diff --git a/Config.in b/Config.in
index 46f7ce8385..76acbe5944 100644
--- a/Config.in
+++ b/Config.in
@@ -125,6 +125,13 @@ menu "Target Images"
 		help
 		    Allows you to change the maximum number of inodes in the root filesystem
 
+	config TARGET_ROOTFS_RESERVED_PCT
+		int "Percentage of reserved blocks in root filesystem"
+		depends TARGET_ROOTFS_EXT4FS
+		default 5
+		help
+		    Allows you to change the percentage of reserved blocks in the root filesystem
+
 endmenu
 
 menu "Global build settings"
diff --git a/include/image.mk b/include/image.mk
index 10850a6327..503115ddb0 100644
--- a/include/image.mk
+++ b/include/image.mk
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_TARGET_ROOTFS_EXT4FS),)
 
   define Image/mkfs/ext4
 # generate an ext2 fs
-	$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/genext2fs -U -b $(E2SIZE) -N $(CONFIG_TARGET_ROOTFS_MAXINODE) -d $(TARGET_DIR)/ $(KDIR)/root.ext4
+	$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/genext2fs -U -b $(E2SIZE) -N $(CONFIG_TARGET_ROOTFS_MAXINODE) -d $(TARGET_DIR)/ $(KDIR)/root.ext4 -m $(CONFIG_TARGET_ROOTFS_RESERVED_PCT)
 # convert it to ext4
 	$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/tune2fs -O extents,uninit_bg,dir_index $(KDIR)/root.ext4
 # fix it up