diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5588cf8..0b7eabb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ Install Xorg open-source X Window System.
 ##### `ENABLE_WM`=""
 Install a user defined window manager for the X Window System. To make sure all X related package dependencies are getting installed `ENABLE_XORG` will automatically get enabled if `ENABLE_WM` is used. The `rpi23-gen-image.sh` script has been tested with the following list of window managers: `blackbox`, `openbox`, `fluxbox`, `jwm`, `dwm`, `xfce4`, `awesome`.
 
+##### `ENABLE_SYSVINIT`=false
+Support for halt,init,poweroff,reboot,runlevel,shutdown,telinit commands
+
 ---
 
 #### Advanced system features:
diff --git a/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh
index 93bf254..d8cfb69 100644
--- a/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.d/10-bootstrap.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 VARIANT=""
 COMPONENTS="main"
-EXCLUDES=""
 
 # Use non-free Debian packages if needed
 if [ "$ENABLE_NONFREE" = true ] ; then
@@ -19,13 +18,8 @@ if [ "$ENABLE_MINBASE" = true ] ; then
   VARIANT="--variant=minbase"
 fi
 
-# Exclude packages if required by Debian release
-if [ "$RELEASE" = "stretch" ] || [ "$RELEASE" = "buster" ] ; then
-  EXCLUDES="--exclude=init,systemd-sysv"
-fi
-
 # Base debootstrap (unpack only)
-http_proxy=${APT_PROXY} debootstrap ${EXCLUDES} --arch="${RELEASE_ARCH}" --foreign ${VARIANT} --components="${COMPONENTS}" --include="${APT_INCLUDES}" "${RELEASE}" "${R}" "http://${APT_SERVER}/debian"
+http_proxy=${APT_PROXY} debootstrap ${APT_EXCLUDES} --arch="${RELEASE_ARCH}" --foreign ${VARIANT} --components="${COMPONENTS}" --include="${APT_INCLUDES}" "${RELEASE}" "${R}" "http://${APT_SERVER}/debian"
 
 # Copy qemu emulator binary to chroot
 install -m 755 -o root -g root "${QEMU_BINARY}" "${R}${QEMU_BINARY}"
diff --git a/rpi23-gen-image.sh b/rpi23-gen-image.sh
index d8d008a..1e4703c 100755
--- a/rpi23-gen-image.sh
+++ b/rpi23-gen-image.sh
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ ENABLE_USER=${ENABLE_USER:=true}
 USER_NAME=${USER_NAME:="pi"}
 ENABLE_ROOT=${ENABLE_ROOT:=false}
 ENABLE_QEMU=${ENABLE_QEMU:=false}
+ENABLE_SYSVINIT=${ENABLE_SYSVINIT:=false}
 
 # SSH settings
 SSH_ENABLE_ROOT=${SSH_ENABLE_ROOT:=false}
@@ -244,6 +245,9 @@ CHROOT_SCRIPTS=${CHROOT_SCRIPTS:=""}
 APT_INCLUDES=${APT_INCLUDES:=""}
 APT_INCLUDES="${APT_INCLUDES},apt-transport-https,apt-utils,ca-certificates,debian-archive-keyring,dialog,sudo,systemd,sysvinit-utils"
 
+#Packages to exclude from chroot build environment
+APT_EXCLUDES=${APT_EXCLUDES:=""}
+
 # Packages required for bootstrapping
 REQUIRED_PACKAGES="debootstrap debian-archive-keyring qemu-user-static binfmt-support dosfstools rsync bmap-tools whois git bc psmisc dbus sudo"
 MISSING_PACKAGES=""
@@ -253,6 +257,11 @@ COMPILER_PACKAGES=""
 
 set +x
 
+#If init and systemd-sysv are wanted e.g. halt/reboot/shutdown scripts
+if [ "$ENABLE_SYSVINIT" = false ] ; then
+APT_EXCLUDES="--exclude=${APT_EXCLUDES},init,systemd-sysv"
+fi
+
 # Set Raspberry Pi model specific configuration
 if [ "$RPI_MODEL" = 0 ] ; then
   DTB_FILE=${RPI0_DTB_FILE}