diff --git a/make/bootstrap.mk b/make/bootstrap.mk
index 8b708c25..3edbcd8b 100644
--- a/make/bootstrap.mk
+++ b/make/bootstrap.mk
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ endif
 	mkdir -p $(TARGET_DIR)/var/spool/cron/crontabs
 	mkdir -p $(PKG_CONFIG_PATH)
 	make skeleton
-ifeq ($(BOXSERIES), hd2)
+ifeq ($(PERSISTENT_VAR_PARTITION), yes)
   ifeq ($(IMAGE_NEW), yes)
 	touch -f $(TARGET_DIR)/var/etc/.newimage
   endif
diff --git a/make/environment-target.mk b/make/environment-target.mk
index aebdbd79..31574d3e 100644
--- a/make/environment-target.mk
+++ b/make/environment-target.mk
@@ -62,3 +62,7 @@ remove-man2dir		= $(remove-mandir)/man2
 # ca-certificates
 CA-BUNDLE	= ca-certificates.crt
 CA-BUNDLE_DIR	= /etc/ssl/certs
+
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+PERSISTENT_VAR_PARTITION = $(if $(filter $(BOXMODEL), apollo shiner kronos kronos_v2), yes, no)
diff --git a/make/image-updates.mk b/make/image-updates.mk
index f3e230d9..a32a57b9 100644
--- a/make/image-updates.mk
+++ b/make/image-updates.mk
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ u-neutrino-full: neutrino-clean
 ifneq ($(DEBUG), yes)
 	find $(UPDATE_INST_DIR)/bin -type f ! -name *.sh -print0 | xargs -0 $(TARGET_STRIP) || true
 endif
-ifeq ($(BOXSERIES), hd2)
+ifeq ($(PERSISTENT_VAR_PARTITION), yes)
 	# avoid overrides in user's var-partition
 	mv $(UPDATE_INST_DIR)/var $(UPDATE_INST_DIR)/var_init
 endif
diff --git a/make/target-rootfs.mk b/make/target-rootfs.mk
index a793b7f3..3413a892 100644
--- a/make/target-rootfs.mk
+++ b/make/target-rootfs.mk
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ endif
 		rm -rf tmp; ln -sf /tmp tmp
 	$(CD) $(TARGET_DIR)/etc; \
 		ln -sf /proc/mounts mtab
-ifeq ($(BOXSERIES), hd2)
+ifeq ($(PERSISTENT_VAR_PARTITION), yes)
 	$(CD) $(TARGET_DIR)/etc; \
 		ln -sf /var/etc/exports exports; \
 		ln -sf /var/etc/fstab fstab; \