diff --git a/src/ek2/layouts/std.cxx b/src/ek2/layouts/std.cxx
index 2354b62..9daaa9f 100644
--- a/src/ek2/layouts/std.cxx
+++ b/src/ek2/layouts/std.cxx
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ bool StdLayout::find_kernels()
 {
 	const std::string& boot_path = opts_.boot_path;
 	const std::string& module_path = opts_.module_path;
+	const bool ignore_module_dir = opts_.ignore_module_dir;
 
 	std::unordered_map<std::string, FileSet> file_map;
 	typedef std::unordered_map<std::string,
@@ -107,31 +108,33 @@ bool StdLayout::find_kernels()
 		module_map_type;
 	module_map_type module_map;
 
-	// collect all moduledirs first
-	modules_dir_.reset(new DirectoryStream(module_path));
-	while (modules_dir_->read())
-	{
-		// skip ., .. and all hidden files
-		if (modules_dir_->filename()[0] == '.')
-			continue;
-		// skip non-directories and symlinks
-		if (!modules_dir_->is_regular_directory())
-			continue;
-
-		std::shared_ptr<RelativePath> rpath{
-			new RelativePath(modules_dir_, modules_dir_->filename())};
-		std::shared_ptr<ModulesDir> f{
-			new ModulesDir(rpath)};
-
-		std::shared_ptr<RelativePath> build_path{f->build_path()};
-		if (build_path)
-			module_map[f->filename()].push_back(
-					BuildDir::try_construct(build_path));
-
-		// add moduledir after dependant dirs
-		// otherwise moduledir will be removed first and a later failure
-		// would make it impossible to find builddir again
-		module_map[f->filename()].push_back(f);
+	if (!ignore_module_dir) {
+		// collect all moduledirs first
+		modules_dir_.reset(new DirectoryStream(module_path));
+		while (modules_dir_->read())
+		{
+			// skip ., .. and all hidden files
+			if (modules_dir_->filename()[0] == '.')
+				continue;
+			// skip non-directories and symlinks
+			if (!modules_dir_->is_regular_directory())
+				continue;
+
+			std::shared_ptr<RelativePath> rpath{
+				new RelativePath(modules_dir_, modules_dir_->filename())};
+			std::shared_ptr<ModulesDir> f{
+				new ModulesDir(rpath)};
+
+			std::shared_ptr<RelativePath> build_path{f->build_path()};
+			if (build_path)
+				module_map[f->filename()].push_back(
+						BuildDir::try_construct(build_path));
+
+			// add moduledir after dependant dirs
+			// otherwise moduledir will be removed first and a later failure
+			// would make it impossible to find builddir again
+			module_map[f->filename()].push_back(f);
+		}
 	}
 
 	// collect all kernel files from /boot
@@ -187,12 +190,14 @@ bool StdLayout::find_kernels()
 					fset.internal_version(internal_ver);
 
 					// associate the module dir
-					module_map_type::iterator mi
-						= module_map.find(internal_ver);
-					if (mi != module_map.end())
-					{
-						std::copy(mi->second.begin(), mi->second.end(),
-								std::back_inserter(fset.files()));
+					if (!ignore_module_dir) {
+						module_map_type::iterator mi
+							= module_map.find(internal_ver);
+						if (mi != module_map.end())
+						{
+							std::copy(mi->second.begin(), mi->second.end(),
+									std::back_inserter(fset.files()));
+						}
 					}
 				}
 				// otherwise, check if it matches the previous one
@@ -226,20 +231,23 @@ bool StdLayout::find_kernels()
 
 		// leave only unused moduledirs in modules map
 		// others should have been copied into kernels already
-		module_map.erase(kf.second.internal_version());
+		if(!ignore_module_dir)
+			module_map.erase(kf.second.internal_version());
 
 		// finally, move the FileSet to kernels
 		kernels_.push_back(std::move(kf.second));
 	}
 
-	// add orphaned moduledirs to the final list
-	for (std::pair<const std::string, std::vector<std::shared_ptr<File>>>& km : module_map)
-	{
-		FileSet module_set;
-		module_set.internal_version(km.first);
-		std::move(km.second.begin(), km.second.end(),
-				std::back_inserter(module_set.files()));
-		kernels_.push_back(std::move(module_set));
+	if(!ignore_module_dir) {
+		// add orphaned moduledirs to the final list
+		for (std::pair<const std::string, std::vector<std::shared_ptr<File>>>& km : module_map)
+		{
+			FileSet module_set;
+			module_set.internal_version(km.first);
+			std::move(km.second.begin(), km.second.end(),
+					std::back_inserter(module_set.files()));
+			kernels_.push_back(std::move(module_set));
+		}
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/src/ek2/options.h b/src/ek2/options.h
index b7998d3..fe9797f 100644
--- a/src/ek2/options.h
+++ b/src/ek2/options.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ struct Options
 	std::string module_path;
 
 	bool pretend;
+	bool ignore_module_dir;
 	// newest kernels to keep, 0 to disable removing old
 	int keep_newest;
 };
diff --git a/src/main.cxx b/src/main.cxx
index 73b8d01..7d3913a 100644
--- a/src/main.cxx
+++ b/src/main.cxx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ extern "C"
 #	include <getopt.h>
 };
 
-static const char* short_options = "ln:o:s:B:M:phV";
+static const char* short_options = "ln:o:s:B:M:phVe";
 static const struct option long_options[] = {
 	{ "list-kernels", no_argument, nullptr, 'l' },
 
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ static const struct option long_options[] = {
 
 	{ "help", no_argument, nullptr, 'h' },
 	{ "version", no_argument, nullptr, 'V' },
+	{ "ignore-module-dir", no_argument, nullptr, 'e' },
 
 	{ nullptr, no_argument, nullptr, 0 },
 };
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ static void print_help(std::ostream& out, const char* argv0)
 		"  -l, --list-kernels      list installed kernels\n"
 		"\n"
 		"Removal options:\n"
+		"  -e, --ignore-module-dir don't remove module dir\n"
 		"  -n, --keep-newest N     keep only N newest kernels\n"
 		"  -p, --pretend           print the plan but do not do anything\n"
 		"\n"
@@ -106,6 +108,7 @@ int sub_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 		"/lib/modules", // module_path
 
 		false, // pretend
+		false, // ignore module dir
 		0, // keep_newest
 	};
 
@@ -165,6 +168,9 @@ int sub_main(int argc, char* argv[])
 			case 'p':
 				opts.pretend = true;
 				break;
+			case 'e':
+				opts.ignore_module_dir = true;
+				break;
 
 			case 'h':
 				print_help(std::cout, argv[0]);