diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/boot_mode.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/boot_mode.h
index 3a483b6afa6..6dc58559680 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/boot_mode.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/boot_mode.h
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 #define _ASM_BOOT_MODE_H
 #define MAKE_CFGVAL(cfg1, cfg2, cfg3, cfg4) \
 	((cfg4) << 24) | ((cfg3) << 16) | ((cfg2) << 8) | (cfg1)
+#define MAKE_CFGVAL_PRIMARY_BOOT	0xfffffff0
+#define MAKE_CFGVAL_SECONDARY_BOOT	0xffffffff
 
 enum boot_device {
 	WEIM_NOR_BOOT,
diff --git a/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/sys_proto.h b/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/sys_proto.h
index 2d18b1f56b8..15d1cba8e74 100644
--- a/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/sys_proto.h
+++ b/arch/arm/include/asm/mach-imx/sys_proto.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ struct bd_info;
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MX6
 #define IMX6_SRC_GPR10_BMODE			BIT(28)
+#define IMX6_SRC_GPR10_PERSIST_SECONDARY_BOOT	BIT(30)
 
 #define IMX6_BMODE_MASK			GENMASK(7, 0)
 #define	IMX6_BMODE_SHIFT		4
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ void gpr_init(void);
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_MX7
 #define IMX7_SRC_GPR10_BMODE			BIT(28)
+#define IMX7_SRC_GPR10_PERSIST_SECONDARY_BOOT	BIT(30)
 #endif
 
 /* address translation table */
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-imx/init.c b/arch/arm/mach-imx/init.c
index e30d63b8963..ce3eb4b0b8a 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-imx/init.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-imx/init.c
@@ -104,20 +104,28 @@ void init_src(void)
 void boot_mode_apply(unsigned cfg_val)
 {
 #ifdef CONFIG_MX6
+	const u32 persist_sec = IMX6_SRC_GPR10_PERSIST_SECONDARY_BOOT;
 	const u32 bmode = IMX6_SRC_GPR10_BMODE;
 #elif CONFIG_MX7
+	const u32 persist_sec = IMX7_SRC_GPR10_PERSIST_SECONDARY_BOOT;
 	const u32 bmode = IMX7_SRC_GPR10_BMODE;
 #endif
 	struct src *psrc = (struct src *)SRC_BASE_ADDR;
 	unsigned reg;
 
-	writel(cfg_val, &psrc->gpr9);
-	reg = readl(&psrc->gpr10);
-	if (cfg_val)
-		reg |= bmode;
-	else
-		reg &= ~bmode;
-	writel(reg, &psrc->gpr10);
+	if (cfg_val == MAKE_CFGVAL_PRIMARY_BOOT)
+		clrbits_le32(&psrc->gpr10, persist_sec);
+	else if (cfg_val == MAKE_CFGVAL_SECONDARY_BOOT)
+		setbits_le32(&psrc->gpr10, persist_sec);
+	else {
+		writel(cfg_val, &psrc->gpr9);
+		reg = readl(&psrc->gpr10);
+		if (cfg_val)
+			reg |= bmode;
+		else
+			reg &= ~bmode;
+		writel(reg, &psrc->gpr10);
+	}
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/mach-imx/mx7/soc.c b/arch/arm/mach-imx/mx7/soc.c
index 979ba3eebc9..b70ef80131e 100644
--- a/arch/arm/mach-imx/mx7/soc.c
+++ b/arch/arm/mach-imx/mx7/soc.c
@@ -414,6 +414,8 @@ void s_init(void)
 #ifndef CONFIG_SPL_BUILD
 const struct boot_mode soc_boot_modes[] = {
 	{"normal",	MAKE_CFGVAL(0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00)},
+	{"primary",	MAKE_CFGVAL_PRIMARY_BOOT},
+	{"secondary",	MAKE_CFGVAL_SECONDARY_BOOT},
 	{NULL,		0},
 };
 #endif