diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b25f5af..42ef3b7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # rpi2-gen-image
 ## Introduction
-`rpi2-gen-image.sh` is an advanced Debian Linux bootstrapping shell script for generating Debian OS images for the Raspberry 2 (RPi2) computer. The script at this time only supports the bootstrapping of the current stable Debian 8 "jessie" release.
+`rpi2-gen-image.sh` is an advanced Debian Linux bootstrapping shell script for generating Debian OS images for the Raspberry 2 (RPi2) computer. The script at this time supports the bootstrapping of the Debian releases "jessie" and "stretch".
 
 ## Build dependencies
 The following list of Debian packages must be installed on the build system because they are essentially required for the bootstrapping process. The script will check if all required packages are installed and missing packages will be installed automatically if confirmed by the user.
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ BUILD_KERNEL=true ENABLE_MINBASE=true ENABLE_IPV6=false ./rpi2-gen-image.sh
 BUILD_KERNEL=true KERNELSRC_DIR=/tmp/linux ./rpi2-gen-image.sh
 ENABLE_MINBASE=true ENABLE_REDUCE=true ENABLE_MINGPU=true BUILD_KERNEL=true ./rpi2-gen-image.sh
 ENABLE_CRYPTFS=true CRYPTFS_PASSWORD=changeme EXPANDROOT=false ENABLE_MINBASE=true ENABLE_REDUCE=true ENABLE_MINGPU=true BUILD_KERNEL=true ./rpi2-gen-image.sh
+RELEASE=stretch BUILD_KERNEL=true ./rpi2-gen-image.sh
 ```
 
 #### APT settings:
@@ -35,6 +36,9 @@ Set Proxy server address. Using a local Proxy-Cache like `apt-cacher-ng` will sp
 A comma separated list of additional packages to be installed during bootstrapping.
 
 #### General system settings:
+##### `RELEASE`="jessie"
+Set the desired Debian release name. The script at this time supports the bootstrapping of the Debian releases "jessie" and "stretch". `BUILD_KERNEL`=true will automatically be set if the Debian release `stretch` is used.
+
 ##### `HOSTNAME`="rpi2-jessie"
 Set system host name. It's recommended that the host name is unique in the corresponding subnet.
 
@@ -171,6 +175,9 @@ Path to a directory with scripts that should be run in the chroot before the ima
 ##### `ENABLE_INITRAMFS`=false
 Create an initramfs that that will be loaded during the Linux startup process. `ENABLE_INITRAMFS` will automatically get enabled if `ENABLE_CRYPTFS`=true. This parameter will be ignored if `BUILD_KERNEL`=false.
 
+##### `ENABLE_IFNAMES`=true
+Enable automatic assignment of predictable, stable network interface names for all local Ethernet, WLAN interfaces. This might create complex and long interface names. This parameter is only supported if the Debian release `stretch` is used.
+
 #### Kernel compilation:
 ##### `BUILD_KERNEL`=false
 Build and install the latest RPi2 Linux kernel. Currently only the default RPi2 kernel configuration is used.
diff --git a/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh
index 771a3e4..e395437 100644
--- a/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 VARIANT=""
 COMPONENTS="main"
+EXCLUDES=""
 
 # Use non-free Debian packages if needed
 if [ "$ENABLE_NONFREE" = true ] ; then
@@ -18,8 +19,13 @@ if [ "$ENABLE_MINBASE" = true ] ; then
   VARIANT="--variant=minbase"
 fi
 
+# Exclude packages if required by Debian release
+if [ "$RELEASE" = "stretch" ] ; then
+  EXCLUDES="--exclude=init,systemd-sysv"
+fi
+
 # Base debootstrap (unpack only)
-http_proxy=${APT_PROXY} debootstrap --arch="${RELEASE_ARCH}" --foreign ${VARIANT} --components="${COMPONENTS}" --include="${APT_INCLUDES}" "${RELEASE}" "${R}" "http://${APT_SERVER}/debian"
+http_proxy=${APT_PROXY} debootstrap ${EXCLUDES} --arch="${RELEASE_ARCH}" --foreign ${VARIANT} --components="${COMPONENTS}" --include="${APT_INCLUDES}" "${RELEASE}" "${R}" "http://${APT_SERVER}/debian"
 
 # Copy qemu emulator binary to chroot
 install_exec "${QEMU_BINARY}" "${R}${QEMU_BINARY}"
@@ -34,4 +40,8 @@ chroot_exec /debootstrap/debootstrap --second-stage
 # Mount required filesystems
 mount -t proc none "${R}/proc"
 mount -t sysfs none "${R}/sys"
-mount --bind /dev/pts "${R}/dev/pts"
+
+# Mount pseudo terminal slave if supported by Debian release
+if [ -d "${R}/dev/pts" ] ; then
+  mount --bind /dev/pts "${R}/dev/pts"
+fi
diff --git a/bootstrap.d/13-kernel.sh b/bootstrap.d/13-kernel.sh
index 8e437c4..b88200e 100644
--- a/bootstrap.d/13-kernel.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.d/13-kernel.sh
@@ -171,9 +171,9 @@ fi
 
 # Setup firmware boot cmdline
 if [ "$ENABLE_SPLITFS" = true ] ; then
-  CMDLINE="dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 root=/dev/sda1 rootfstype=ext4 rootflags=commit=100,data=writeback elevator=deadline rootwait net.ifnames=1 console=tty1 ${CMDLINE}"
+  CMDLINE="dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 root=/dev/sda1 rootfstype=ext4 rootflags=commit=100,data=writeback elevator=deadline rootwait console=tty1"
 else
-  CMDLINE="dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootfstype=ext4 rootflags=commit=100,data=writeback elevator=deadline rootwait net.ifnames=1 console=tty1 ${CMDLINE}"
+  CMDLINE="dwc_otg.lpm_enable=0 root=/dev/mmcblk0p2 rootfstype=ext4 rootflags=commit=100,data=writeback elevator=deadline rootwait console=tty1"
 fi
 
 # Add encrypted root partition to cmdline.txt
@@ -195,6 +195,18 @@ if [ "$ENABLE_IPV6" = false ] ; then
   CMDLINE="${CMDLINE} ipv6.disable=1"
 fi
 
+# Automatically assign predictable network interface names
+if [ "$ENABLE_IFNAMES" = false ] ; then
+  CMDLINE="${CMDLINE} net.ifnames=0"
+else
+  CMDLINE="${CMDLINE} net.ifnames=1"
+fi
+
+# Set init to systemd if required by Debian release
+if [ "$RELEASE" = "stretch" ] ; then
+  CMDLINE="${CMDLINE} init=/bin/systemd"
+fi
+
 # Install firmware boot cmdline
 echo "${CMDLINE}" > "${BOOTDIR}/cmdline.txt"
 
diff --git a/bootstrap.d/20-networking.sh b/bootstrap.d/20-networking.sh
index b64b8ca..f1a9765 100644
--- a/bootstrap.d/20-networking.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.d/20-networking.sh
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ fi
 # Remove empty settings from network configuration
 sed -i "/.*=\$/d" "${ETCDIR}/systemd/network/eth.network"
 
+# Move systemd network configuration if required by Debian release
+if [ "$RELEASE" = "stretch" ] ; then
+  mv -v "${ETCDIR}/systemd/network/eth.network" "${LIBDIR}/systemd/network/10-eth.network"
+  rm -fr "${ETCDIR}/systemd/network"
+fi
+
 # Enable systemd-networkd service
 chroot_exec systemctl enable systemd-networkd
 
diff --git a/bootstrap.d/50-firstboot.sh b/bootstrap.d/50-firstboot.sh
index 7e2e008..c2e0909 100644
--- a/bootstrap.d/50-firstboot.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.d/50-firstboot.sh
@@ -29,10 +29,20 @@ cat files/firstboot/24-generate-machineid.sh >> "${ETCDIR}/rc.firstboot"
 # Create /etc/resolv.conf symlink
 cat files/firstboot/25-create-resolv-symlink.sh >> "${ETCDIR}/rc.firstboot"
 
+# Configure automatic network interface names
+if [ "$ENABLE_IFNAMES" = true ] ; then
+  cat files/firstboot/26-config-ifnames.sh >> "${ETCDIR}/rc.firstboot"
+fi
+
 # Finalize rc.firstboot script
 cat files/firstboot/99-finish.sh >> "${ETCDIR}/rc.firstboot"
 chmod +x "${ETCDIR}/rc.firstboot"
 
+# Install default rc.local if it does not exist
+if [ ! -f "${ETCDIR}/rc.local" ] ; then
+  install_exec files/etc/rc.local "${ETCDIR}/rc.local"
+fi
+
 # Add rc.firstboot script to rc.local
 sed -i '/exit 0/d' "${ETCDIR}/rc.local"
 echo /etc/rc.firstboot >> "${ETCDIR}/rc.local"
diff --git a/files/etc/rc.local b/files/etc/rc.local
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..65634df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/files/etc/rc.local
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/bin/sh -e
+#
+# rc.local
+#
+# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.
+# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other
+# value on error.
+#
+# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution
+# bits.
+#
+# By default this script does nothing.
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/files/firstboot/26-config-ifnames.sh b/files/firstboot/26-config-ifnames.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9724155
--- /dev/null
+++ b/files/firstboot/26-config-ifnames.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+logger -t "rc.firstboot" "Configuring network interface name"
+
+INTERFACE_NAME=$(dmesg | grep "renamed from eth0" | awk -F ":| " '{ print $9 }')
+
+if [ ! -z INTERFACE_NAME ] ; then
+  if [ -r "/etc/systemd/network/eth.network" ] ; then
+    sed -i "s/eth0/${INTERFACE_NAME}/" /etc/systemd/network/eth.network
+  fi
+
+  if [ -r "/lib/systemd/network/10-eth.network" ] ; then
+    sed -i "s/eth0/${INTERFACE_NAME}/" /lib/systemd/network/10-eth.network
+  fi
+fi
diff --git a/files/firstboot/99-finish.sh b/files/firstboot/99-finish.sh
index f3f64b5..ca956f8 100644
--- a/files/firstboot/99-finish.sh
+++ b/files/firstboot/99-finish.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+logger -t "rc.firstboot" "Reload systemd manager configuration"
+systemctl daemon-reload
+systemctl restart networking.service
+systemctl restart systemd-networkd.service
 logger -t "rc.firstboot" "First boot actions finished"
 rm -f /etc/rc.firstboot
 sed -i '/.*rc.firstboot/d' /etc/rc.local
diff --git a/rpi2-gen-image.sh b/rpi2-gen-image.sh
index 2d17f12..23534a4 100755
--- a/rpi2-gen-image.sh
+++ b/rpi2-gen-image.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ########################################################################
 # rpi2-gen-image.sh					       2015-2016
 #
-# Advanced debian "jessie" bootstrap script for RPi2
+# Advanced Debian "jessie" and "stretch"  bootstrap script for RPi2
 #
 # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
 # modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ BUILDDIR="${BASEDIR}/build"
 # Chroot directories
 R="${BUILDDIR}/chroot"
 ETCDIR="${R}/etc"
+LIBDIR="${R}/lib"
 BOOTDIR="${R}/boot/firmware"
 KERNELDIR="${R}/usr/src/linux"
 
@@ -122,6 +123,7 @@ ENABLE_HARDNET=${ENABLE_HARDNET:=false}
 ENABLE_IPTABLES=${ENABLE_IPTABLES:=false}
 ENABLE_SPLITFS=${ENABLE_SPLITFS:=false}
 ENABLE_INITRAMFS=${ENABLE_INITRAMFS:=false}
+ENABLE_IFNAMES=${ENABLE_IFNAMES:=true}
 
 # Kernel compilation settings
 BUILD_KERNEL=${BUILD_KERNEL:=false}
@@ -162,7 +164,7 @@ CHROOT_SCRIPTS=${CHROOT_SCRIPTS:=""}
 
 # Packages required in the chroot build environment
 APT_INCLUDES=${APT_INCLUDES:=""}
-APT_INCLUDES="${APT_INCLUDES},apt-transport-https,apt-utils,ca-certificates,debian-archive-keyring,dialog,sudo"
+APT_INCLUDES="${APT_INCLUDES},apt-transport-https,apt-utils,ca-certificates,debian-archive-keyring,dialog,sudo,systemd,sysvinit-utils"
 
 # Packages required for bootstrapping
 REQUIRED_PACKAGES="debootstrap debian-archive-keyring qemu-user-static binfmt-support dosfstools rsync bmap-tools whois git"
@@ -170,6 +172,11 @@ MISSING_PACKAGES=""
 
 set +x
 
+# Build latest RPi2 Linux kernel if required by Debian release
+if [ "$RELEASE" = "stretch" ] ; then
+  BUILD_KERNEL=true
+fi
+
 # Add packages required for kernel cross compilation
 if [ "$BUILD_KERNEL" = true ] ; then
   REQUIRED_PACKAGES="${REQUIRED_PACKAGES} crossbuild-essential-armhf"