--- a/zipl/src/bootmap.c
+++ b/zipl/src/bootmap.c
@@ -1006,6 +1006,12 @@
 		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.ignore) {
+					printf("Ignore #%d: IPL section '%s'\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,
--- a/zipl/src/scan.c
+++ b/zipl/src/scan.c
@@ -47,45 +47,45 @@
  *	 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 */
 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 @@
 	{ "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 */
--- 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"
 
@@ -47,6 +49,8 @@
 	address_t parm_addr;
 	address_t ramdisk_addr;
 	int is_kdump;
+	bool optional;
+	bool ignore;
 };
 
 struct job_segment_data {
--- a/zipl/src/job.c
+++ b/zipl/src/job.c
@@ -828,14 +828,20 @@
 
 
 static int
-check_job_ipl_data(struct job_ipl_data *ipl, char* name)
+check_job_ipl_data(struct job_ipl_data *ipl, char* name, bool may_ignore)
 {
 	int rc;
 
 	if (ipl->image != NULL) {
 		rc = misc_check_readable_file(ipl->image);
 		if (rc) {
-			if (name == NULL) {
+			if (may_ignore && ipl->optional) {
+				printf("Ignore section '%s': Image file '%s'\n",
+						name, ipl->image);
+				error_clear_reason();
+				ipl->ignore = true;
+				return 0;
+			} else if (name == NULL) {
 				error_text("Image file '%s'", ipl->image);
 			} else {
 				error_text("Image file '%s' in section '%s'",
@@ -847,7 +853,13 @@
 	if (ipl->ramdisk != NULL) {
 		rc = misc_check_readable_file(ipl->ramdisk);
 		if (rc) {
-			if (name == NULL) {
+			if (ipl->optional) {
+				printf("Ignore section '%s': Ramdisc file '%s'\n",
+						name, ipl->ramdisk);
+				error_clear_reason();
+				ipl->ignore = true;
+				return 0;
+			} else if (name == NULL) {
 				error_text("Ramdisk file '%s'", ipl->ramdisk);
 			} else {
 				error_text("Ramdisk file '%s' in section '%s'",
@@ -944,9 +956,13 @@
 		switch (menu->entry[i].id) {
 		case job_ipl:
 			rc = check_job_ipl_data(&menu->entry[i].data.ipl,
-						menu->entry[i].name);
+						menu->entry[i].name, true);
 			if (rc)
 				return rc;
+			if (menu->default_pos == i + 1 && menu->entry[i].data.ipl.ignore) {
+				error_text("Can't ignore default entry.");
+				return -1;
+			}
 			break;
 		case job_print_usage:
 		case job_print_version:
@@ -1110,7 +1126,7 @@
 		rc = 0;
 		break;
 	case job_ipl:
-		rc = check_job_ipl_data(&job->data.ipl, job->name);
+		rc = check_job_ipl_data(&job->data.ipl, job->name, false);
 		break;
 	case job_menu:
 		rc = check_job_menu_data(&job->data.menu);
@@ -1402,6 +1418,8 @@
 			if (rc)
 				return rc;
 		}
+		job->data.ipl.optional = data[(int) scan_keyword_optional];
+		job->data.ipl.ignore = false;
 		break;
 	case section_ipl_tape:
 		/* Tape IPL job */
--- a/zipl/man/zipl.conf.5.in
+++ b/zipl/man/zipl.conf.5.in
@@ -447,6 +447,22 @@
 .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
+.BR zipl
+will not fail if the image file is missing.
+
+The default value for
+.B 'optional'
+is 0.
+
 .B parameters
 =
 .I kernel\-parameters
--- 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 @@
 	scan_keyword_defaultauto = 19,
 	scan_keyword_kdump = 20,
 	scan_keyword_secure = 21,
+	scan_keyword_optional = 22,
 };
 
 enum scan_section_type {