diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0675f86a..e39c428f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ initrd-y += $(build)/$(BOARD)/modules.cpio
 initrd-y += $(build)/$(BOARD)/tools.cpio
 
 initrd.intermediate: $(build)/$(BOARD)/initrd.cpio.xz
-$(build)/$(BOARD)/initrd.cpio.xz: $(initrd-y)
+$(build)/$(BOARD)/initrd.cpio.xz: $(or $(INITRD_OVERRIDE),$(initrd-y))
 	$(call do,CPIO-CLEAN,$@,\
 	$(pwd)/bin/cpio-clean \
 		$^ \
diff --git a/boards/winterfell.config b/boards/winterfell.config
index aa145943..aa862f64 100644
--- a/boards/winterfell.config
+++ b/boards/winterfell.config
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 # Configuration for a Winterfell OCP node
-# and it is NERF, not coreboot.
+# and it uses LinuxBoot, not coreboot.
 CONFIG_LINUXBOOT=y
 CONFIG_LINUXBOOT_ROM=blobs/winterfell.rom
 CONFIG_LINUX_CONFIG=config/linux-linuxboot.config
 
+# If you want to build with the go-based u-root instead of
+# everything else.  Note that turning this on will turn off
+# all of the other build tools.
+CONFIG_UROOT=y
+
 CONFIG_CRYPTSETUP=y
 CONFIG_FLASHROM=y
 #CONFIG_GPG=y
@@ -18,6 +23,7 @@ CONFIG_POPT=y
 #CONFIG_XEN=y
 CONFIG_DROPBEAR=y
 
+# Linux modules will still be linked into the u-root tree
 CONFIG_LINUX_USB=y
 CONFIG_LINUX_MLX4=y
 CONFIG_LINUX_ATA=y
diff --git a/modules/u-root b/modules/u-root
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecdf2abc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/u-root
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#
+# u-root go runtime
+#
+# This is not a normal Heads module, since it builds all of its
+# own dependencies.
+#
+
+ifeq "$(CONFIG_UROOT)" "y"
+
+u-root_url := github.com/u-root/u-root
+u-root_output := $(build)/$(BOARD)/initrd.cpio
+
+export GOPATH=$(build)/go
+
+$(GOPATH):
+	$(call do,GO GET,$(u-root_url),\
+		go get $(u-root_url) \
+	)
+
+$(u-root_output): $(GOPATH)
+	$(call do,U-ROOT,$@,\
+		$(GOPATH)/bin/u-root \
+			-build=bb \
+			-format=cpio \
+			-o $@ \
+	)
+
+# Override the initrd inputs and add in the kernel modules
+INITRD_OVERRIDE += $(u-root_output)
+INITRD_OVERRIDE += $(build)/$(BOARD)/modules.cpio
+
+
+endif