diff --git a/build_image b/build_image
index e033414df0..521fdd6c0b 100755
--- a/build_image
+++ b/build_image
@@ -119,8 +119,11 @@ fi
 # Create the output directory and temporary mount points.
 mkdir -p "${BUILD_DIR}"
 
+DISK_LAYOUT_SUFFIX=$(portageq-$BOARD envvar COREOS_DISK_LAYOUT_SUFFIX)
+DISK_LAYOUT="${FLAGS_disk_layout:-base}${DISK_LAYOUT_SUFFIX}"
+
 # Create the base image.
-create_base_image ${PRISTINE_IMAGE_NAME}
+create_base_image ${PRISTINE_IMAGE_NAME} ${DISK_LAYOUT}
 if should_build_image ${PRISTINE_IMAGE_NAME}; then
   upload_image "${BUILD_DIR}/${PRISTINE_IMAGE_NAME}"
 fi
@@ -138,14 +141,15 @@ if should_build_image ${CHROMEOS_DEVELOPER_IMAGE_NAME}; then
   else
     copy_image ${PRISTINE_IMAGE_NAME} ${CHROMEOS_DEVELOPER_IMAGE_NAME}
   fi
-  install_dev_packages ${CHROMEOS_DEVELOPER_IMAGE_NAME}
+  install_dev_packages ${CHROMEOS_DEVELOPER_IMAGE_NAME} ${DISK_LAYOUT}
   upload_image "${BUILD_DIR}/${CHROMEOS_DEVELOPER_IMAGE_NAME}"
 fi
 
 if should_build_image ${COREOS_PRODUCTION_IMAGE_NAME}; then
   copy_image ${CHROMEOS_BASE_IMAGE_NAME} ${COREOS_PRODUCTION_IMAGE_NAME}
 
-  setup_prod_image ${COREOS_PRODUCTION_IMAGE_NAME} "dev-channel" \
+  setup_prod_image ${COREOS_PRODUCTION_IMAGE_NAME} ${DISK_LAYOUT} \
+    "dev-channel" \
     ${SRC_ROOT}/third_party/coreos-overlay/coreos-base/coreos-au-key/files/update-payload-key.pub.pem
 
   upload_image "${BUILD_DIR}/${COREOS_PRODUCTION_IMAGE_NAME}"
diff --git a/build_library/base_image_util.sh b/build_library/base_image_util.sh
index 27e7f47986..5b26bed20e 100755
--- a/build_library/base_image_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/base_image_util.sh
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@
 
 create_base_image() {
   local image_name=$1
-  local rootfs_verification_enabled=$2
+  local disk_layout=$2
 
-  local disk_layout="${FLAGS_disk_layout:-base}"
   local disk_img="${BUILD_DIR}/${image_name}"
   local mbr_img="/usr/share/syslinux/gptmbr.bin"
   local root_fs_dir="${BUILD_DIR}/rootfs"
@@ -53,6 +52,7 @@ create_base_image() {
 
   ${BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR}/create_legacy_bootloader_templates.sh \
     --arch=${ARCH} \
+    --disk_layout="${disk_layout}" \
     --boot_dir="${root_fs_dir}"/boot \
     --esp_dir="${root_fs_dir}"/boot/efi \
     --boot_args="${FLAGS_boot_args}"
diff --git a/build_library/create_legacy_bootloader_templates.sh b/build_library/create_legacy_bootloader_templates.sh
index 2845d840dd..6df790bbd5 100755
--- a/build_library/create_legacy_bootloader_templates.sh
+++ b/build_library/create_legacy_bootloader_templates.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ DEFINE_string esp_dir "" \
   "Path to ESP partition mount point (Default: none)"
 DEFINE_string boot_args "" \
   "Additional boot arguments to pass to the commandline (Default: '')"
+DEFINE_string disk_layout "base" \
+  "The disk layout type to use for this image."
 
 # Parse flags
 FLAGS "$@" || exit 1
@@ -34,10 +36,20 @@ common_args="${common_args} ${FLAGS_boot_args}"
 
 # Get partition UUIDs from the json config
 get_uuid() {
-  "${BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR}/disk_util" readuuid "$1"
+  "${BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR}/disk_util" --disk_layout="${FLAGS_disk_layout}" \
+      readuuid "$1"
 }
-ROOTA="PARTUUID=$(get_uuid ROOT-A)"
-ROOTB="PARTUUID=$(get_uuid ROOT-B)"
+
+# Filesystem args differ between the old and new usr layouts.
+if [[ "${FLAGS_disk_layout}" == *-usr ]]; then
+  gptprio_args="root=LABEL=ROOT usr=gptprio:"
+  slot_a_args="root=LABEL=ROOT usr=PARTUUID=$(get_uuid USR-A)"
+  slot_b_args="root=LABEL=ROOT usr=PARTUUID=$(get_uuid USR-B)"
+else
+  gptprio_args="root=gptprio:"
+  slot_a_args="root=PARTUUID=$(get_uuid ROOT-A)"
+  slot_b_args="root=PARTUUID=$(get_uuid ROOT-B)"
+fi
 
 GRUB_DIR="${FLAGS_boot_dir}/grub"
 SYSLINUX_DIR="${FLAGS_boot_dir}/syslinux"
@@ -54,11 +66,11 @@ timeout         0
 
 title           CoreOS A Root
 root            (hd0,0)
-kernel          /syslinux/vmlinuz.A ${grub_args} root=${ROOTA}
+kernel          /syslinux/vmlinuz.A ${grub_args} ${slot_a_args}
 
 title           CoreOS B Root
 root            (hd0,0)
-kernel          /syslinux/vmlinuz.B ${grub_args} root=${ROOTB}
+kernel          /syslinux/vmlinuz.B ${grub_args} ${slot_b_args}
 EOF
   info "Emitted ${GRUB_DIR}/menu.lst.A"
 
@@ -101,7 +113,7 @@ EOF
 label boot_kernel
   menu label boot_kernel
   kernel vmlinuz-boot_kernel
-  append ${syslinux_args} root=gptprio:
+  append ${syslinux_args} ${gptprio_args}
 EOF
   info "Emitted ${SYSLINUX_DIR}/boot_kernel.cfg"
 
@@ -109,7 +121,7 @@ EOF
 label coreos.A
   menu label coreos.A
   kernel vmlinuz.A
-  append ${syslinux_args} root=${ROOTA}
+  append ${syslinux_args} ${slot_a_args}
 EOF
   info "Emitted ${SYSLINUX_DIR}/root.A.cfg"
 
@@ -117,7 +129,7 @@ EOF
 label coreos.B
   menu label coreos.B
   kernel vmlinuz.B
-  append ${syslinux_args} root=${ROOTB}
+  append ${syslinux_args} ${slot_b_args}
 EOF
   info "Emitted ${SYSLINUX_DIR}/root.B.cfg"
 }
@@ -133,6 +145,8 @@ copy_to_esp() {
   sudo cp -r "${SYSLINUX_DIR}/." "${FLAGS_esp_dir}/syslinux"
 
   # Stage all kernels with the only one we built.
+  # FIXME(marineam): without an EFI bootloader like gummiboot we currently
+  # don't have a way to set the correct mount options based on disk layout.
   for kernel in syslinux/{vmlinuz-boot_kernel,vmlinuz.A,vmlinuz.B} \
                 EFI/boot/bootx64.efi
   do
diff --git a/build_library/dev_image_util.sh b/build_library/dev_image_util.sh
index ea624f2f59..50d6ed491f 100755
--- a/build_library/dev_image_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/dev_image_util.sh
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@
 # Takes as an arg the name of the image to be created.
 install_dev_packages() {
   local image_name=$1
+  local disk_layout=$2
 
   info "Adding developer packages to ${image_name}"
-  local disk_layout="${FLAGS_disk_layout:-base}"
   local root_fs_dir="${BUILD_DIR}/rootfs"
 
   "${BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR}/disk_util" --disk_layout="${disk_layout}" \
diff --git a/build_library/legacy_disk_layout.json b/build_library/legacy_disk_layout.json
index 31248796dd..8b514f39b2 100644
--- a/build_library/legacy_disk_layout.json
+++ b/build_library/legacy_disk_layout.json
@@ -74,6 +74,20 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "base-usr":{
+      "3":{
+        "label":"USR-A",
+        "mount":"/usr"
+      },
+      "4":{
+        "label":"USR-B"
+      },
+      "9":{
+        "label":"ROOT",
+        "mount":"/",
+        "binds":{}
+      }
+    },
     "vm":{
       "9":{
         "label":"STATE",
@@ -81,12 +95,42 @@
         "blocks":"6291456"
       }
     },
+    "vm-usr":{
+      "3":{
+        "label":"USR-A",
+        "mount":"/usr"
+      },
+      "4":{
+        "label":"USR-B"
+      },
+      "9":{
+        "label":"ROOT",
+        "mount":"/",
+        "binds":{},
+        "blocks":"6291456"
+      }
+    },
     "vagrant":{
       "9":{
         "label":"STATE",
         "type":"data",
         "blocks":"33587200"
       }
+    },
+    "vagrant-usr":{
+      "3":{
+        "label":"USR-A",
+        "mount":"/usr"
+      },
+      "4":{
+        "label":"USR-B"
+      },
+      "9":{
+        "label":"ROOT",
+        "mount":"/",
+        "binds":{},
+        "blocks":"33587200"
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/build_library/prod_image_util.sh b/build_library/prod_image_util.sh
index 8129c4309b..7bf2929107 100755
--- a/build_library/prod_image_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/prod_image_util.sh
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@
 
 setup_prod_image() {
   local image_name="$1"
-  local update_track="$2"
-  local au_key="$3"
+  local disk_layout="$2"
+  local update_track="$3"
+  local au_key="$4"
 
   info "Configuring production image ${image_name}"
-  local disk_layout="${FLAGS_disk_layout:-base}"
   local root_fs_dir="${BUILD_DIR}/rootfs"
   local enable_rootfs_verification_flag=--noenable_rootfs_verification
   if [[ ${FLAGS_enable_rootfs_verification} -eq ${FLAGS_TRUE} ]]; then
diff --git a/build_library/toolchain_util.sh b/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
index 0132d63e69..e841f33057 100644
--- a/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/toolchain_util.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ CROSS_PROFILES["x86_64-cros-linux-gnu"]="coreos:coreos/amd64/generic"
 declare -A BOARD_CHOSTS BOARD_PROFILES
 BOARD_CHOSTS["amd64-generic"]="x86_64-cros-linux-gnu"
 BOARD_PROFILES["amd64-generic"]="coreos:coreos/amd64/generic"
+BOARD_CHOSTS["amd64-usr"]="x86_64-cros-linux-gnu"
+BOARD_PROFILES["amd64-usr"]="coreos:coreos/amd64/usr"
 BOARD_NAMES=( "${!BOARD_CHOSTS[@]}" )
 
 # Declare the above globals as read-only to avoid accidental conflicts.
diff --git a/build_library/vm_image_util.sh b/build_library/vm_image_util.sh
index b4b5eb1299..2a67635f1e 100644
--- a/build_library/vm_image_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/vm_image_util.sh
@@ -198,7 +198,8 @@ _disk_ext() {
 }
 
 setup_disk_image() {
-    local disk_layout="${1:-$(_get_vm_opt DISK_LAYOUT)}"
+    local suffix=$(portageq-$BOARD envvar COREOS_DISK_LAYOUT_SUFFIX)
+    local disk_layout="${1:-$(_get_vm_opt DISK_LAYOUT)}${suffix}"
 
     rm -rf "${VM_TMP_DIR}"
     mkdir -p "${VM_TMP_DIR}" "${VM_TMP_ROOT}"