diff --git a/layers/meta-balena-fsl-arm/recipes-core/images/balena-image-initramfs.bbappend b/layers/meta-balena-fsl-arm/recipes-core/images/balena-image-initramfs.bbappend
index f9eb02fb..f9c6c922 100644
--- a/layers/meta-balena-fsl-arm/recipes-core/images/balena-image-initramfs.bbappend
+++ b/layers/meta-balena-fsl-arm/recipes-core/images/balena-image-initramfs.bbappend
@@ -6,3 +6,6 @@ PACKAGE_INSTALL:remove:nitrogen8mm = " initramfs-module-recovery"
 PACKAGE_INSTALL:remove:nitrogen8mm = " initramfs-module-migrate"
 
 PACKAGE_INSTALL:remove = "mdraid"
+
+# increase the allowed initramfs size
+IMAGE_ROOTFS_MAXSIZE:imx8mm-lpddr4-evk = "51200"