diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/finalise.d/80-update-initramfs b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/finalise.d/80-update-initramfs
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..a02dd649
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/finalise.d/80-update-initramfs
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Copyright 2017 Andreas Florath <andreas@florath.net>
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
+# a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+#
+if [ "${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-0}" -gt 0 ]; then
+    set -x
+fi
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+# Many elements install additional distribution packages.
+# In addition the user can provide a set of packages to be installed
+# via the '-p' switch.
+# Some of them influence the boot process and therefore the initramfs
+# needs to be updated. Because the package manager during the image
+# creation process is configured not to run package scripts, this needs
+# to be done explicitly.
+update-initramfs -u
+
+# Please note that the 'dracut-regenerate' element does a similar job.
+# Nevertheless the update-initramfs / mkinitramfs are (currently) the
+# standard way for Debian / Ubuntu.
+# Also the 'dracut-regenerate' element can currently (Sep 2017) not
+# be used with Ubuntu, because of some problems, e.g. it clashes with
+# the ubuntu-minimal distribution package (not the DIB element with
+# the same name).