diff --git a/plat/rpi3/platform.mk b/plat/rpi3/platform.mk
index 2f18af6..4276c84 100644
--- a/plat/rpi3/platform.mk
+++ b/plat/rpi3/platform.mk
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@
 # BL33 images are in AArch64 by default
 RPI3_BL33_IN_AARCH32		:= 0
 
+# Assume that BL33 isn't the Linux kernel by default
+RPI3_DIRECT_LINUX_BOOT		:= 0
+
 # BL32 location
 RPI3_BL32_RAM_LOCATION	:= tdram
 ifeq (${RPI3_BL32_RAM_LOCATION}, tsram)
@@ -129,9 +132,17 @@
 
 $(eval $(call add_define,RPI3_BL32_RAM_LOCATION_ID))
 $(eval $(call add_define,RPI3_BL33_IN_AARCH32))
+$(eval $(call add_define,RPI3_DIRECT_LINUX_BOOT))
+$(eval $(call add_define,RPI3_PRELOADED_DTB_BASE))
 
 # Verify build config
 # -------------------
+#
+ifneq (${RPI3_DIRECT_LINUX_BOOT}, 0)
+  ifndef RPI3_PRELOADED_DTB_BASE
+    $(error Error: RPI3_PRELOADED_DTB_BASE needed if RPI3_DIRECT_LINUX_BOOT=1)
+  endif
+endif
 
 ifneq (${LOAD_IMAGE_V2}, 1)
   $(error Error: rpi3 needs LOAD_IMAGE_V2=1)