--- a/docs/grub.texi	
+++ a/docs/grub.texi	
@@ -1398,6 +1398,25 @@ for all respectively normal entries.
 The values of these options replace the values of @samp{GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX}
 and @samp{GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT} for Linux and Xen menu entries.
 
+@item GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_CUSTOM
+@itemx GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_STOCK
+List of space-separated early initrd images to be loaded from @samp{/boot}.
+This is for loading things like CPU microcode, firmware, ACPI tables, crypto
+keys, and so on. These early images will be loaded in the order declared,
+and all will be loaded before the actual functional initrd image.
+
+@samp{GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_STOCK} is for your distribution to declare
+images that are provided by the distribution. It should not be modified
+without understanding the consequences. They will be loaded first.
+
+@samp{GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_CUSTOM} is for your custom created images.
+
+The default stock images are as follows, though they may be overridden by
+your distribution:
+@example
+intel-uc.img intel-ucode.img amd-uc.img amd-ucode.img early_ucode.cpio microcode.cpio
+@end example
+
 @item GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID
 Normally, @command{grub-mkconfig} will generate menu entries that use
 universally-unique identifiers (UUIDs) to identify the root filesystem to
--- a/util/grub-mkconfig.in	
+++ a/util/grub-mkconfig.in	
@@ -147,6 +147,12 @@ if [ x"$GRUB_FS" = xunknown ]; then
     GRUB_FS="$(stat -f --printf=%T / || echo unknown)"
 fi
 
+# Provide a default set of stock linux early initrd images.
+# Define here so the list can be modified in the sourced config file.
+if [ "x${GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_STOCK}" = "x" ]; then
+	GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_STOCK="intel-uc.img intel-ucode.img amd-uc.img amd-ucode.img early_ucode.cpio microcode.cpio"
+fi
+
 if test -f ${sysconfdir}/default/grub ; then
   . ${sysconfdir}/default/grub
 fi
@@ -211,6 +217,8 @@ export GRUB_DEFAULT \
   GRUB_CMDLINE_NETBSD \
   GRUB_CMDLINE_NETBSD_DEFAULT \
   GRUB_CMDLINE_GNUMACH \
+  GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_CUSTOM \
+  GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_STOCK \
   GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT \
   GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT \
   GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND \
--- a/util/grub.d/10_linux.in	
+++ a/util/grub.d/10_linux.in	
@@ -136,9 +136,13 @@ EOF
   if test -n "${initrd}" ; then
     # TRANSLATORS: ramdisk isn't identifier. Should be translated.
     message="$(gettext_printf "Loading initial ramdisk ...")"
+    initrd_path=
+    for i in ${initrd}; do
+      initrd_path="${initrd_path} ${rel_dirname}/${i}"
+    done
     sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/" << EOF
 	echo	'$(echo "$message" | grub_quote)'
-	initrd	${rel_dirname}/${initrd}
+	initrd	$(echo $initrd_path)
 EOF
   fi
   sed "s/^/$submenu_indentation/" << EOF
@@ -188,7 +192,15 @@ while [ "x$list" != "x" ] ; do
   alt_version=`echo $version | sed -e "s,\.old$,,g"`
   linux_root_device_thisversion="${LINUX_ROOT_DEVICE}"
 
-  initrd=
+  initrd_early=
+  for i in ${GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_STOCK} \
+	   ${GRUB_EARLY_INITRD_LINUX_CUSTOM}; do
+    if test -e "${dirname}/${i}" ; then
+      initrd_early="${initrd_early} ${i}"
+    fi
+  done
+
+  initrd_real=
   for i in "initrd.img-${version}" "initrd-${version}.img" "initrd-${version}.gz" \
 	   "initrd-${version}" "initramfs-${version}.img" \
 	   "initrd.img-${alt_version}" "initrd-${alt_version}.img" \
@@ -198,11 +210,22 @@ while [ "x$list" != "x" ] ; do
 	   "initramfs-genkernel-${GENKERNEL_ARCH}-${version}" \
 	   "initramfs-genkernel-${GENKERNEL_ARCH}-${alt_version}"; do
     if test -e "${dirname}/${i}" ; then
-      initrd="$i"
+      initrd_real="${i}"
       break
     fi
   done
 
+  initrd=
+  if test -n "${initrd_early}" || test -n "${initrd_real}"; then
+    initrd="${initrd_early} ${initrd_real}"
+
+    initrd_display=
+    for i in ${initrd}; do
+      initrd_display="${initrd_display} ${dirname}/${i}"
+    done
+    gettext_printf "Found initrd image: %s\n" "$(echo $initrd_display)" >&2
+  fi
+
   config=
   for i in "${dirname}/config-${version}" "${dirname}/config-${alt_version}" "/etc/kernels/kernel-config-${version}" ; do
     if test -e "${i}" ; then
@@ -216,9 +239,7 @@ while [ "x$list" != "x" ] ; do
       initramfs=`grep CONFIG_INITRAMFS_SOURCE= "${config}" | cut -f2 -d= | tr -d \"`
   fi
 
-  if test -n "${initrd}" ; then
-    gettext_printf "Found initrd image: %s\n" "${dirname}/${initrd}" >&2
-  elif test -z "${initramfs}" ; then
+  if test -z "${initramfs}" && test -z "${initrd_real}" ; then
     # "UUID=" and "ZFS=" magic is parsed by initrd or initramfs.  Since there's
     # no initrd or builtin initramfs, it can't work here.
     linux_root_device_thisversion=${GRUB_DEVICE}