genprotimg/src/utils/buffer.h
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ typedef struct PvBuffer {
 } PvBuffer;
 
 PvBuffer *pv_buffer_alloc(gsize size);
+/* After this call @data belongs to the PvBuffer and must no longer be modified
+ * by the caller.
+ */
+PvBuffer *pv_buffer_take(char *data, gsize size);
 void pv_buffer_free(PvBuffer *buf);
 void pv_buffer_clear(PvBuffer **buf);
 gint pv_buffer_write(const PvBuffer *buf, FILE *file, GError **err);