diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/README.rst b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/README.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46c99f522
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/README.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+==========
+zipl
+==========
+
+Zipl is the bootloader for s390x.
+
+This element installs zipl on the base device holding the /boot directory on the system.
+It's mandatory for building s390x images. It replaces the `bootloader` element
+(which would install grub2 by default).
+
+This element has been tested with `ubuntu` and `ubuntu-minimal` distro.
+
+Arguments
+=========
+
+* ``DIB_ZIPL_DEFAULT_CMDLINE`` sets the CMDLINE parameters that
+  are appended to the zipl.conf parameter configuration. It defaults to
+  'LANG=en_US.UTF-8 console=ttyS0 console=ttyS1'
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/element-deps b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/element-deps
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7076aba94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/element-deps
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+package-installs
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/element-provides b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/element-provides
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54960172d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/element-provides
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bootloader
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/environment.d/10-zipl-default-cmdline b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/environment.d/10-zipl-default-cmdline
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea1c15293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/environment.d/10-zipl-default-cmdline
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export DIB_ZIPL_DEFAULT_CMDLINE=${DIB_ZIPL_DEFAULT_CMDLINE:-"LANG=en_US.UTF-8 console=ttyS0 console=ttyS1"}
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/finalise.d/50-zipl b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/finalise.d/50-zipl
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..4f9499edf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/finalise.d/50-zipl
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Copyright (c) 2017 IBM Corp.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.
+#
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+# Configure zipl.
+
+if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-1} -gt 0 ]; then
+    set -x
+fi
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+# get the device containing the /boot directory
+base_device=`df /boot --output=source | grep "/dev/*"`
+
+cat > /lib/s390-tools/zipl_helper.loop  <<EOF
+#!/bin/bash
+# This helper file is only required during image build if DIB is
+# called without any partitioning configured (e.g. without the "vm"
+# element). In that case the file system is put on a plain loop
+# device.
+#
+# It's not required if
+# * zipl is executed in in a running VM.
+# * DIB is configured to create partitions (e.g. with the "vm"
+#   element).
+#
+# In both cases the disks block layout can be determined by
+# the operating system shipped zipl_helper.device-mapper file.
+
+echo "targetbase=${base_device}"
+echo "targettype=scsi"
+# DIB only supports 512 Byte disk sectors and blocks (not to confuse
+# with filesystem block size which is 4k by default)
+echo "targetblocksize=512"
+# If no partitions are present, no MBR is present - the file system can start
+# at block 0
+echo "targetoffset=0"
+EOF
+
+chmod +x /lib/s390-tools/zipl_helper.loop
+
+cat > /etc/zipl.conf <<EOF
+# This has been modified by the cloud image build process
+[defaultboot]
+default=ubuntu
+
+[ubuntu]
+target = /boot
+image = /boot/vmlinuz
+ramdisk = /boot/initrd.img
+parameters="root=LABEL=${DIB_ROOT_LABEL} $DIB_ZIPL_DEFAULT_CMDLINE"
+EOF
+
+zipl -V
+
+rm -f /lib/s390-tools/zipl_helper.loop
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/package-installs.yaml b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/package-installs.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9a99756ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/package-installs.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+s390-tools:
+  arch: s390x
+dmsetup:
+  arch: s390x
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/pre-install.d/kernel_config b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/pre-install.d/kernel_config
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..e41ce7e14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/zipl/pre-install.d/kernel_config
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Copyright (c) 2017 IBM Corp.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
+# implied.
+#
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+if [ ${DIB_DEBUG_TRACE:-0} -gt 0 ]; then
+    set -x
+fi
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+
+KERNEL_CONF_FILE=/etc/kernel-img.conf
+
+if [ -e  "$KERNEL_CONF_FILE" ]; then
+    # Remove the line if already set
+    sed -i "/^link_in_boot.*/d" "$KERNEL_CONF_FILE"
+fi
+
+# Set the kernel config option
+echo "link_in_boot = yes" >>"$KERNEL_CONF_FILE"
diff --git a/doc/source/user_guide/building_an_image.rst b/doc/source/user_guide/building_an_image.rst
index 7be649960..aaf634160 100644
--- a/doc/source/user_guide/building_an_image.rst
+++ b/doc/source/user_guide/building_an_image.rst
@@ -668,3 +668,11 @@ Typically ``ppc64el`` refers to a ``.deb`` based distribution
 architecture, and ``ppc64le`` refers to a ``.rpm`` based distribution.
 Regardless of the distribution the kernel architecture is always
 ``ppc64le``.
+
+Notes about s390x (z Systems) Architecture
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+
+Images for s390x can only be build on s390x hosts. Trying to build
+it with the architecture override on other architecture will
+cause the build to fail.
+