diff --git a/zipl/include/job.h b/zipl/include/job.h
index 4be63472..0090c652 100644
--- a/zipl/include/job.h
+++ b/zipl/include/job.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #ifndef JOB_H
 #define JOB_H
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
+
 #include "disk.h"
 #include "zipl.h"
 
@@ -46,6 +48,8 @@ struct job_common_ipl_data {
 	address_t image_addr;
 	address_t parm_addr;
 	address_t ramdisk_addr;
+	bool optional;
+	bool ignore;
 };
 
 struct job_ipl_data {
diff --git a/zipl/include/scan.h b/zipl/include/scan.h
index e5e49abc..95f67942 100644
--- a/zipl/include/scan.h
+++ b/zipl/include/scan.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 
 #define SCAN_SECTION_NUM		9
-#define SCAN_KEYWORD_NUM		22
+#define SCAN_KEYWORD_NUM		23
 #define SCAN_KEYWORD_ONLY_NUM		1
 #define SCAN_AUTOMENU_NAME		"zipl-automatic-menu"
 
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ enum scan_keyword_id {
 	scan_keyword_defaultauto = 19,
 	scan_keyword_kdump = 20,
 	scan_keyword_secure = 21,
+	scan_keyword_optional = 22,
 };
 
 enum scan_section_type {
diff --git a/zipl/man/zipl.conf.5.in b/zipl/man/zipl.conf.5.in
index 217bf335..e9e66694 100644
--- a/zipl/man/zipl.conf.5.in
+++ b/zipl/man/zipl.conf.5.in
@@ -447,6 +447,23 @@ This option cannot be used together with either
 .BR 'segment' .
 .PP
 
+.B optional
+=
+.IR 0 / 1
+(configuration only)
+.IP
+.B Configuration section:
+.br
+If this option is set to 1 the configuration section will only be included in
+the boot menu if the referenced image file exists, and running
+.B zipl
+will not fail if the image file is missing.
+
+The default value for
+.B 'optional'
+is 0.
+.PP
+
 .B parameters
 =
 .I kernel\-parameters
diff --git a/zipl/src/boot.c b/zipl/src/boot.c
index 6947f8e6..a5d1302b 100644
--- a/zipl/src/boot.c
+++ b/zipl/src/boot.c
@@ -394,6 +394,10 @@ store_stage2_menu(void* data, size_t size, struct job_data* job)
 		return 0;
 	/* Config texts */
 	for (i = 0; i < job->data.menu.num; i++) {
+		if (job->data.menu.entry[i].data.ipl.common.ignore) {
+			params->config[job->data.menu.entry[i].pos] = 0;
+			continue;
+		}
 		const char *kdump_str = "";
 		if (job->data.menu.entry[i].data.ipl.is_kdump)
 			kdump_str = " (kdump)";
diff --git a/zipl/src/bootmap.c b/zipl/src/bootmap.c
index 304afafd..0ddc9899 100644
--- a/zipl/src/bootmap.c
+++ b/zipl/src/bootmap.c
@@ -1089,6 +1089,12 @@ build_program_table(int fd, char *filename, struct job_data *job,
 		for (i=0; i < job->data.menu.num; i++) {
 			switch (job->data.menu.entry[i].id) {
 			case job_ipl:
+				if (job->data.menu.entry[i].data.ipl.common.ignore) {
+					printf("Skipping #%d: IPL section '%s' (missing files)\n",
+					       job->data.menu.entry[i].pos,
+					       job->data.menu.entry[i].name);
+					break;
+				}
 				printf("Adding #%d: IPL section '%s'%s",
 				       job->data.menu.entry[i].pos,
 				       job->data.menu.entry[i].name,
diff --git a/zipl/src/job.c b/zipl/src/job.c
index ee900efb..81ac0735 100644
--- a/zipl/src/job.c
+++ b/zipl/src/job.c
@@ -758,7 +758,8 @@ static void error_text_section(const char *text, const char *section, const char
 
 
 static int
-check_common_ipl_data(struct job_common_ipl_data *common, const char *section)
+check_common_ipl_data(struct job_common_ipl_data *common, const char *section,
+		      bool may_ignore)
 {
 	uint64_t max_parm_size, len;
 	char *buffer = NULL;
@@ -768,10 +769,16 @@ check_common_ipl_data(struct job_common_ipl_data *common, const char *section)
 	if (common->image != NULL) {
 		rc = misc_read_file(common->image, &buffer, &size, 0);
 		if (rc) {
-			error_text_section("Image file", section, common->image);
+			if (may_ignore && common->optional) {
+				printf("Optional section '%s': Missing image file '%s'\n",
+				       section, common->image);
+				error_clear_reason();
+				common->ignore = true;
+				rc = 0;
+				goto skip_image;
+			}
 			return rc;
 		}
-
 		if (size < MAX_COMMAND_LINE_SIZE + sizeof(uint64_t)) {
 			error_text_section("Image file", section, common->image);
 			return -1;
@@ -789,12 +796,19 @@ check_common_ipl_data(struct job_common_ipl_data *common, const char *section)
 			return -1;
 		}
 	}
-
+skip_image:
 	if (common->ramdisk != NULL) {
 		rc = misc_check_readable_file(common->ramdisk);
 		if (rc) {
-			error_text_section("Ramdisk file", section, common->ramdisk);
-			return rc;
+			if (common->optional) {
+				printf("Optional section '%s': Missing ramdisk file '%s'\n",
+				       section, common->ramdisk);
+				error_clear_reason();
+				common->ignore = true;
+				rc = 0;
+			} else {
+				return rc;
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return 0;
@@ -802,13 +816,17 @@ check_common_ipl_data(struct job_common_ipl_data *common, const char *section)
 
 static int
 check_job_ipl_data(struct job_ipl_data *ipl, char *name,
-		   struct job_envblk_data *envblk)
+		   struct job_envblk_data *envblk, bool may_ignore)
 {
 	int rc;
 
-	rc = check_common_ipl_data(&ipl->common, name);
+	rc = check_common_ipl_data(&ipl->common, name, may_ignore);
 	if (rc)
 		return rc;
+
+	if (ipl->common.ignore)
+		return 0;
+
 	return finalize_ipl_address_data(ipl, name, envblk);
 }
 
@@ -887,9 +905,15 @@ check_job_menu_data(struct job_menu_data *menu, struct job_envblk_data *envblk)
 		case job_ipl:
 			rc = check_job_ipl_data(&menu->entry[i].data.ipl,
 						menu->entry[i].name,
-						envblk);
+						envblk, true);
 			if (rc)
 				return rc;
+			/* default_pos is 1-indexed */
+			if (menu->default_pos == i + 1 &&
+			    menu->entry[i].data.ipl.common.ignore) {
+				error_text("Cannot ignore default entry");
+				return -1;
+			}
 			break;
 		case job_print_usage:
 		case job_print_version:
@@ -917,7 +941,7 @@ check_job_ipl_tape_data(struct job_ipl_tape_data *ipl, char* name)
 			return rc;
 		}
 	}
-	rc = check_common_ipl_data(&ipl->common, name);
+	rc = check_common_ipl_data(&ipl->common, name, false);
 	if (rc)
 		return rc;
 	return finalize_common_address_data(&ipl->common, name);
@@ -1016,7 +1040,7 @@ check_job_data(struct job_data* job)
 		break;
 	case job_ipl:
 		rc = check_job_ipl_data(&job->data.ipl, job->name,
-					&job->envblk);
+					&job->envblk, false);
 		break;
 	case job_menu:
 		rc = check_job_menu_data(&job->data.menu, &job->envblk);
@@ -1295,6 +1319,12 @@ get_job_from_section_data(char* data[], struct job_data* job, char* section)
 			if (rc)
 				return rc;
 		}
+		job->data.ipl.common.optional = false;
+		if (data[(int) scan_keyword_optional] != NULL) {
+			job->data.ipl.common.optional =
+				atoi(data[(int) scan_keyword_optional]) == 1;
+		}
+		job->data.ipl.common.ignore = false;
 		break;
 	case section_ipl_tape:
 		/* Tape IPL job */
diff --git a/zipl/src/scan.c b/zipl/src/scan.c
index b6b94262..0248f1d2 100644
--- a/zipl/src/scan.c
+++ b/zipl/src/scan.c
@@ -47,45 +47,45 @@ enum scan_key_state scan_key_table[SCAN_SECTION_NUM][SCAN_KEYWORD_NUM] = {
  *	 ult  to   tofs e    mete file isk  ent  et   pt   out  ultm      dump
  *			     rs                                 enu
  *
- *       targ targ targ targ targ defa kdum secu
- *       etba etty etge etbl etof ulta p    re
+ *       targ targ targ targ targ defa kdum secu opti
+ *       etba etty etge etbl etof ulta p    re   onal
  *       se   pe   omet ocks fset uto
  *                 ry   ize
  */
 /* default auto */
 	{opt, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, req, opt, opt, inv, inv, inv,
-	 opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, inv, opt},
+	 opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, inv, opt, inv},
 /* default menu */
 	{inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, req, inv, inv,
-	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, opt},
+	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, opt, inv},
 /* default section */
 	{req, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv,
-	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, opt},
+	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, opt, inv},
 /* ipl		*/
 	{inv, inv, inv, req, opt, opt, opt, inv, req, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv,
-	 opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, inv, opt, opt},
+	 opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, inv, opt, opt, opt},
 /* segment load */
 	{inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, req, req, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv,
-	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
+	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
 /* part dump	*/
 	{inv, req, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, opt, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv,
-	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
+	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
 /* fs dump	*/
 	{inv, inv, req, inv, opt, opt, inv, inv, req, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv,
-	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
+	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
 /* ipl tape	*/
 	{inv, inv, inv, req, opt, opt, opt, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, req, inv,
-	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
+	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv},
 /* multi volume dump	*/
 	{inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, req,
-	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv}
+	 inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv}
 };
 
 /* Determines which keyword may be present in a menu section */
 static enum scan_key_state scan_menu_key_table[SCAN_KEYWORD_NUM] = {
 /* menu section */
 	 opt, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, inv, req, opt, opt, inv, inv, inv,
-	 opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, inv, inv, opt
+	 opt, opt, opt, opt, opt, inv, inv, opt, inv
 };
 
 /* Mapping of keyword IDs to strings */
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ static const struct {
 	{ "tape", scan_keyword_tape},
 	{ "kdump", scan_keyword_kdump},
 	{ "secure", scan_keyword_secure},
+	{ "optional", scan_keyword_optional},
 };
 
 /* List of keywords that are used without an assignment */