diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/block-device-default.yaml b/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/block-device-default.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..85b41a3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/block-device-default.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Default single partition loopback
+
+- local_loop:
+    name: image0
+
+- partitioning:
+   base: image0
+   label: mbr
+   partitions:
+     - name: root
+       flags: [ boot, primary ]
+       size: 100%
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/block-device-ppc.yaml b/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/block-device-ppc.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b3a78dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/block-device-ppc.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# Default block device setup for PPC
+# ----------------------------------
+#
+# Details (extracted from [1])
+#
+# Power Firmware (OFW) scans chosen (nvram value boot-device) device,
+# for either PReP* partition or vfat.
+#
+# PReP is raw and small (8M max) partition which caries only stage1
+# binary.
+#  msdos partition table:
+#   - PReP partition have 0x41 type (must be active)
+#   - PReP partition must have boot flag set
+#
+# [1] https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/community/wikis/home?lang=en#!/wiki/W51a7ffcf4dfd_4b40_9d82_446ebc23c550/page/PowerLinux%20Boot%20howto
+
+- local_loop:
+    name: image0
+
+- partitioning:
+    base: image0
+    label: mbr
+    partitions:
+      - name: boot
+        flags: [ boot, primary ]
+        type: '0x41'
+        size: 8MiB
+      - name: root
+        flags: [ primary ]
+        size: 100%
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/environment.d/10-partitioning b/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/environment.d/10-partitioning
index 186ea6a1..7aeea5a3 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/environment.d/10-partitioning
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/vm/environment.d/10-partitioning
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
-export DIB_BLOCK_DEVICE_DEFAULT_CONFIG="
-- local_loop:
-    name: image0
+_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 
-- partitioning:
-   base: image0
-   label: mbr
-   partitions:
-     - name: root
-       flags: [ boot, primary ]
-       size: 100%
-"
+if [[ "$ARCH" =~ "ppc" ]] ; then
+    DIB_BLOCK_DEVICE_DEFAULT_CONFIG="$(cat $_DIR/../block-device-ppc.yaml)"
+else
+    DIB_BLOCK_DEVICE_DEFAULT_CONFIG="$(cat $_DIR/../block-device-default.yaml)"
+fi
 
 DIB_BLOCK_DEVICE_CONFIG=${DIB_BLOCK_DEVICE_CONFIG:-${DIB_BLOCK_DEVICE_DEFAULT_CONFIG}}
 export DIB_BLOCK_DEVICE_CONFIG
+
+# Local variables:
+# mode: sh
+# End: