diff --git a/config/Config-build.in b/config/Config-build.in
index 872e5c12ab..c6591708a2 100644
--- a/config/Config-build.in
+++ b/config/Config-build.in
@@ -37,13 +37,21 @@ menu "Global build settings"
 		  - Enabling per-device rootfs support
 		  ...
 
+	config INSTALL_LOCAL_KEY
+		bool "Install local usign key into image"
+		default n
+
 	config SIGNED_PACKAGES
 		bool "Cryptographically signed package lists"
-		default y
+		default n
+
+	config SIGNED_IMAGES
+		bool "Cryptographically signed firmware images"
+		default n
 
 	config SIGNATURE_CHECK
 		bool "Enable signature checking in opkg"
-		default SIGNED_PACKAGES
+		default y
 
 	comment "General build options"
 
diff --git a/include/image-commands.mk b/include/image-commands.mk
index 5dfd6a2c2f..3d10b18bc8 100644
--- a/include/image-commands.mk
+++ b/include/image-commands.mk
@@ -373,11 +373,14 @@ metadata_json = \
 
 define Build/append-metadata
 	$(if $(SUPPORTED_DEVICES),-echo $(call metadata_json,$(SUPPORTED_DEVICES)) | fwtool -I - $@)
-	[ ! -s "$(BUILD_KEY)" -o ! -s "$(BUILD_KEY).ucert" -o ! -s "$@" ] || { \
-		cp "$(BUILD_KEY).ucert" "$@.ucert" ;\
-		usign -S -m "$@" -s "$(BUILD_KEY)" -x "$@.sig" ;\
-		ucert -A -c "$@.ucert" -x "$@.sig" ;\
-		fwtool -S "$@.ucert" "$@" ;\
+	[ -z "$(SIGNED_IMAGES)" \
+		-o ! -s "$(BUILD_KEY)" \
+		-o ! -s "$(BUILD_KEY).ucert" \
+		-o ! -s "$@" ] || { \
+			cp "$(BUILD_KEY).ucert" "$@.ucert" ;\
+			usign -S -m "$@" -s "$(BUILD_KEY)" -x "$@.sig" ;\
+			ucert -A -c "$@.ucert" -x "$@.sig" ;\
+			fwtool -S "$@.ucert" "$@" ;\
 	}
 endef
 
diff --git a/package/base-files/Makefile b/package/base-files/Makefile
index f105d2cd27..588c958f80 100644
--- a/package/base-files/Makefile
+++ b/package/base-files/Makefile
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ endif
 define Package/base-files
   SECTION:=base
   CATEGORY:=Base system
-  DEPENDS:=+netifd +libc +procd +jsonfilter +SIGNED_PACKAGES:usign +SIGNED_PACKAGES:openwrt-keyring +NAND_SUPPORT:ubi-utils +fstools +fwtool
+  DEPENDS:=+netifd +libc +procd +jsonfilter +SIGNATURE_CHECK:usign +SIGNATURE_CHECK:openwrt-keyring +NAND_SUPPORT:ubi-utils +fstools +fwtool
   TITLE:=Base filesystem for OpenWrt
   URL:=http://openwrt.org/
   VERSION:=$(PKG_RELEASE)-$(REVISION)
@@ -116,12 +116,6 @@ ifdef CONFIG_SIGNED_PACKAGES
 		$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/ucert -I -c $(BUILD_KEY).ucert -p $(BUILD_KEY).pub -s $(BUILD_KEY)
 
   endef
-
-  define Package/base-files/install-key
-	mkdir -p $(1)/etc/opkg/keys
-	$(CP) $(BUILD_KEY).pub $(1)/etc/opkg/keys/`$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/usign -F -p $(BUILD_KEY).pub`
-
-  endef
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_NAND_SUPPORT),)
@@ -130,9 +124,16 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_NAND_SUPPORT),)
   endef
 endif
 
+ifdef CONFIG_INSTALL_LOCAL_KEY
+  define Package/base-files/install-local-key
+	mkdir -p $(1)/etc/opkg/keys
+	$(CP) $(BUILD_KEY).pub $(1)/etc/opkg/keys/`$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/usign \
+		-F -p $(BUILD_KEY).pub`
+endef
+
 define Package/base-files/install
 	$(CP) ./files/* $(1)/
-	$(Package/base-files/install-key)
+	$(Package/base-files/install-local-key)
 	$(Package/base-files/nand-support)
 	if [ -d $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/base-files/. ]; then \
 		$(CP) $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/base-files/* $(1)/; \