diff --git a/commands/bootm.c b/commands/bootm.c
index 6db0e65..7a19fa2 100644
--- a/commands/bootm.c
+++ b/commands/bootm.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 #include <magicvar.h>
 #include <asm-generic/memory_layout.h>
 
-#define BOOTM_OPTS_COMMON "ca:e:vo:fd"
+#define BOOTM_OPTS_COMMON "sca:e:vo:fd"
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_CMD_BOOTM_INITRD
 #define BOOTM_OPTS BOOTM_OPTS_COMMON "L:r:"
@@ -65,7 +65,11 @@
 	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, BOOTM_OPTS)) > 0) {
 		switch(opt) {
 		case 'c':
-			data.verify = 1;
+			if (data.verify < BOOTM_VERIFY_HASH)
+				data.verify = BOOTM_VERIFY_HASH;
+			break;
+		case 's':
+			data.verify = BOOTM_VERIFY_SIGNATURE;
 			break;
 #ifdef CONFIG_CMD_BOOTM_INITRD
 		case 'L':
@@ -118,7 +122,8 @@
 
 BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_START(bootm)
 BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_TEXT("Options:")
-BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_OPT ("-c\t",  "crc check uImage data")
+BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_OPT ("-c\t",  "hash check image integrity")
+BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_OPT ("-s\t",  "check signature of image")
 BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_OPT ("-d\t",  "dry run: check data, but do not run")
 BAREBOX_CMD_HELP_OPT ("-f\t",  "load images even if type is undetectable")
 #ifdef CONFIG_CMD_BOOTM_INITRD
@@ -160,6 +165,7 @@
 BAREBOX_MAGICVAR_NAMED(global_bootm_initrd, global.bootm.initrd, "bootm default initrd");
 BAREBOX_MAGICVAR_NAMED(global_bootm_initrd_loadaddr, global.bootm.initrd.loadaddr, "bootm default initrd loadaddr");
 BAREBOX_MAGICVAR_NAMED(global_bootm_oftree, global.bootm.oftree, "bootm default oftree");
+BAREBOX_MAGICVAR_NAMED(global_bootm_verify, global.bootm.verify, "bootm default verify level");
 
 static struct binfmt_hook binfmt_uimage_hook = {
 	.type = filetype_uimage,
diff --git a/common/bootm.c b/common/bootm.c
index 4409a8b..78a6bb5 100644
--- a/common/bootm.c
+++ b/common/bootm.c
@@ -56,8 +56,22 @@
 	getenv_ul("global.bootm.image.loadaddr", &data->os_address);
 	getenv_ul("global.bootm.initrd.loadaddr", &data->initrd_address);
 	data->initrd_file = getenv_nonempty("global.bootm.initrd");
+	data->verify = bootm_get_verify_mode();
 }
 
+static enum bootm_verify bootm_verify_mode = BOOTM_VERIFY_HASH;
+
+enum bootm_verify bootm_get_verify_mode(void)
+{
+	return bootm_verify_mode;
+}
+
+static const char * const bootm_verify_names[] = {
+	[BOOTM_VERIFY_NONE] = "none",
+	[BOOTM_VERIFY_HASH] = "hash",
+	[BOOTM_VERIFY_SIGNATURE] = "signature",
+};
+
 /*
  * bootm_load_os() - load OS to RAM
  *
@@ -122,7 +136,7 @@
 		if (!data->initrd)
 			return -EINVAL;
 
-		if (data->verify) {
+		if (bootm_get_verify_mode() > BOOTM_VERIFY_NONE) {
 			ret = uimage_verify(data->initrd);
 			if (ret) {
 				printf("Checking data crc failed with %s\n",
@@ -382,7 +396,7 @@
 	if (!data->os)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (data->verify) {
+	if (bootm_get_verify_mode() > BOOTM_VERIFY_NONE) {
 		ret = uimage_verify(data->os);
 		if (ret) {
 			printf("Checking data crc failed with %s\n",
@@ -550,6 +564,8 @@
 		globalvar_add_simple("bootm.initrd", NULL);
 		globalvar_add_simple("bootm.initrd.loadaddr", NULL);
 	}
+	globalvar_add_simple_enum("bootm.verify", (unsigned int *)&bootm_verify_mode,
+				  bootm_verify_names, ARRAY_SIZE(bootm_verify_names));
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/include/boot.h b/include/boot.h
index 0c0febe..363a02a 100644
--- a/include/boot.h
+++ b/include/boot.h
@@ -7,12 +7,18 @@
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <environment.h>
 
+enum bootm_verify {
+	BOOTM_VERIFY_NONE,
+	BOOTM_VERIFY_HASH,
+	BOOTM_VERIFY_SIGNATURE,
+};
+
 struct bootm_data {
 	const char *os_file;
 	const char *initrd_file;
 	const char *oftree_file;
 	int verbose;
-	bool verify;
+	enum bootm_verify verify;
 	bool force;
 	bool dryrun;
 	unsigned long initrd_address;
@@ -63,7 +69,7 @@
 	struct fdt_header *oftree;
 	struct resource *oftree_res;
 
-	int verify;
+	enum bootm_verify verify;
 	int verbose;
 	int force;
 	int dryrun;
@@ -119,6 +125,8 @@
 int bootm_load_devicetree(struct image_data *data, unsigned long load_address);
 int bootm_get_os_size(struct image_data *data);
 
+enum bootm_verify bootm_get_verify_mode(void);
+
 #define UIMAGE_SOME_ADDRESS (UIMAGE_INVALID_ADDRESS - 1)
 
 #endif /* __BOOT_H */