diff --git a/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh b/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh
index 8ee07494a38..b3a29fb32e3 100644
--- a/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh
+++ b/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh
@@ -223,9 +223,9 @@ indicate_upgrade() {
 default_do_upgrade() {
 	sync
 	if [ "$SAVE_CONFIG" -eq 1 ]; then
-		get_image "$1" "$2" | mtd $MTD_CONFIG_ARGS -j "$CONF_TAR" write - "${PART_NAME:-image}"
+		get_image "$1" "$2" | mtd $MTD_ARGS $MTD_CONFIG_ARGS -j "$CONF_TAR" write - "${PART_NAME:-image}"
 	else
-		get_image "$1" "$2" | mtd write - "${PART_NAME:-image}"
+		get_image "$1" "$2" | mtd $MTD_ARGS write - "${PART_NAME:-image}"
 	fi
 	[ $? -ne 0 ] && exit 1
 }
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade b/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade
index 58b613b5a08..54d7a64b485 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade
+++ b/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 . /lib/functions/system.sh
 
 # initialize defaults
+export MTD_ARGS=""
 export MTD_CONFIG_ARGS=""
 export INTERACTIVE=0
 export VERBOSE=1