diff --git a/build_library/base_image_util.sh b/build_library/base_image_util.sh
index 9283519ca3..febeb154e5 100755
--- a/build_library/base_image_util.sh
+++ b/build_library/base_image_util.sh
@@ -209,9 +209,10 @@ create_base_image() {
   emerge_to_image --root="${root_fs_dir}" ${BASE_PACKAGE}
 
   # Record directories installed to the stateful partition.
+  # Ignore /var/tmp, systemd covers this entry.
   sudo "${SCRIPTS_DIR}/gen_tmpfiles.py" --root="${root_fs_dir}" \
       --output="${root_fs_dir}/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/base_image.conf" \
-      "${root_fs_dir}/var"
+      --ignore=/var/tmp "${root_fs_dir}/var"
 
   # Set /etc/lsb-release on the image.
   "${BUILD_LIBRARY_DIR}/set_lsb_release" \
diff --git a/gen_tmpfiles.py b/gen_tmpfiles.py
index 5d96f12c16..b52ff8697b 100755
--- a/gen_tmpfiles.py
+++ b/gen_tmpfiles.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ def main():
     parser = optparse.OptionParser(description=__doc__)
     parser.add_option('--root', help='Remove root prefix from output')
     parser.add_option('--output', help='Write output to the given file')
+    parser.add_option('--ignore', action='append', default=[],
+                      help='Ignore one or more paths (use multiple times)')
     opts, args = parser.parse_args()
 
     if opts.root:
@@ -56,6 +58,9 @@ def main():
         else:
             stripped = path
 
+        if stripped in opts.ignore:
+          continue
+
         info = os.stat(path)
         assert stat.S_ISDIR(info.st_mode)
         mode = stat.S_IMODE(info.st_mode)